I woke up on my last day in Amman wanting breakfast before heading off to the Dead Sea. We decided on a place called Jubran in the Abdali Mall. The place has a 4.8 Google rating from over 18,000 reviews. What could possibly go wrong? Usually, with such a large sample, the rating would be quite accurate. We sat on a nice rooftop, but didnt anticipate it to be so windy. Nevertheless, we stayed on the roof as the view and al fresco dining were too good to pass up.
We started with Falafel cigars which sounded interesting but were horrible. They looked and tasted like something you would find at a TGIF restaurant. The hummus was ok, and while the galayet bandoura tasted OK, it was evident that the tomato sauce was made with canned tomatoes.
Jordanian Heritage is a Jordanian restaurant in Amman that was recommended to us by our hotel when I asked for local recommendations. Upon arrival, although it was apparent that the restaurant was catering to tourists, I immediately fell in love with the setting which is in an outdoor courtyard.
The tall and beautiful Middle Eastern buildings surrounding us only added to the atmosphere. I liked how the menu mentioned the origin of the dishes.
Before I tell you where you can get a quick, cheap and delicious Shawarma in Amman, Jordan, I want to tell you about the historic ruins at Jerash and why you should do the day trip from Amman. We rented a car and drove about 45 minutes to reach the site. The ONLY downside about this place, was the heat – it was HOT!
followed by the most impressive circular columns I have ever witnessed (these pictures dont do it justice, you have to see it for yourself).
When researching where to eat in Amman, I came across a highly regarded restaurant named Fakhreldin. The only problem was they specialized in Lebanese cuisine and I wanted Jordanian food. I would later learn that Lebanese cuisine is considered one of the best in the region. I would guess that it is heavily influenced by the French reverence for food. Anyway, the restaurant itself is very nice, and set in a gorgeous building.
Overall, service was good, the interior and exterior of the place was very nice and the food was extremely memorable. I would highly recommend this place if you are in Amman, and I would definitely return.
Today’s post is about visiting my 56th country – Jordan! I have always wanted to see Jordan and it did not disappoint. We flew into the capital of Amman in the afternoon. Amman has a lot of beautiful sites which I will share in this, and future posts. However, its not a very walkable city so you will need to Uber (which is very cheap in Amman, I’m talking $1+ a ride!) or rent a car (note that they drive with a survival of the fittest mentality like Rome or Paris so if you are not used to it, you may want to only Uber; I’m originally from Manila so the driving was no big deal for me).
I woke up on my last day in Amman wanting breakfast before heading off to the Dead Sea. We decided on a place called Jubran in the Abdali Mall. The place has a 4.8 Google rating from over 18,000 reviews. What could possibly go wrong? Usually, with such a large sample, the rating would be quite accurate. We sat on a nice rooftop, but didnt anticipate it to be so windy. Nevertheless, we stayed on the roof as the view and al fresco dining were too good to pass up.
We started with Falafel cigars which sounded interesting but were horrible. They looked and tasted like something you would find at a TGIF restaurant. The hummus was ok, and while the galayet bandoura tasted OK, it was evident that the tomato sauce was made with canned tomatoes.
Half Day Itinerary – Citadel, Roman Theater, Downtown, Rainbow Street
Today’s post is about visiting my 56th country – Jordan! I have always wanted to see Jordan and it did not disappoint. We flew into the capital of Amman in the afternoon. Amman has a lot of beautiful sites which I will share in this, and future posts. However, its not a very walkable city so you will need to Uber (which is very cheap in Amman, I’m talking $1+ a ride!) or rent a car (note that they drive with a survival of the fittest mentality like Rome or Paris so if you are not used to it, you may want to only Uber; I’m originally from Manila so the driving was no big deal for me).
Before I tell you where you can get a quick, cheap and delicious Shawarma in Amman, Jordan, I want to tell you about the historic ruins at Jerash and why you should do the day trip from Amman. We rented a car and drove about 45 minutes to reach the site. The ONLY downside about this place, was the heat – it was HOT!
followed by the most impressive circular columns I have ever witnessed (these pictures dont do it justice, you have to see it for yourself). Then there is long ancient roadway lined with more columns and ruins on both sides.
I was really looking forward to seeing the Dead Sea and it blew away all my expectations. We stayed at the Kempinski Ishtar hotel in a terrace room. I really liked this hotel and you will see why as you read this post. One piece of advice, ask for a terrace room closest to the Dead Sea. The first room they put us in only had a peak-a-boo view. When I asked to move, our terrace and room significantly improved.
Our first order of business was to head straight to the Dead Sea. The hotel has its own private beach. It was extremely windy and choppy the first day.
I was really looking forward to seeing the Dead Sea and it blew away all my expectations. We stayed at the Kempinski Ishtar hotel in a terrace room. I really liked this hotel and you will see why as you read this post. One piece of advice, ask for a terrace room closest to the Dead Sea. The first room they put us in only had a peak-a-boo view. When I asked to move, our terrace and room significantly improved.
Our first order of business was to head straight to the Dead Sea. The hotel has its own private beach. It was extremely windy and choppy the first day.
On this day we drove about 3 hours from the Dead Sea to Petra. On the way out of the Dead Sea region, you will see some beautiful scenery like these salt beaches.
To get an idea of how close you will be to Petra, this was the view from our hotel room balcony, and you can see the entrance to the park in the distance.
Overall, the food, setting, and service were good, we ended up going back the next day too. Tomorrow, I will show you the best way to see the monastery through a back door route into Petra, and go on an amazing hike at the same time.
Day 2 – the Definitive Guide to seeing the Monastery in the most efficient way possible.
A lot of the info on Petra online is confusing and unnecessarily complicated. As mentioned in my last post, getting the “bird’s eye view” seems complicated, potentially dangerous, and takes a long time if you look online. However, I found the process quick with just a very very minor hike.
Also in my last post, I showed you how to see about 40% of Petra in one afternoon. In this post, I will show you how to see the rest in half a day, in the most efficient manner possible. After the Treasury, the Monastery is the next most popular thing to see.
A lot of the info on Petra online is confusing and unnecessarily complicated. As mentioned in my last post, getting the “bird’s eye view” seems complicated, potentially dangerous, and takes a long time if you look online. However, I found the process quick with just a very very minor hike.
Also in my last post, I showed you how to see about 40% of Petra in one afternoon. In this post, I will show you how to see the rest in half a day, in the most efficient manner possible. After the Treasury, the Monastery is the next most popular thing to see.
On this day we drove about 3 hours from the Dead Sea to Petra. On the way out of the Dead Sea region, you will see some beautiful scenery like these salt beaches.
Overall, the food, setting, and service were good, we ended up going back the next day too. Tomorrow, I will show you the best way to see the monastery through a back door route into Petra, and go on an amazing hike at the same time.
From Petra we drove about 2 hours south to Wadi Rum, an amazing desert area in the South of Jordan. This is where they filmed a lot of movies including the Martian. In fact, we stayed in something called a “Martian Dome”! We chose to stay overnight at Sun City Camp. Last December, we stayed at a camp in the Sahara Desert of Morocco so this would give us an opportunity to compare the two desert camp experiences.
As we arrived at the camp we checked in and were shown to our Martian Dome. TIP: Request a dome at the front with no other dome in front of you. That way, you will have an unobstructed view. We stayed in Dome #5.
