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Hiking Into Petra With Moses
Staying at the Ammarin Bedouin Camp within the Petra Archaeological Reserve helps the traveler enter into the atmosphere of ancient Petra. How jarring it is, then, when they pull up to the front gate [...]
Americans and Arabs Bond Over An Amazing Race
Coming off the ten year anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, fear and distrust between Americans and Arabs remains high. The biggest contributing factor to this, in my opinion, is that [...]
Guests at the Gates of Petra
Walking down the old Roman road that leads into and out of Petra will never get old. I’ve been there four times now, and landing a job with Engaging Cultures [...]
Traveling With Locals
A few photos from our recent trip where local Jordanian students traveled with our guests. Our guest booked a customized version of our 'Engage Jordan' Tour. They were able to experience Mt. Nebo, Umm [...]
Traveling With Locals?
I know interacting and participating with the local host community can enhance a person's travel experience. But, can actually traveling with locals (same van, same hot sun) add to the [...]
Top 10 Reasons Prince William & Kate Middleton Should Honeymoon in Jordan
Rumor has it Prince William may be taking his soon to be bride, Kate Middleton, on a Middle Eastern honeymoon. We in Jordan think this would be a perfect destination. Prince [...]
Making a Difference in Tunisia
This past weekend I joined twenty eight Tunisian friends from the country’s north to bring food, clothing and medical supplies to a village in the south whose main source of [...]
Rediscovering Humanity While Traveling
It takes face to face encounters to rediscover the humanity of people. Negative news images and blanket stereotypes can make us Westerners forget that Arabs are real people, with hopes [...]
Conversations on the Road. . .in Jordan
The more we get to know Jordan and her people, the more excited we are about the experiences groups traveling with Engaging Cultures will have as they see the beautiful sites of Jordan and engage [...]
After Jasmine Revolution, Tunisians Help Refugees From Libya
Engaging Cultures Tunisia recently had the privilege to help refugees pouring in from Libya. I volunteered for five days with a small group of internationals and Tunisians that cooked hot meals and served them [...]
Is Jordan Safe? Here’s What We Found Out
Is Jordan safe? To find out, we hitchhiked from the border of Syria to the Red Sea. We went to cities off the tourist grid, to see how they would react to foreigners. We [...]
Getting Picked Up In Jordan; What To Ask?
We want answers this weekend, when we hitch-hike across Jordan. Do Arabs like us? As a foreigner, there are certain stereotypes I have about what Arabs think. I want to see if these stereotypes are [...]
Is Jordan Safe? We’re Hitchhiking To Find Out
As revolutions spread across the Middle East, leery travelers have been looking to destinations outside the region. Because Daniel and I live in Jordan, we can confidently say, Jordan is still safe. But [...]
How We’re Engaging Jordan
We're in the process of revamping our website, and it hasn't been updated in a while. So, we thought we'd let you in on some things we're doing to help travelers engage Jordan this summer. [...]
I Get To Eat With My Hands?
When you travel internationally, you get to throw off your own cultural trappings and experience life in a new way. One of my favorites is eating with my hands. Granted, [...]
“What you guys do has to be the highlight of my travels. (And I’ve been wined and dined in the Paris Opera House and traveled on private trains with world famous guides). What you do gave me more understanding of a people and culture in a week than I would have thought possible!”