Two weeks ago weekend I joined Have A Hike for a wonderful hike in Wadi Al-Rayan in the North of Jordan. It was my second hike with Have a Hike and it was again an awesome day outdoors. We left Amman early in the morning with two small buses towards Ajloun. Approximately 2 hours later near Ajloun Forest Reserve, we reached our starting point.
What to see at Wadi Al-Rayan
From there on we went into the Wadi, first on a small street. Later we continued next to a small creek surrounded by hundred- or thousand-year-old olive trees. This time I had not only packed some nuts, fruits, and water and also my older son on a hiking backpack. Unfortunately, he only walked a few meters and then wanted to be carried. I knew he wouldn’t do the whole distance and I need to carry him for some time, but 20 kg for a long time through rough terrain is really exhausting. Luckily, Yousef and his brother Omar were kind enough to support me at some stage. Big thanks to them.
Although not planned or foreseen, we had to cross the water a couple of times. I don’t like having wet feed to be honest. Anyway, after a couple of times, taking off the shoes and walking bare feet through the water, we eventually had to step in and walk through it. Thankfully, the weather was excellent, so it was fun. As we hiked deeper into the Wadi, the mountain walls came closer and the views got more and more amazing. Majestic olive trees on the right and the left, steep stone walls, and the sound of water accompanied us some hours until we reached the end of the valley.
At the end of Wadi Al-Rayan
The last walk was then a relatively steep way uphill on a paved street until we reached our final dinner destination. As usual, Yousef and his team prepared Sajieh Gallayeh (some sort of pan-dish with tomatoes, meat, garlic, and lots of spices). While waiting for the food to be ready, Titus played with his newly discovered friend and we enjoyed the blooming spring flowers and great views over green mountains.
Just before sunset, we enjoyed dipping our bread into the food and chat with our fellow hikers while sipping on our tea. Have a look at the pictures yourself, but for me, this was one of the most beautiful parts of Jordan I have seen so far. I truly enjoyed my time and can only recommend Yousef and Have a Hike as they make the experience fun, safe, and exciting. If there is one thing they can improve, I think it is time management. But don’t forget that I mind be a bit too German about it.
For more info see below:
Other than hiking Yousef also focuses on the traditional sites of Jordan and some first-hand experiences with locals, such as Bee-Keeping, Farming, Zataar making, etc. Check out his next event on Facebook.
If you enjoyed reading this you might wanna check out the other hike I joined last year with Have a Hike to Wadi Al-Karak
The view looks really breath taking. We’ll add it really soon on our own list:-) thanks for the great pictures