Bedouin Experiences – Feynan Ecolodge

Written By: Gail Clifford | Published By: Weekend Notes | October 14, 2022

https://www.weekendnotes.com/bedouin-experiences-feynan-ecolodge/

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“These interactive experiences offer guests unique insight into the lives of one of the last remaining Bedouin communities in Jordan. Bedouin culture is evolving, and through these experiences the ecolodge works with the community on preserving cherished traditions without getting in the way of progression. Join a local Bedouin family in their goat-hair tented home and learn about their rich culture and daily activities. You will have the rare opportunity to experience native Bedouin daily life, learn about their daily activities, traditions and way of life and learn about the sustainable lifestyle of traditional Bedouin tribes“- Wild Jordan

On a press trip for Visit Jordan, the above was the introduction to our sixth day of the journey. As always, flexibility is key as our lodging plans changed for the night. We stayed in Petra, requiring a two hour backtrack by car, rather than being able to stay right at the EcoLodge, a self sustaining lodge supplying its electricity with solar panels and water from a nearby spring, heated in coils run along thru the sunny roof, and participating in a sunrise hike.

Building began in 2002 and they opened in 2005 it’s an initiative to maintain the natural park around Dara, Wadi (Valley) Feynan, and maintain and sustain the Bedouin community. They built here, at the base of the mountain, along the caravan route from Amman to Mecca, creating an area, a waypoint, as they had in China for the Silk Route. It’s also important historically as the place of the oldest copper mines, from 500 BC. The Dana Biosphere Preserve extends over 320 km.

You may be amazed to learn this is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places on earth with evidence reaching back to 10,000 BC (the Neolithic era).

It is the only reserve in Jordan that encompasses the four different bio-geographical zones of the country: Mediterranean, Irano-Turanian, Saharo-Arabian and Sudanian.” – Feynan EcoLodge Website

By its very nature, Bedouins remain nomads. There are multiple groups across Jordan. These groups have similar traditions, and the members of various tribes can inter-marry. This tribe we visited migrates between two areas, the section we visit in Wadi Feynan, and the mountains of the Dara range. They herd the goats and sheep up the mountain as people and belongings follow in trucks or cars.

It’s a rough area to traverse. When you reach the Visitor’s Center, you’ll be herded into 4 Wheel Drive trucks, two brave souls from our group sat in the bed of the truck for an 8 kilometer extremely bumpy ride. It takes nearly 30 minutes to reach the Lodge.

It’s stunning. Nestled in the crook of the mountain, its architecture was clearly thought out with openings to allow wind to cool the area and regular breezes, angled to collect any rainwater and all the abundance of the sun through their solar panels.