In April, I was booked to go on holiday to Jordan, and despite the war and the FCDO advising against travel, I still went ahead with the trip.

I did, of course, consider how safe it was to go to Jordan at this time, and as the Product Manager for the Middle East, I have experience in this area. This was my 4th trip to Jordan and my 18th to the region. I know that Jordan has remained safe with daily life continuing as normal, whilst conflicts have raged around its borders. Having worked with our local partner for well over a decade, I knew that when they told me it was safe, then it was safe, and I should go.

Having travelled to Jordan previously for work, this was the first time that I could include all the places I really wanted to see. Of course, I had to return to many of the big sites, this was my 4th visit to Petra (and I cannot wait to go back for a 5th time!), the Dead Sea, Wadi Rum, and Amman. But I also spent time in the Ottoman town of As Salt, where I stayed in a guesthouse and had dinner with a local family. I spent a night at the women’s co-operative in the small village of Iraq al Amir after visiting the nearby Hellenistic Palace and the caves. I detoured to Umm ar Rasas to see the mosaics and decided that I preferred them to those in Madaba, Mt Nebo, and Hisham’s Palace! I spent a night at Dana Guesthouse, where no amount of time is enough to take in the view of the wadi, and the next day hiked through the wadi to the eco-lodge in Feyan. I went to the far north of the country to see the ruins at Um Qais, and I fitted in a tour at Carakale — a craft brewery.

Driving through the country with our driver, Wasfi, was amazing at every turn. His knowledge and willingness to discuss every aspect of Jordanian life meant I filled in so many gaps in my knowledge (and expanded my Arabic vocabulary). Thanks to plenty of rain in the winter, the countryside, hills, and desert were green, and wildflowers bloomed everywhere in the hills and fields, around the columns in Roman Umm Qais, amongst the fortifications in Kerak Castle, and across the valleys in Dana and Wadi Rum.

The effects of the conflict surrounding us were, of course, obvious. Wherever we went, there were sites where there were more guides than tourists and hotels where we were the only guests. But the warmth and generous nature of the Jordanians still shone out, and I was welcomed everywhere I went with guides and hotel staff pleased to see me. Despite the obvious lack of income for all those in the tourist industry, I never felt pressured or hassled, and every encounter I had involved smiles and warm greetings.

At the sites, I didn’t face any queues, and my photos were free of other tourists. At Petra, instead, I was struck by the amount of goats grazing on the grass and wildflowers; I think there were more goats than tourists.

But I was also constantly aware of the devastating effect of the wars in the region on the economy and the people of Jordan. Barely had they had time to get going again after Covid, and the onset of the Gaza war stopped tourism. This season should have been their best in 7 years, but instead cancellations were pouring in. With the change in advice now from the FCDO, Jordan can once again properly open its doors. If you are looking for a trip for this year with an amazing mix of culture, history, nature, food, wonderful people, and epic landscapes, then you really should go to Jordan.