Dana Biosphere Reserve

It has become a good tradition to go out into nature for a few days on every trip. In Jordan, I chose the Dana Nature Reserve for that purpose. I stayed for 2 nights in the Feynan Ecolodge, the flagship accommodation of Jordan's Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature in Dana Reserve. It is reached by 4WD only, so a local Bedouin driver will come and pick you up from the main road. That 20 minute approach alone is worthwhile for its view on the rock formations, especially in the late afternoon light.

The lodge runs entirely on solar energy, which means that there is only limited electricity at night. The lodge also provides employment opportunities by hiring jeep drivers and guides locally, and candles and bread are also made on site. 75 local families benefit from its business.

On the morning after my arrival, I joined a half day hike organized by the lodge. Together with a Belgian couple I walked to and through the Wadi Ghwayr. Our guide Ali hailed from the local village, Feynan. He first showed us the village: the summer and winter camps of the Bedouins, the mosque and the school. He himself lived in a house nowadays, but his mother who we also met still lived in the traditional way.

In the village center there are two large open spaces, one of which is a large football field, made of sand and slightly sloping. The other area is used for …