Featured on Wanderlust UK
•5 ancient ruin sites to visit in Jordan, beyond Petra•
Petra undoubtedly tops the list for visitors to the desert kingdom, but if you’ve made it to Jordan, reserve at least a couple of days to explore the many other centuries old architectural treasures dotting the landscape.Petra undoubtedly tops the list for visitors to the desert kingdom, but if you’ve made it to Jordan, reserve at least a couple of days to explore the many other centuries old architectural treasures dotting the landscape.
Featured on Matador Network
•A wellness guide to the hot springs, beaches, and retreats of Jordan•
A wellness guide for a rejuvenating trip through Jordan.
•The 7 most extraordinary souqs from around the world•
An overview of the best souqs (marketplaces) in the Middle East and North Africa.
•The Best Underrated Beaches in Egypt•
A rundown of the best beaches in Egypt to visit for adventurers who are looking for something different than the standard Sharm es-Sheikh getaway.
•4 Middle East breweries that define the region’s burgeoning craft beer scene•
The Middle East is almost never the first region people think of when they hear the word “beer,” but that might be changing as craft breweries find an increasing market among locals and foreigners alike. In a way, it’s a long overdue homecoming for the beloved beverage.
Featured on Roam Magazine
•5 Places to Experience the Evolving Café Scene in Jordan•
For Arabs, the ritual of coffee preparation and consumption is as saturated with meaning as it is with cardamom. After a period in which chains like Starbucks and Costa Coffee were all the rage, people are slowly pivoting back towards independent cafes. This article covers five of the best places to experience Jordan’s evolving cafe scene.
Featured on Atlas Obscura and Gastro Obscura
•Grand Trunk Pub•
The grandiose interior of this bar speaks to its past as home to famous jewelers and railway offices.
•The Raven Lounge•
One of Detroit’s oldest blues clubs stands in defiance of the passage of time and the city’s shifting fortunes.
•Church of the Pater Noster•
Polyglots, artists, and religious pilgrims alike can rejoice in the dozens of ornate ceramic plaques, each displaying the Our Father in a different language, that decorate the walls of the Church of the Pater Noster.
•Dana Village•
A ghost village sits atop a mountain within Jordan’s largest biosphere reserve.
•El-Jazzar Mosque•
A stunning mosque owes its design to an Ottoman ruler nicknamed “The Butcher.”
•Es-Salt•
This ancient town is full of stunning Ottoman architecture and streets so narrow trash collection is done by donkey.
•Larnaca Salt Lake•
Once part of an ancient international harbor, it’s now an all-you-can-eat shrimp buffet for flamingos and other water birds.
•Ma’in Hot Springs•
264 meters below sea level, tucked between cliffs in Jordan’s Madaba Governate, people bask under a stunning cascade of mineral-laden hot water.
•Murals in the Market•
For the last four years, people shopping for fresh local produce, homemade jams, artisanal coffee, Amish baked goods, and more at Detroit’s Eastern Market and its environs have been treated to what is essentially a free outdoor art museum.
•River Canyons of Jordan•
Concentrated around the Dead Sea, these surprising canyons are filled with coursing water, fish, and even crabs.
•Silver Lake Sand Dunes•
An unlikely beach paradise of giant sand dunes lies between two lakes just a few minutes from Michigan’s cherry country.
•Chapel Rock•
This lone tree and dramatic sandstone outcropping are so beloved by Michiganders they can be found on one of the state’s coins.
•St. Joseph’s Oratory•
Once the tallest building in Detroit, this Gothic church houses some of the oldest stained-glass windows in the country.
•The Hanging Church•
Standing atop 2nd-century Roman ruins, this church is one of the oldest and most iconic in Old Cairo.
•Street Name Tiles of New Orleans•
This distinctive Crescent City tradition dates back to the days of horse-drawn carriages.
•The Austrian Hospice•
This unassuming oasis elevated just above the busy streets of Jerusalem offers one of the best views of the Old City.
•Congo Square•
Once the site of a Native American harvest festival, this humble clearing later played an invaluable role in the birth of jazz.
•Hatshepsut’s Myrrh Tree•
This unassuming tree stump reportedly traces its roots to the famous pharaoh queen’s reign.
•Honey Island Swamp•
The lore of Louisiana has always included reference to the swamps. These humid, soggy environments are interspersed throughout much of the southeastern United States. They host many beasts—snakes, alligators, bugs, you name it—and, according to the lore, are home to mysterious monsters.
•Iraq al-Amir•
Just outside of Jordan’s capital lies an ancient castle and intriguing caves dating back to the Copper Age.
•Roman Theater of Amman•
This exceptionally well-preserved ancient marvel also houses a small museum dedicated to Jordanian folk tradition.
•Fesikh•
Every year on the day after Coptic Orthodox Easter, Egyptians of all religious backgrounds head outdoors to celebrate Sham el-Nessim. Loved ones congregate around picnic spreads and enjoy the spring air, saturated as it is with the delicate aroma of flowers, along with the sour odor of a fermented fish called fesikh.
Rebecca Byrne 