Long ago, our road led Nabataeans, Roman and Crusaders through deep river valleys and colossal canyons. It was a crowded and treitorous journey through a hostile desert to the ancient markets of Petra and the Dead Sea. Centuries later, it has become the road less travelled. Overshadowed by the more modern, super-speed highway to the East, it is now reserved for the more adventurous traveller — but it has not lost its allure. 

Long, slow and lonely, quiet and still, the King’s Highway is the only way to travel through Jordan. Riding along the Great Rift Valley, this winding road offers a glimpse of a way of life preserved in sand and stone. It’s an exhilarating, and often unforgiving journey through the country’s rich history and most spectacular sights — from the rose cliffs of Petra to the red sands of Wadi Rum.

Like the explorers of old, we followed the King’s Highway from the citadel of Amman to the Dead Sea.

Cutting through Wadi Mujib

Our first stop was a stunning, 180° viewpoint over the Wadi Mujib canyon. Aptly known as Jordan’s Grand Canyon, the Mujib river cuts through pale sandstone just like its sister in Arizona. On the other side of the viewpoint, the King’s Highway elegantly slices and snakes its way through the valley to the Mujib Dam. 

On we went along those sharp curves. Taking those twists and turns on an empty, open road was a thrilling ride. With every mile, we travelled deeper, and deeper into the desert. We hardly saw another car on the road, and even the small shepherding huts felt abandoned. But there were other signs of life — buzzards encircling overhead, and donkeys and sheep grazing on the rare green shrubery.

Onward we went into that great blue sky.

Through the Valley of the Arnon

“Rise up, take your journey, and pass over the valley of the Arnon: behold, I have given into your hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land; begin to possess it, and contend with him in battle.” Deuteronomy 2:24

As we neared the torquoise oasis of Dam Al-Mujib, the land began to grow more wild and mountainous. Up and up we went until we were once again staring down at the valley below through a soft afternoon haze.

I thought of Moses. A strange thought as I am not religious, but Jordan is a spiritual place — the ancient gateway to the Holy Lands. It is believed that Wadi Mujib is the Valley of the Arnon through which Moses led the Israelites. Looking over the valley below, it was difficult to imagine anyone crossing the land on foot. Those desert canyons and jagged mountains seemed to stand as tall and omnipotent as ancient gods, completely impenetrable and impassible.

A glimpse of rural life in Jordan

Once we reached the top of the canyon, we continued on. Slowly, we began to see more signs of civilisation. We painfully navigated through tight passageways and traffic queues in crowded village streets. Shepherds led their flocks into the road around our car without warning, and butchers skinned their goats out in the open.

Everyone seemed to know we were from out of town. At one point, a large group of children followed us from the pavement, waving, before running into the road and forcing us to slam on the brakes. Before I knew what was happening, one child opened my door, laughing mischievously. I frantically closed it before he got inside, and they ran off howling with laughter like a pack of wild wolf pups. 

One of the most eye-opening moments of the road trip happened when we stopped at a petrol station for food and a toilet break. The shop owner was Sudanese, and when he led us to the toilet, it was clear that he lived in the small backroom of the shop. The toilet was so filthy I couldn’t bring myself to use it (and we had used plenty of holes in the ground before). This was just one instance of the poverty we witnessed in Jordan.

Up to the Crusader’s Fortress

In the prehistoric hill-top town of Karak, Jordan, we battled strong winds and confusing streets on the the way to our next stop — Kerak Castle. From the road below, we could see giant sandstone ruins dwarfing the surrounding town buildings.

Before we reached the castle, we left our car in a carpark and proceeded on foot. I was immediately distracted by a group of teenage boys hanging out by our car. In my post about Amman,  I talked about the way the men of Jordan shamelessly and ruthlessly stare at women – it’s completely unnerving. I gave them a wide berth as we walked, and in doing so, bumped into an open bin. In a flash, all I saw was two wild eyes and sharp claws. “Jesus fuck!”, I screamed bizarrely, then ducked. The angry stray cat sauntered off into a side street and I ran to the castle gates.

As one of the largest castle ruins in the Levant, Kerak Castle is just massive. Built in the 12th century upon the ancient Kingdom of Moab, it served as a strategic trading base for Lord Raynald of Châtillon and his Crusaders, before falling into the hands of Saladin, Sultan of Egypt, in 1187 AD. While the history is incredible, we loved the castle for its jaw-dropping view of the lush valley below.

After visiting Kerak, we set off for our next destination, Petra, which I’ll detail in my next post. From there, we went camping in Wadi Rum before ending our trip with a dip in the salty Dead Sea.

Seven days in Jordan, and we spent most of it on the road. Many choose to visit Petra or Wadi Rum as a day trip from Israel or the Red Sea, but by taking the faster, easier route, you miss everything in between.  While our destinations were obvious highlights, we wouldn’t have appreciated them nearly as much had we not taken the King’s Highway.

The power of slow travel is immense. Exploring Jordan from the road gave us time to take things in, process new experiences and understand the culture. By the end of our trip, I felt comfortable talking with Jordanians and navigating through their customs.

A note on renting a car in Jordan

Our road trip from Amman to the Dead Sea wouldn’t have been possible without Monte Carlo. We arrived at the service desk, nervous and worried about renting what we thought would be a dodgy dinosaur from a shady dealer. Happily, the owners immediately put us at ease, offered an upgrade and even helped us plan our trip.  It was the perfect start to our day and we can’t recommend them enough.