‘JORDAN’ will be one memorable trip not just for how beautiful this country is but for how we planned , booked and flew on a complete whim in an unbelievable record time under two days. Yes thats true.
And this might sound ordinary to the western world who have powerful passports. In India a day usually goes in just figuring out which countries even allow us a Visa on arrival , collecting a dozen documents and embracing the cumbersome procedures and queues is another nightmare. But Jordan happened to be one such country that welcomes Indian Passport holders with Visa on arrival.
To begin with, Jordan was not even on our plan for the year 2022. We had been to Egypt a few years ago and kind of knew there were similarities between the two and as Travellers with limited means we like to prioritize varied experiences and a mix of regions & continents. Our initial plans of doing south of France fell through earlier in the month of May. We lost a good chunk of money too in cancelling the Tickets & chasing for refunds etc. It was sheer luck where the Visa center damaged our passports very last minute. Any how after a few months of sulking, I was hoping to book something for later part of the year around fall season and for our milestone 10th anniversary.
The first country that came to our mind was Japan which had been on our list for some time now. In the year 2020 our Japan trip that was just a week away when the Pandemic hit through the roof, obviously it got cancelled as the nation and the entire world went under a complete lock down.
So we planned a fall trip to Japan this time as they opened up to regular Tourists only in October 2022 but to our dismay when we applied for a Visa the queue was way longer than what their website mentioned and the embassy clearly said it could take over a month or even more. Not willing to take another chance and loose yet more money we dropped Japan for now with a heavy heart.
I was particularly feeling low for days and sulking hard quite stupid of me but I actually was. And thats when this lovely person I happened to marry said let’s just fly to any damn country on the same bloody dates. Ha ha ha sounds crazy I have never imagined booking an international flight at that short notice. It sounded mad but he was quite serious.
And so we googled all Visa on arrival countries from Asia to Africa that we hadn’t been to and the flight connections available from Hyderabad. That’s how ‘ Jordan ‘ was narrowed down.
And trust me up until our immigration and even boarding the flight, I was still researching about Jordan and looking up Airbnb’s and hotels and planning the itinerary literally on the go🙈 making use of the airport wi-fi.
It definitely gave me much anxiety and made me super nervous too. Until the time we landed in Amman I just couldn’t believe we were there indeed. It was all excitement from this very Point then.
Sometimes the best plans and trips are the most spontaneous one’s where you go with the flow and return with the fondest memories. Jordan for us was just that.
So here’s our one week Itinerary just in case all you have is 2 days to plan for your trip too Ha Ha ha. But on a serious note I am just going to make the change to the starting point of our trip because we realised starting the other way round is more advisable and less hectic.
Driving in Jordan
Now we do have our partiality towards road tripping because of the flexibility it gives and the time & money it saves so the moment the husband saw a Car hire booth at the Amman airport , he went to enquire straightaway and came back with our rental car that would be our mode of transport in Jordan. It took about an hour and a half or so all in all.
But if you ain’t comfortable about driving on the other side of the road and on winding mountain passes there are private tours and taxis a plenty also. Buses and Trains unlike Egypt are rare but cover touristy spots like Petra, if you do plan on taking public transport please see the schedules in advance. Our recommendation though would be to hire a Car for the entire trip of the duration instead of point to point specially if you plan to cover more sites.
Navigating in the city of Amman was a bit tricky if you like us come from India where we drive on the left side of the road. The city has narrow roads with traffic and confusing roundabouts but you do get the hang eventually of it other than that driving in Jordan was fairy simple & enjoyable and far more pleasant than what is back home.
” We highly suggest booking your rental car online in advance to score a better deal though. We compared the rates once we returned and realised we easily paid 50% more for booking it directly last minute on the Airport counters “.
OUR JORDAN ITINERARY
Day 1-4 Amman to Petra
Depending on when you arrive you could either stay the first day in Amman or head strait to your next destination ‘ The Ancient City of Petra ‘ which takes roughly 3 hours. The highway is excellent and its an easy drive with Desert Scenery and mountain valleys for company. The last 30 minutes of driving in the mountains could be a little tricky with steep drops and bents so avoid driving during night time .
