Why You Should go to Jordan

When I told family and friends I was going to Jordan for a conference, many asked me if I was mad. I guess there is reason to think a person is mad to go to the Jordan right now; it's got some hot headed neighbours. Syria has been in a state of war for 5 years, Saudi Arabia is at war with Yemen, we all know what happened in Iraq and Egypt has its share of terrorism in the last years and then there is Israel. But Jordan has remained pretty calm. However tourists are staying away and I don't understand why.

Things to Do in Amman

Amman might not be on everyone's itinerary when visiting Jordan, but if you have a few hours to kill like we did last weekend here are some tips on things to do in Amman.

1. Wander around Rainbow Street

This historic area is a delight to spend a few hours. Rainbow street owes its name to an old cinema that used to stand here but since has been torn down. The streets surrounding Rainbow Street are lined with historic houses, art shops and cafes. Take a breather at the Books@cafe where your coffee comes with amazing views across the city.

Camping in the Wadi Rum

On my recent trip to Jordan, my friend and I went camping in Wadi Rum. I have to admit that I'm not much of a camper and I used to dread the camping trips with my parents to the south of France back in the 70s. Ah, those summer holidays spent with my whole family on less than 16 m2. Dinner prepared on a gas cooker, eating from plastic plates with plastic cutlery and then hauling all that plastic in a bucket to the shower/loo/washing up  facilities to queue to do the dishes next to some random and usually very nosy fellow camper. And let's not leave out the walk of shame to the loo with a loo-roll under your arm. Not much privacy there, I tell you.

Visiting Petra in Jordan

I never expected Petra in Jordan to be so stunning until I visited last week. Sure I had seen pictures of the famous treasury and vaguely remember what it looked like from some scenes of the Indiana Jones movie I'd watched when I was a child. Even though it had been on my bucket list for ages, I  never expected it to be so mind blowing.