I wanted to show you my itinerary to see this country from North to South, but with a twist – here are my thoughts and ideas about each of the places before I see them. I’ll also write an updated post with the details after my trip. I’ve always found that my true highlights aren’t usually the ones I think of ahead of time.
Day 1: Arrival Flight – The trip to Jordan takes about 11-12 hours from New York City. With my layover, the total travel time is a little over 20 hours.
Day 2: Arrival in Amman. I get in around 3:55pm. I’ll arrive to the hotel and try and stay awake long enough to fall asleep on local time.
Day 3: Pick up in Amman for my Pre-Adventure. Today we will head up to Umm Quais, which has some incredible Roman Ruins. Here is where Jesus performed one of his miracles – casting demons from two men into a heard of pigs. Here you can see Syria, Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian territories. Overnight
Day 4: Today we will spend some time learning about traditional basket-weaving. Then we will make our way towards one of Jordan’s accommodation hotspots, the Fenyan Eco-lodge.
Day 5: Today we will explore the Dana Biosphere Reserve, one of Jordan’s hidden gems. Dana is a small stone village, perched high atop the valley below. Protected from the wind, hundreds of species of trees and plants live in this area.
Day 6: Today we will be exploring what so many people come to Jordan to see – Petra. Petra and its famed Treasury have been high on my must-see and experience list, and I can’t wait to soak it all in! At the end of the day, we will be staying in a traditional Bedouin camp, underneath the stars in the desert.
Day 7: Wadi Rum is the next and final stop on my pre-adventure. We will experience the desert that Lawrence of Arabia once traversed. At the end of the day, we will end at the famous Dead Sea. I can’t wait for a float in the super salty waters, and experience the ‘lowest’ place on Earth.
Day 8: Conference at the Dead Sea
Day 9: Conference at the Dead Sea
Day 10: Sleep-in! Yay! Although I’ll probably spend some time by the pool or opt for another dip in the Dead Sea. Today I will be picked up for a half-day tour to see Madaba and Mount Nebo. Madaba houses a Christian church that has the most beautiful mosaics, and has been a city for you know, just 4500 years! Mount Nebo is the hill where Moses was shown the ‘promised land’
Day 11: Time to head home! I depart late morning and return home around 11pm, but by the time I head home, it’ll be nice and early in the morning. Worth it for a trip like this!
Expected Highlights:
Petra, for obvious reasons.
I’m really looking forward to the experience at the Bedouin camp. Something about the desert really fascinates me.
THE FOOD!
I can’t wait to tell you about my actual highlights.
This trip was paid for by the Jordan Tourism Board. All thoughts and opinions are my own and do not reflect the JNTB or my employer.