Once you reach Petra & check into your hotel , get adequate rest and sleep on early as its best to start your day as early as possible to avoid crowds and the day time heat. My suggestions would be to keep two full days in this UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE ANCIENT CITY which is one of main attractions of Jordan , Petra is much more than seeing only the insta famous ‘ Treasury ‘.
The rose tinted city of Petra was a flourishing ancient city during 7000 BC , an important part of the Arab trade route and if you are a history & architecture buff Petra has loads to offer , the Nabateans way of life, waterway systems & irrigation and engineering were far advanced than even Roman’s so give it time and soak it all up at the Magnificent Petra Museum that open up until late evening hours 8.30 p.m. My Guide to Petra will be soon linked here if you need more Tips for planning.
Day 4-5 Camping/Glamping at Wadi Rum
From Petra we will head to the famous Martian Land ‘ WADI RUM DESERT ‘ driving through Desert mountain passes and Olive grooves before you spot the red deserts of Wadi rum in distance. This desert has been the location for some famous hollywood movies like Matt Demon’s Martian, Lawrence of Arabia to name a few due to its unique Red Sandstone cliffs and Sandunes for miles that almost resemble Planet Mars. Depending on your time and preference you could easily do a day here or even two if you prefer to relax and slow down more.
In our case as I belong to the Deserts and have seen them a plenty, I felt just a day was good enough to go on a 4 hour Jeep safari to watch the Sunset, relax with some Bedouin Tea and camp under a starry starry night. If you are in to Astro Photography remember to carry your Tripods for some insane pictures ( I forgot mine but look at the number of stars and a faint galazy I managed to click handheld)
Day 5-6 Floating in the Dead Sea
After the cold nights of Wadi Rum , the wind and the sand storms who doesn’t need a good dip and a relaxing resort. Another popular reason why tourists visit Jordan is this unique experience of floating in ‘ The Dead Sea’ – The lowest point on earth. Undoubtedly my favourite part of the trip was to experience this Phenomenon of ‘ Buoyancy ‘ in person. The same concept that makes a boat sale. Apparently the high salt concentration of 35% about 9 times more than any ocean and the density is what makes our body floats in the dead sea. Woah the scenery was also spectacular with Israel and Palestine on other ends of the lake.
The dead sea which is actually not a sea but actually a saline lake is so salty that it cannot sustain life which means no Fish or aquatic species live here. But it is also apparently very rich in mineral salts like Magnesium and Potash considered to have healing benefits that cure aches and skin disorders. The reason you see it forming a part of many high end skin care products today.
Try a mud pack for yourself and take a dip for maximum 10-15 minutes the recommended time. It was a relaxing experience & we really enjoyed the dead sea , highly recommend this at the near end of your trip after all the heavy walking & climbing in Petra and the dust and sand storms of Wadi Rum to just chill and rejuvenate here.
If you have more time during the day you could visit the dead sea museum which I really wanted to but albeit we were tired quite a bit and this trip was planned almost on the go as I mentioned before so we did miss a few things here and there.
Day 6 -8 Amman & Jerash
One could head directly to Amman from here or take a small detour to Madaba and then head to Amman. Amman albeit a small town still has wonderful things to see from The Duke’s Diwan Museum built in 1924 , The Amman Citadel and the Roman Amphitheater.
Start with a quick visit to the Dukes Diwan situated in the Downtown next to the world famous Kunafah Habibah , moving your way towards the Roman Amphitheatre and finally the Amman Citadel in the late afternoon.
The best time to see the Citadel according to us is in the evening when the sun is setting down. The downtown of Amman looks beautiful bathed in that golden hour light. Don’t skip the Museum rather I would say start with the Museum always , which is a treasure trove of History and Artifacts and a good starting point to acquaint yourself with Jordan’s rich past.
Later head to this cute Cafe ‘ Dar Ne Meh ‘ in the parking lot for some lovely views and amazing food. I loved their Coffee, salads and the Pistachio Cheesecake was super duper delicious.
By now if you are tired you could call it a day and head back to your hotel to get some rest but I would suggest returning back later in the night for a leisurely stroll in the lively downtown and rainbow street for some local feasts.
Amman earns the tag of serving the best Kunafah the world has to offer and it did live upto the hype. There are actually two outlets of this famous shop Habibah , one with chairs & tables to sit and one is tucked away in a narrow lane with a long queue , wait in line and grab a Kunafah slice from here over the sit-down place.
