Packing Up the Family to Visit JORDAN!

I am so thrilled to share with y’all that Carleton, Scarlet, and I are all off for a two week family adventure – We’ll be traveling all around the amazing country of Jordan! We are going to visit Petra (pictured above) and the Dead Sea (below), along with Wadi Rum, Amman, Jerash, Ajlun, Madaba, Mount Nebo, Ma’in Hot Springs (SPA!), Aqaba, Feynan, Pella, Um Qays, and a special meeting with the women of the Zikra Initiative that I am so looking forward too. Did we miss anything? We. Are. So. Excited!

These pictures are by the amazing travel photographer Ken Kaminesky, who I met in Chiapas last year. He told me about his adventures in Jordan and encouraged me to go. His guide to Petra is the gold standard, and I suggest you check it out before visiting. Ken’s travel photos are so beautiful and inspiring (he has even been on the cover of National Geographic!) – if you browse his blog, any of his pictures are available as fine art prints on brushed aluminim, and if you mention Prudent Baby he’ll give ya’ an extra 10% off. Nice!

With an amazing itinerary put together by Jordan Tourism, and tips from Ken as well as my friends Audrey & Dan from Uncornered Market (they’ve been traveling for five years straight), and Dave and Deb from The Planet D (also circling the globe as a couple), we feel prepared for the adventure of a lifetime. I’m crossing my fingers these are some of the first memories Scarlet’s 4-year-old brain holds onto forever. How could they not be?

Follow VisitJo on Facebook and @visitjordan on twitter to keep up with the latest news from Jordan. I’ll do my best to send updates and can’t wait to share with you all about our adventure when I return!

Now, I’m off to pack! Any suggestions for what to bring, wear, see, and do on our travels throughout this amazing country?

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9 Comments

Becky

I had a teacher in high school that told us about floating in the Dead Sea – since then I’ve always wanted to go. Have an amazing trip!

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louise

ahhhh!!! I’ve wanted to go to Petra for ages!! Jealous! I can’t wait to hear how it goes and how your daughter likes it. Have a great trip!

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Kristin

We live in Amman right now! Jordan is a great country to visit, and it looks like you’ve got a fantastic line-up of places to see/things to do. Petra is, of course, amazing, and Wadi Rum is my personal favorite. Make sure you ride a camel – that’s my oldest son’s favorite thing to do here, and will probably be one of the few memories he keeps of our time here. Otherwise, I’d say to dress conservatively, since this is a Muslim country – you’ll see tourists in shorts and tank tops, but definitely not locals, and it isn’t very respectful. Layers are good, so you can adjust as needed (t-shirts are fine in some parts of Amman and some resort areas like the Dead Sea or Aqaba, but I always like to have a cardigan to put on just in case), and it’s getting warmer but is still cold at night, especially in the desert. Almost everything is done via cash, so make sure you get plenty when you have the opportunity, since there are long stretches without much civilization. Wear comfortable shoes, especially at Petra, since there is a LOT of walking. For Scarlet, it’s easy to hire a donkey or horse (or camel!) there to give her a break. You might want to be very careful with her if you let her go in the Dead Sea, since the salt can really hurt on any cuts or scrapes and REALLY sting if it gets in your eyes. Jordan is very safe, and the people are wonderful, especially with kids. We frequently go to restaurants and have one or two waiters pick up our boys and walk off for 5 or 10 minutes, showing then the kitchen or the goats outside or just exploring, then returning them with a new treat of chocolate or candy. She’ll have a great time. Have fun! Can’t wait to see what you think!

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Jaime

thank you for this! we are on the plane right now and so excited. and yes, i did have to do a last minute shopping excursion to stock up on maxi skirts and lightweight cardis đŸ™‚

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cait

My family lived there for two years when I was little, over fifteen years ago. It’s a lot different now! Have fun!

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run away 3D

Everyone ought to read what you’ve written because it contains a wealth of knowledge that can help them become more open-minded. I am extremely appreciative of that.

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