From creating travel itineraries and researching hotels, to figuring out logistics and finding the local restaurants, shops and excursions to check out, I tend to research extensively when preparing for a trip abroad. Travel websites and books, user reviews, local bloggers, the social media profiles of local guides, and of course, friends and colleagues who are from or have been to the same country, are always my go-to research sources.
While there are tons of hotel options at many of the country’s most famous historical and cultural sites, we've compiled a brief list of the places where we stayed (after rigorous research) and where we would stay again if we were ever lucky enough to return. Ready to pack those bags?
Amman: The Intercontinental Amman
We knew we wanted to stay at a hotel that was within walking distance to some of the sites, offered airport pick-up, and, ideally, allowed us to rack up hotel points (in this case, IHG). The Intercontinental was a great choice. Airport pick-up was a breeze.
We loved that we could walk to Rainbow Street and take a quick taxi to the Citadel, Roman Theatre, local restaurants and other sites. The pool was also a great spot to cool down after long walking tours. I ordered grilled halloumi poolside, of course.
Petra: Mövenpick Resort Hotel
What we loved most about Mövenpick was its proximity to Petra’s main entrance. The hotel is just steps away from the main gate and the Bab al Sik – you can’t beat it.
Journal Excerpt: “The Movenpick hotel is perfectly located! It's a cozy home away from home for us. We hadn’t eaten breakfast [when we arrived], so we grabbed a plate of mezzes, and an espresso shot to fuel up – we were so anxious to cross the street and see Petra!” Below is a picture of the hotel lobby.
After a long day of exploring Petra, the hotel was a wonderful place to relax, recap the day and prepare for the next. See our Petra post for more info and pictures.
Wadi Rum: Wadi Rum Luxury Night – Camp Full of Stars
The opportunity to sleep in a domed tent in the desert with a nearly unobstructed view of the clear, starry sky is what initially drew us to this camp. The traditional Jordanian and Bedouin meals, apple tea and hookah campfire set up, and the guided desert tours sealed the deal. We were not disappointed!
We reserved a 4x4 Jeep tour through the camp, and spent several hours exploring the desert's most stunning sites, including 12,000+ year old sandstone-carved inscriptions and petroglyphs, the "Little Bridge", "Sunset Cliffs", boundless sand dunes, and the site where "Lawrence of Arabia" was filmed in the 60s. (We'll have to create a post just for Wadi Rum!) While the desert tour could have been more informative and educational, we were thrilled with our experience in the desert, and our overall stay at the camp.
Evening activities at our camp were just as memorable as our afternoon adventure exploring the vast "Valley of the Moon." The camp served dinner in a traditional Bedouin tent that was located at the base of a cliff. We filled our stomachs with delicious homemade shrak bread, roasted veggies, aromatic rice dishes, delicious dips and roasted meat pulled straight from an underground fire pit. After a hearty meal, we spent the night counting shooting stars, sipping apple tea, smoking hookah, and talking into the wee hours of the night.
The Dead Sea: Kempinski Ishtar Hotel
After nearly a week of adventure, we were ready to kick our feet up and relax before heading home. A colleague and former ambassador whom had traveled extensively recommended we stay at the Kempinski. Done.
Located just an hour away from the airport, about 4.5 hours from Wadi Rum, and 434 feet below sea level on the edge of the Dead Sea, the Kempinski Ishtar was a wonderful and absolutely gorgeous place to relax and recharge before flying home.
Dead Sea. Pool. Read & Repeat. That was our mantra. We spent each day bouncing back and forth from their infinity pool to their private beach on the Dead Sea. Lathering on the mineral rich mud, floating in the salty sea, and watching the sunset on the Israeli coast across the sea made us absolutely giddy. And while we strongly contemplated hiking the gorge in Wadi Mujib, which was just 30 minutes away, we opted for soaking in the serene vista from the hotel instead. "The Dead Sea Sunset" print captures that serene scene.
Visiting Jordan was one of the best travel decisions we have ever made. The country is easily a top 3 destination out of the 30+ countries that we been fortunate enough to travel to. Things have definitely changed since we visited and amid a global pandemic, but we hope this post helps you coordinate logistics and gives you a few things to think about when planning a trip to Jordan.