Don’t know if the sit-down outlet is the same branch but the taste was not half as good as the small joint where people line up to grab a slice and then tuck themselves up in the same narrow lane leaning against walls to enjoy this sweet salty cheesy delish desert ‘ Kunafah ‘
The famous Falafels at Hashem’s didn’t disappoint either. We also recommend trying the fresh Pomegranate juice from street side vendors if you happen to visit during fall season. I had them almost every single day In Jordan and it was the best we had anywhere so had to cool off with a glass daily and give my haemoglobin a real boost.
If you would rather prefer a sit down dinner rainbow street in the evening has plenty of options. The famous restaurants like ‘ SUFRA ‘ would need a prior reservation so keep that in mind.
Day trip to Jerash & Ajloun castle
Time to head to the city of Jerash about an hour away from Amman. The spectacular Greco- Roman ruins I have heard look particularly lovely in Spring when the grass is green. Considered as one of the most well preserved Roman ruins outside of Italy hence expect crowds albeit make it early here to avoid both the crowds and the afternoon heat.
From Jerash head further up to Ajloun Castle my personal favourite because I hadn’t been to an Arab castle before and loved the surrounding areas of driving through Olive grooves & the Ajloun Forest Reserve. Exploring this castle perched high up on hill with rolling valley views and friendly cats for company was pretty enjoyable.
The beautiful & famous 650 km ‘ Jordan Trail ‘ also begins somewhat from here from a town known as Um Qais passing through Rasoun & Ajloun and takes you through the spectacular scenery of Jordan that particularly comes alive in Spring , if you love hiking and enjoy active holidays more.
Later in the evening post relaxing you could head to the cosmopolitan center of Al Abdali to see modern buildings and restaurants. Catch a glimpse of the King Abdullah Mosque, or if you are a fan of old world charm loiter in the Downtown yet again to shop for souvenirs. From nuts to Olive oil soaps , Sage , Zataar and other middle eastern spices its worth bringing a few back in the suitcase. And if you are lucky and have more time in this lovely city visit the Royal Car Museum , treat yourself to a Hammam experience and consider joining an Arabic Cooking class.
I scored a Vintage Painting by a Serian artist from this lovely shop situated in Downtown Amman.
Where to Stay in Amman
Intercontinental Amman is located very well near all the hot spots. For budget travellers we stayed in this spacious & comfortable Air BNB – Eze Apartment close walking distance to Downtown & Rainbow Street & also near our favourite place to eat in Amman ‘ B Lebanese Bakery ‘
What to Eat/Where to eat
- Kunafah at Habibah Sweets
- B Lebanese Bakery for mouth watering breads (Try the small 5 bread taster menu) * Personal Favourite
- Falafel, Hummus & Mint Tea at Hashems
- Manakish or Zataar Bread at local bakeries
- Fattet Hummus at Al-Quds
- Mansaf ‘ The national dish of Jordan ‘
* Some Traveller Tips
- Invest in the ‘ Jordan Pass ‘ before you arrive , this waives off the VISA Fee plus gives you free entry to most sites except Petra by Night.
- People in Jordan are the most friendliest , Jovial and helpful I have ever met. Have a conversation or two and trust the most memorable part of your trip will be the Jordinian people and their warm hospitality.
- Jordan is an Arabic country so Dress modestly respecting the culture. In the resort towns of Aqaba & the Dead Sea , western swim wear can be worn on resort beaches. However if you visit public beaches observe caution & follow guidelines.
- While Meat is a major part of Arabic cuisine don’t shy to ask for a vegetarian version of a popular meat dish such as Mansaf or Makloubeh if you wish to try local cuisine. Middle Eastern cuisine also has lots of options catering to the vegetarian/vegan travellers and except for the remote desert of Wadi Rum I seriously did not go hungry anywhere.
- Jordan by no means is a cheap budget country like our Asian neighbours, bear that in mind and budget accordingly. One Jordanian Dinar = 115 INR. However backpacking & hiking both are possible , eating local foods and self driving over private tours also help reduce costs.
- If you have more time on hand consider a trip to Jerusalem in bordering Israel , ancient city of As- Salt, or adding the resort town of Aqaba for some relaxing days by the Red Sea.
