Our experiences began in Amman, the country’s capital and one of the oldest inhabited cities of the world. After following a short path to the area of Citadel, we were spoiled by panoramic views of the city and our timely arrival allowed us also to experience the atmospheric call to prayer.

At Citadel, we could witness finds of Roman times from the ancient city, including the Temple of the 2nd Century AD, dedicated to Hercules, in which the hand and elbow of the great warrior could be seen. The remains of a 6th century Byzantine church is also placed here, along with an archaeological museum that boasted such finds ranging from the Neolitic period to the Otomon empire.

Our tour guide Basel wanted to then take us to Jerash, some 31 miles north of the capital, and on arrival, it was clear why he was so keen. This small town offered further outstanding remains . The Forum is certainly a must see, with its grand columns, edging on oval court, throwing us right back into history.

Leaving the hustle and bustle of the city behind, we began our journey along Jordan’s religious marks, including that of the Mount Nebo.

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We then set off on a three hour journey to Wadi Feynon, a mountainous desert land and the first place on earth where copper was extracted and smelted for human use.

After transferring from our coach to trucks, we were transported to Feynan Ecolodge down a rugged road, nestled in the mountainous Dana Biosphere Reserve. We were shown to our rooms, which were completely lit by candles, at first this worried me but I was soon distracted by the view from my balcony – miles and miles of stunning golden desert.

Feynan Ecolodge allows guests to experience the serene atmosphere and still protect the environment in a responsible way as the lodge is purely run by solar power. The food, drink, everything is healthy and allows guests to switch off from the hustle and bustle of daily lives and revitlise in a very natural way. What I couldn’t get over was the quiet, it felt refreshing on the ears and mind.

In the evening, after taking a breathtaking sunset walk, we were given the opportunity to either relax under the stars or visit a native Bedouin – I chose the latter. A few of us headed out, with a Feynan Ecolodge worker leading as we made our way to a neighbour’s home, which was nothing more than a shack sheltered by cloth.

As I sat there chatting to the native Bedouin and his family through the translator, I realised that this truly was experiencing Jordan and found it very difficult to leave the welcoming father, who had given me enough tea to last the rest of the trip.

After resting up that night, we headed out to arguably one of the most famous sites in Jordan – Petra.

Here we followed the famous track that lead us to the majestic façade of the treasury, carved out of rock – truly breathtaking.

After a day here we headed back out to the more remote areas of the desert and visited Wadi Rum, which is situated south of Petra, another area of Jordan made famous by Lawrence of Arabia.

The day was drawing to a close and it was then that we transferred to a private camp inhabited by Bedouins, who were more than hospitable to their guests, a trait characteristic to their people.

We sat around a fire and waited, wondering what we would be eating for supper and before I could start dreaming of a delicious meal, our hosts started digging in one corner of their home. Before long they were pulling away heated rocks and then there it was – a tray of wrapped up food.

With very full stomachs, we sat around a fire, looking up at the crystal clear sky, seeing every constellation I could fathom with only our voices to break the silence.

After a surprisingly cosy sleep in our separate shacks, we made our way back north of Jordan to the Dead Sea.

As we meandered around the bends and down towards sea level and to the lowest point on earth, the air was noticeably different and so was the air pressure. We were not in Wadi Rum anymore.

After taking in the breathtaking coast lined with salt and the view of Jerusalem in the distance, I felt extremely excited to reach our destination.

On arrival of the Movenpick Resort and Spa Dead Sea, it was clear we were in for a treat. This haven offers comfort and luxury whilst allowing you to literally walk straight into the Dead Sea, but not before covering yourself in exfoliating mud.

But before I could visit the famous waters edge, I was treated to a full mud massage in the resort’s award winning spa. My skin was left feeling incredibly soft.
Following my relaxing massage, I headed over to the part of the trip that I had looked forward to the most – floating in the Dead Sea.

I lowered myself into the water and couldn’t believe the literal lifting effect it had on my body - the water was pushing me to the surface and all I could do was float and look up at the beautiful blue sky.

Once I had managed to get out – the trickiest part of the whole experience, I sat by one of the resort’s many pools and looked across the ocean while a waiter brought me pretty much anything I wanted.

After one of the best night’s sleep’s I have had in my life, I woke to find we were leaving. This was truly a magnificent trip that I will certainly remember for a lifetime.

 Getting there:

Royal Jordanian (RJ) offers daily flights, which take around five hours, from London Heathrow to Amman.
Royal Jordanian also offers two daily flights between Amman and Aqaba one-way if booked with the London-Amman-London RJ flights. For further information, the latest price details and to book online, visit www.rj.com or phone 08719 112 112.
The cost of one entry visa for all nationalities is 20 Jordanian Dinar (1 JD = 87p) obtained upon arrival at the airport. Jessica stayed at the Movenpick Resort and Spa Dead Sea (www.moevenpickhotels.com), Feynan Ecolodge (www.feynan.com) and the Captain’s Desert Camp (www.captains-jo.com).
A number of tour operators offer tailor-made holidays to Jordan. These include Abercrombie and Kent (www.abercrombiekent.co.uk), Cox and Kings (www.coxandkings.co.uk), Bales Worldwide (www.balesworldwide.com), Mosaic Holidays (www.mosaicholidays.co.uk), Travel the Unknown (www.traveltheunknown.com) and Audley Travel (www.audleytravel.com).