Feynan Ecolodge, Petra

Trekking on the exposed trail, I felt the brunt of the sun as it radiated in its full glory. With little shade on offer I welcomed reaching the end of Wadi Dana and squirreling myself away in Feynan Ecolodge. The elevation has dropped from 4100ft (1250m) at the top, above the valley floor, to 800ft (240m).

Built in 2005 and first of its kind in Jordan, the lodge was inspired by the historical roadside inns found along the Silk Road known as caravanserai. These ancient inns were resting stops for caravans travelling on long journeys across Central Asia, China and Europe and a place for travellers to share stories, trade ideas and gain knowledge.

The lodge is located at the confluence of Wadi Dana and Wadi Feynan. The area is historically known for its copper deposits and its intense extraction between 4500 BC to 1516 AD. In the past 30 years the area has been continuously explored and studied hoping that more copper could be found to provide Jordan with much needed natural resources. The results to date have been meagre and economically not viable. Of greater concern to various groups is the environmental impact should any digging and extraction occur.

By building the lodge the local Bedouin community were provided with a source of employment. There are four main tribes that live around the Feynan area who continue to live in their traditional tents known as beit al-sha’ar, translated as ‘house of hair’ because the tents are made of goat-hair. As they continue with their traditional life of herding goats, sheep or camel and moving camp from valley to plateau depending on the season, the local Bedouin are also slowly adapting to the modern world by acquiring phones, pick-up trucks, plastic water containers and kerosene stoves. Access to water, electricity, doctors and schools has driven many Bedouin to give up their traditional way of living and move into villages but those that remain, with the exception of finding a good spot for mobile reception, continue to hold onto their simple way of life and connection with nature. 

Dinner at the lodge was a vegetarian adaptation of Arabic cuisine. I enjoyed the simple yet tasty serve of Mujadara, a combination of rice and lentils topped with caramelised onions served with a side of Baba ganoush, chopped roasted eggplant tossed with tomatoes and onions.