“We are Bedouin. We are strong like the desert, we move like the wind, we are soft like the sand.“

Jordan is a collection of remarkable landscapes. Beyond the limestone facades of its capital, Amman, lie the shores of the Dead Sea and the colossal rock formations of Wadi Rum — a red-sand desert so immersive and silent it’s impossible not to compare with what we know of the surface of Mars. From the city, you’d never guess that Jordan has biodiverse forests, wetlands, scenic highland peaks, and luxuriously dark skies. 

Flat on my back on the roof of Feynan Ecolodge, three hours south of Amman, I stared up at the stars. A smattering was visible despite patchy clouds, vivid enough against the inky backdrop that I could imagine how powerful this experience must be on a clear night. Feynan sits within the Dana Biosphere Reserve, a 112-square-mile section of Jordan’s Rift Valley that is home to more than 200 species of birds, over 250 species of mammals, and nearly 900 species of plants. There’s no light pollution here and aside from the occasional chorus of barking dogs from a neighboring Bedouin camp, it’s quiet.

The Dana Biosphere Reserve and Feynan Ecolodge are under the purview of the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN), an NGO that establishes and manages protected areas across Jordan. The lodge was built in 2005 as a way to support communities and preserve nature through mindful tourism. To ensure minimal environmental impact, the 26-room lodge is completely off-grid, powered only by solar energy and candlelight. All 25 employees at Feynan Ecolodge are local, and a further 45 Bedouin families are supported thanks to drivers who use their spare time (and their own 4x4s) to transport guests between the reception center and the lodge — the 30-minute drive over bumpy, dusty, rocky terrain is not suitable for the shuttle buses and low-slung sedans used to paved roads.

Because the Feynan ethos is all about strengthening connections to the outdoors and the communities who call this region home, guided activities are an included part of the lodge experience. My all-too-brief visit didn’t allow time for the likes of mountain biking, taking a cooking class, or spending the day alongside a Bedouin shepherd, but I was content with my evening of stargazing followed by a small-group sunrise hike. 

The sight of the red-beige dunes and craggy peaks glowing with the morning’s first light made the early alarm worth it (shoutout to my portable charger for keeping my aging phone powered overnight), as did our cheerful, 29-year-old mountain guide Mohamed Zanoon. Having grown up on this land, Zanoon was familiar with every plant that appeared as we ambled over the rugged terrain. He paused at an oleander tree. Poisonous, he confirmed, but often used to make soap for cleaning goats. It’s just one small example of the myriad ways Bedouins work with — not against — nature. 

“We are Bedouin,” Zanoon said with pride. “We are strong like the desert, we move like the wind, we are soft like the sand.” 

My visit to Jordan took place in October 2023 and coincided with the start of the Israel-Hamas war. Uncertainty may have hung in the air, but the hospitality and warmhearted nature of Jordanians never wavered. I had the great privilege of spending a sweaty afternoon hiking the back door trail to Petra, of filling my stomach with mansaf (Jordan’s national dish of rice and goat) prepared by the family behind A Piece of Jordan, and sleeping in the utter stillness of Wadi Rum at Saraya Rum Camp. Nearly every tourism experience in Jordan, it seems, has community at heart. These are real people showing guests their real homes and real traditions — all connected to nature. 

Jordan’s landscapes are a portal to cultural immersion, if only for a few hours. 

Summer was a guest of Magic Travel and the Adventure Travel Trade Association. Rates at Feynan Ecolodge are from $215 USD per night.