Support Local Communities in Northern Jordan

An easy drive from Amman, you'll find yourself in the city of Jerash within 2 hours or so. 

Once one of the cities of the Decapolis (Gerasa), the ruins of Jerash can't fail to impress, as you take in the colonnade and amphitheatre and get a sense of this city's former prestige. Be left in awe by the stunning Oval Forum and Colonnaded Street. 

Explore the ruins here and wonder about the life that was once lived in these ancient cities that were so advanced for their time.

When your stomach starts to growl, head over to the womens’ cooperative Beit Khairat Souf – at this cooperative the women are involved in an array of environmental projects, from sustainable farming and re-forestation, to producing home-made jams, herbs, spices and other handicrafts that are for sale in their shop, and they run a cafe too. Call ahead to check they are open for breakfast / lunch.

About three hours north of Amman, and a 1.5 hour drive from Jerash along the River Jordan valley, sits the small village of Pella (Tabqet Fahel). Despite holding a unique proposition to visitors, hardly any outsiders make it here. The ancient city of Pella was one of the cities of the fabled Roman Decapolis, and is one of the only places in the world to have shown evidence of continuous settlement for the last 6000 years. Perhaps it’s the next Petra-in-the-making, but for now Pella sees under a thousand visitors per year.

Our stay was at the only tourist accommodation around, at Beit al Fannan. Baraka Destinations have taken over a former artist’s house complete with terraces, day bed and amazing views out over the rolling hills of Pella towards the Jordan Valley. 

Set up over 3 floors, the house has been lovingly decorated to include plenty of creative touches, and there’s even a mini-artists studio to help awaken your creative side. The family next door serve as caretakers for the B&B, and we enjoyed one of the most delicious breakfasts ever with views out over the Pella ruins and surrounding countryside. 

If you visit during spring, the surrounding lands are filled with wild flowers. 

An hour’s drive from Pella, or two hours away from Amman, lies the quiet town of Umm Qais. Home to a record number of PHD graduates (no one could tell us quite why), Umm Quais lies close to the border with the Palestinian Territories / Israel and the Golan Heights area (Umm Qais is safe and peaceful to visit, travel advisories can be found here).

We stayed at Beit al Baraka which is a warm and welcoming bed-and-breakfast located in the heart of the small town, before setting out to discover the surrounding countryside and meet some friendly locals. We started with lunch at Galsoum’s Kitchen where we cooked upside down chicken and rice (Maqloubeh) under her careful supervision (and encouragement!). 

We cycled in the summer heat with our ex-miliatary turned cycling enthusiast guide along quiet roads out of Umm Qais and out to stunning view points over the Golan Heights.

Umm Qais is an often forgotten gem of a town right up in the far north west of Jordan, overlooking the River Jordan valley. Home the ancient ruins of Gadara, we spent several days here exploring the old town, cycling around the nearby countryside, learning to cook Jordanian specialities and visiting local families through our hosts at Baraka Destinations who run the charming Beit al Baraka guesthouse. Sitting above the ruins and watching the sunset over the River Jordan and Sea of Galilee was one of the most beautiful moments on our entire Jordan trip.

Beit Al Baraka can organise lots of different activities here which all support local community members and grassroots tourism organisations - from cycling tours, to bee keeping workshops, to cooking classes. 

Heading back towards Amman, Ajloun is a nice town to stop off in and boasts a castle (unfortunately closed during our visit) and a beautiful forest reserve with is one of Jordan's premier forest reserves. 

Once you've explored the castle, we recommend spending most of your time at the Forest Reserve. The Ajloun Forest Reserve which is home to a beautiful visitor centre and restaurant. The restaurant has a terrace with views out over the reserve, and also runs cookie-making demonstrations (yum). The menu includes lots of fresh, organic options (ingredients grown on site).

There are cabins you can stay in on site (or else you can just come here on a day trip), and there are plenty of different hiking trails throughout the reserve.