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Middle East

9 In Jordan/ Middle East/ Trip Guide

20 Things to Do in Amman, Jordan

For many people, the city of Amman is just a stop over on the way to the more famous sites of Petra, the Dead Sea and Wadi Rum.

But Amman has so much to offer visitors! It’s a mix of old world and new world with its modern cafes, art galleries, ancient ruins, hip bars and bustling souks. I would recommend spending atleast two days exploring the city during your time in Jordan. It’s also a great jumping off point for a lot of days trips. Check out my 2-week itinerary for visiting Jordan which includes day trips from Amman, as well as other tips.

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4 In Middle East/ Palestine/ Trip Guide

Visiting a Hammam in the West Bank, Palestine

I’m sitting half naked surrounded by a group of Palestinian women, many of whom would traditionally be covered with a hijab and jilbab. It feels very much like I’ve stepped into some hidden world. It’s 100 degrees (40 Celsius), and I’m sweating and drinking hibiscus tea in a hammam steam room in Ramallah, Palestine. The women are all singing and clapping. I can’t tell if this is the normal hammam experience or if they are celebrating an engagement or impending wedding. It’s an odd experience to be sitting with them like this. All of us sweating half naked as they celebrate and we attempt to speak and interact. My broken Arabic isn’t getting me far but we laugh and smile at each other through the steam anyways.

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2 In Egypt/ Middle East/ Trip Guide

Cairo From Above: The Citadel of Saladin

Feisty Cairo

Cairo. She’s feisty, suffocating and exhausting but she’s also invigorating and inspiring. And sometimes it’s beyond me how she – with her layers and layers of people (22 million!!), buildings, cars and dust – manages to function. But she does and that’s half the beauty of the city. That it functions despite itself. From high atop the Saladin Citadel, the chaos of Cairo feels a bit more bearable. And it provides an expansive, and often hazy, view of the urban sprawl of the city.

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17 In Egypt/ Middle East/ Trip Guide

A Guide to Visiting the Great Pyramids of Giza, Egypt

Men riding camels

The Pyramids of Giza were constructed some 4,500 years ago. And the Great Pyramid of Khufu is the only one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world that exists intact today! How the pyramids were constructed is one of Egypt’s biggest mysteries. But the recent identification of a hidden void in the Great Pyramid of Khufu is hoped to give some insight into the illusive pyramids and how they were built!

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26 In Jordan/ Middle East/ Photo Inspiration

20 Photos to Inspire You to Visit Jordan

Bedouin Man

“I have always loved the desert. One sits down on a desert sand dune, sees nothing, hears nothing. Yet through the silence something throbs, and gleams.” Antoine De Saint-Exupery, The Little Prince

‘Ahlan wa sahlan’ – Welcome to Jordan!

The area that is now the Kingdom of Jordan has a strong tradition of welcoming people, from caravans and traders passing through the desert, to crusaders, the Romans, writers inspired by the desert landscape and even the famous T.E. Lawrence.

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0 In Jordan/ Middle East/ Trip Guide

Jordan: Camping in Dana Nature Reserve

There are so many beautiful spots in Jordan – from spending the night in the other worldly red desert of Wadi Rum, to exploring ancient and impressive Petra, to floating in the Dead Sea, or hiking in the many Wadis (canyons) around the country. BUT my absolute favorite spot and thing to do in Jordan is to hike in Dana Nature Reserve and spend the night at the beautiful Rummana Campsite.

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