Jordan Activities

As one of the safer countries in the Middle East, Jordan offers some truly memorable and impressive adventures for children. You won’t find Disney-like amusement parks here, but the grandeur of Petra or a camel ride with the Bedouin should be enough to wow the most jaded of kids.

Aqaba
This coastal town along the Red Sea is the perfect place to get in some beach time during your visit to Jordan. In stark contrast to the desert around it, the Red Sea is a beautiful, clear body of water teeming with sea life and coral reefs. The kids will love swimming in the warm glassy waters and exploring the sandy beaches.

Petra
Most kids have seen the movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, which featured the rock facades of Petra as one of the backgrounds. This is the kind of place that would seem to exist only in children’s imaginations, yet here it is. This totally unique city has hewn from a towering rock wall over 2,000 years ago and is about as surreal as any place on earth. Petra is no secret anymore, but it’s still fairly uncongested and will undoubtedly awe any child who sees it.

Wadi Rum
Some of the planet’s most amazing desert scenery is found in Wadi Rum, an area of bizarre, otherworldly rock formations known as jebels. This massive region is the home of Bedouin nomads and villagers who make a living off of the trickle of tourism. Lawrence of Arabia lived here and you can tour his fortress. But the real thrill will be a camel ride with the Bedouin. There are no hotels in Wadi Rum, but you can spend the night under the desert stars in a Bedouin tent with a Bedouin family. Now that’s something to impress the kids back home.

Jordan may not have the widest range of outdoor activities, but the few things it offers are top-notch. Being a desert landscape, walking and trekking are major activities. There are a number of beautiful and diverse areas to explore on foot, camelback or in a 4-wheel drive vehicle. The Red Sea offers a watery alternative to the desert. The sheer beauty of its clear water, sea life and coral reefs will surprise every first time visitor.

Climbers will be pleasantly surprised by the quality and quantity of rock climbing routes in the Wadi Rum. The climbs here range from grade three to grade six and can reach a vertical height of 1754 metres. There is a whole infrastructure of climbing gear, rental shops and local guides who can take you on a climb best-suited to your skills. If you want the ultimate challenge, try the 12 hour Bedouin Guided Mountain Climb, which starts at Nabatean Temple and reaches the top of the second highest point in Wadi Rum, rewarding the intrepid with stunning vistas.

The Red Sea resort of Aqaba is one of the world’s least-explored, yet most exotic underwater environments. The crystal clear water, rare coral reef systems and variety of colourful fish make this a premier diving destination. Aqaba is home to some 500 species of coral, 1,200 species of fish and 1,000 different types of mollusc and crustacean. Sea turtles, whales, dolphins and sea cows are also frequently spotted swimming in the sea. The diving is excellent all year round thanks to its warm waters averaging 22°C with a visibility down to 150 metres.

There are more than 30 dive sites around Aqaba, some of which boast ship wrecks and other man-made diversions. Every amenity is available to divers and the scene is very well developed. Diving instruction is available here, as well as guided dives for both certified and uncertified visitors.

Walking in the desert is a surreal activity, as anyone who has done it will attest. Jordan offers some truly amazing areas for walking, which can range from short jaunts to multi-day treks. Most of the great walks are concentrated in just a few areas, making it easy to get in some good exploration without moving around the country too much. There is a decent trekking infrastructure already in place to help visitors hire guides and lodging.

Petra is one of the best sites to base yourself for a few days of hiking. The dozen or so established trails range from easy and short walks to exciting full-day adventures that involve a bit of climbing. Most hikes outside of Petra require a guide. Popular walks include the Jabal Haroun (mountain of Moses), a tough but rewarding half-day hike to the oldest tomb in Petra. Qasr Hbais (the Crusader’s Castle) is a casual climb to the old Crusader fortress. The High Place of Sacrifice is perhaps the most popular hike, climbing past rock-hewn altars to a panoramic view of Petra. Other treks in the area include the Snake Monument and a couple of Petra-like villages off the beaten path.

Another very popular area for hiking and trekking is Wadi Rum and the Dana Nature Preserve. Wadi Rum is a vast area of dry riverbeds, rocky mountains and sand dunes. Located about 50kms north of Aqaba, this was the film location of the movie Lawrence of Arabia. There are dozens of interesting walks in Wadi Rum, and this is also the best area for adventures such as camelback treks and camping out with the Bedouin. The Dana Nature Reserve is one of Jordan’s best-maintained parks where visitors can enjoy guided tours of the geology, history and local flora of the region. Here you can check out copper mines that were worked by the Romans and stay in an eco-lodge run by Bedouin.

Visitors will be pleased with the selection of reasonably priced restaurants in Jordan. The main cities of Amman, Aqaba and Petra have the widest range of places to eat, but any local Middle-Eastern restaurant is bound to be a rewarding experience. In Amman, most of the budget Middle-Eastern restaurants don’t serve alcohol, especially during Ramadan. The upper-class neighbourhoods of Amman, such as Abdoun and Shemaysani, are dotted with well-known Western fast-food joints, but why would anyone want to miss out on enjoying some the best authentic Middle-Eastern cuisine in the region. If you want something quick and cheap, try the local shops serving shwarma (meat sliced off a spit), hummus or falafel. These are the Jordanian versions of McDonald’s.

The cuisine you can find in Jordan varies depending on where you are in the country, but in general you will find plenty of Arabic food mixed with a handful of European eateries. Jordan’s cuisine reflects Middle-Eastern cooking styles, with an emphasis on healthy, light food that is indigenous to the area. Most meals will start with meze, small appetisers such as hummus, fool, kube and tabouleh. These snacks will be followed by the main meal, which is often a form of lamb or chicken served as kebabs or musakhan (meat in olive oil and onion sauce roasted on Arabic bread). Many dishes are eaten with the hand, such as mensaf (stewed lamb in a yoghurt sauce served over a red of rice). Deserts are often something like baklava (a pastry filled with honey or nuts). As a complement to the hot desert climate, the cuisine in Jordan will keep you feeling light and cool, but satisfied.

One ritual you will doubtless encounter is drinking Arabic coffee. In Jordan, the coffee tends to be very strong and served in small cups. Don’t be surprised to find some coffee grinds in the bottom. Unlike other Arabic countries, local beer, wine and alcohol is served in most Jordanian restaurants and bars, except during Ramadan, when no one drinks alcohol. During this month of fasting, visitors can only expect to find alcohol in the hotel bars. One of most popular local drinks is araq, liquor similar to Greek Ouzo, but mixed with water and ice. A service charge of 10 to 12 per cent will usually be added to your bill and extra tips are at your own discretion.

Every town in Jordan has a market, known as a souk, where you can find a wide variety of goods for sale. These are the public markets, so they are also a great place to catch the locals at their daily routine. Amman is the best place to do any serious shopping and has a particularly good gold and jewellery market. Special items which you can find in Jordan include mother-of-pearl boxes, Hebron glass, embroidered tablecloths, and jewelled rosaries. Jordan is also renowned for its silver and gold and in the centre of Amman there is a gold souk with more than 50 shops. A popular souvenir item is a necklace with a small golden coffee pot, which is the national symbol.

In Amman, you can find traditional Jordanian and Palestinian crafts at Jordan River Designs, Al Bawadi House and Al Aydi. These shops specialise in all kinds of weavings, kilim rugs, ceramics, antique silver, olive wood crafts and many other great items. The Artisana Jordan Arts and Crafts Centre has an especially attractive selection of both traditional and contemporary regional handicrafts.

Shopping hours are generally 09:30 to 13:30 and 15:30 to 18:00, Saturday to Thursdays. All shops are closed on Friday, except for the souks.