Top 10 reasons to visit Jordan

Find out 10 good reasons to travel to Jordan and some of the top places to visit in this beautiful country.

Just after a few days coming back from Jordan, I was missing already the beautiful places visited and the amazing people meet.

It’s always difficult to explain in detail why a particular trip has been amazing but this is especially true for Jordan. Why? Because, due to his position in the middle east, many think that Jordan is quite a dangerous country, as for this reason, no matter what you say, they’ll stick to this idea. But as I wrote here, Jordan is really a safe country to visit.

All I can say is that Jordan really surprised me: I didn’t expect this country to be so beautiful!

If you want to know why you should visit Jordan keep reading the article. If you are already convinced but are looking for information on what to see and do in Jordan, do not miss my travel guide.

The top 10 reasons to visit Jordan

Here’s a partial list of the top reasons why it’s definitely worth organizing a trip to Jordan.

The food

I bet the food is not the first thing you imagine when thinking about Jordan, but to be honest, it was one of the highlights of the entire trip.

It’s one of the countries with the best food I’ve tried so far. You can find all the ingredients of Mediterranean cuisine including extra virgin olive oil, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and any other things that I could find in Italy but, if possible, the food in Jordan is even better! They mix Mediterranean cuisine with oriental spices and the result is incredible.

Not to mention the drinks: cardamom coffee, lemon manana (water, lemon, and mint), and tea… I’m sure you’ll miss Jordanian food once you’ll go back home.

History

Jordan is geographically located between Europe and Asia and for this reason, it has always been considered a strategic country. Moabites, Amorites, Israelites, Greeks, Romans, Nabateans, and many other civilizations have conquered this land.

Just like Italy, you will find historic sites almost everywhere. Don’t miss Jerash where you’ll find incredibly well preserved Roman ruins side by side with the modern city. Just like Rome: only cleaner and with much fewer tourists.

Amman

Amman is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Sadly most tourists don’t spend enough time there.

I suggest you stay at least two days and explore the Roman Citadel, the Greek Teather and the market downtown.

The people

Needless to say, people are what make the difference between an amazing trip and a complete nightmare. If the places you visit are great but the locals are rude, you are most likely not going to enjoy the experience, are you?

Luckily people in Jordan are great: very hospitable and always ready to help.

Wadi Rum

The Wadi Rum desert is one of the most amazing places in the world, period. This place is also known as the Valley of the Moon although, to be honest, it looks more like Mars than the Moon.

Thomas Edward Lawrence aka Lawrence of Arabia lived in this desert for a while during the Arab Revolt.

Feynan

When you think about the desert you probably don’t imagine many comforts. Well if you’ll spend the night in Feynan you’ll change your mind.

There you can find one of the best Eco-lodges in the world. Don’t get me wrong: you won’t find an infinity pool or a sauna, but the rooms are really comfortable. There is no electricity bu you’ll have plenty of hand-made candles.

This means no TV but you can always watch the stars from the roof of the lodge using the telescope provided by the structure.

During the day you’ll have plenty of options to keep yourself busy: spending a whole day with the local shepherds, hiking for about 7/8 hours to the Dana Reserve, or relaxing drinking some tea with the Bedouins.

You can later have dinner under the stars. Candles, soap, and bread are all made by the Bedouin women and some of the money earned by the lodge will be used to support the local community.

Feynan is definitely another good reason to visit Jordan!

The Dead Sea

Swimming in the Dead Sea and walking in the lowest point on earth is a must-do experience, at least once in life.

You can find some hotels in the Dead Seas both on the Israeli and Jordanian sides, but the Jordan side is a bit better.

Two interesting facts: due to its “altitude” (-420 mt) you won’t need sunscreen: the UV rays can’t get through the thick atmosphere. Another interesting fact is that the level of oxygen in the Dead Sea is three times higher than in any other place on earth.

Regarding the accommodation, I recommend this hotel, it’s really ideal to relax in this part of the country.

Religious places

Whether you are religious or not, visiting Jordan means exploring a land important for three of the major religion in the world: Christianity, Islam, and Judaism.

According to some local legends, the pillar that you see in the top left corner of the picture above is Lot’s wife.

O yes…Petra

As you have noticed I didn’t mention Petra up to this point. Why? Not because it’s not worth it. Actually, it’s the other way around. Petra is so amazing that most of the time people just forget that in Jordan there are many other beautiful places.

If you want to visit Petra I strongly suggest you spend at least two days and be sure that for one of the evenings is scheduled Petra by night. Petra is not only the Treasury (the famous building that you can see in the Indiana Jones movie) but there are hundreds of other historic sites to explore.

Jordan is a safe country

The main reason why some people don’t visit Jordan is that they are afraid that it’s an unsafe country. This is not true as I explained in my previous article. Just be careful when driving around the country: there are a lot of camels!

When is the best time to visit Jordan?

The best time to organize a trip to Jordan is spring: in the months between March and May. This is because temperatures are not too high, or too low (in winter it is relatively cold, especially in the desert). Also in spring, everything blooms and is really a sight for the eyes. Alternatively, the autumn months are a good choice as well.

Are you now convinced that you should include Jordan in your bucket list?

Here you can see more pictures of Jordan and here a post that will help you to make money selling your travel pictures.