Jordanians would literally give you the shirt off their back. No, really — it’s part of their culture. If you like an item of their clothing or one of their possessions, they will offer it to you. This stems from the culture of hospitality, where no matter how little people have, they always feel they can give to anyone, whether it’s a friend, family member, or complete stranger. And if you’re trekking through the desert, the Bedouin people will always welcome you into their tent for a cup of tea. I felt more welcome in Jordan than I have in any North American city.
If you base your opinion of Jordan purely on its geographical location, it might seem a bit intimidating. Headline-making countries — including Syria, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia — lie just outside of its border. But Jordan is a safe country, where many different people and faiths coexist relatively happily.
When you think of Jordan, I’d guess that the first thing you picture is Petra’s iconic Treasury. Petra is life-changing, stunning and awe-inducing, and every traveller who visits Jordan should visit the site. But Jordan is so much more than Petra. From the sprawling, modern capital city of Amman to Jerash, just an hour north, which is an ancient Roman city with ruins to rival (and, in my honest opinion, beat) Rome itself. Or you can relax at the famed Dead Sea, where the resorts reminded me more of the Caribbean than the desert. It doesn’t stop there: there’s hiking, canyoneering, diving, ATV tours, cooking lessons … you name it, Jordan has it.
