This Fall, I was part of a trip to Jordan with a group of nearly 700 opinion-makers and influential voices (think travel industry leaders, influencers, and journalists).
While I was happy to be in my beloved Jordan, the trip itself was disappointing because one critical part was missing (I wrote about it here).
That part was context. Traveling without it became the most jarring in the desert of Wadi Rum, my favorite place in Jordan.
When travelers decide to book a trip with a company, they put their trust in that company's choices.
From where to stay to whom to meet and which activities to engage in, these choices can touch you to your core – or miss the opportunity entirely.
The latter happened in Wadi Rum.
On this trip, we stayed in a camp with glam 'bubble tents,' a pool (in the middle of the desert!), plastic everywhere, and very little interaction with the Bedouins – the people who live in Wadi Rum – beyond a few of the camp's staff helping us with our luggage.
(Read my story for AFAR Magazine to learn why glam 'bubble tents' do not belong in the desert.)
At night, there was a party with loud music, belly dancing, and henna tattoos (tropes that have nothing to do with Bedouin culture). The light beams from the party polluted the desert for miles around, making it impossible to see any of the myriads of stars above us.
And the "best" part?
The camp wasn't even owned by the local Bedouin community. It belonged to an outside investor.
You can imagine how sad I was knowing that for most of the nearly 700 people who came to Jordan on this trip, this is what Wadi Rum, and Jordan at large, would come to represent.
Yet, the beauty of Wadi Rum lies not in lux bubble tents or the parties.
It's in its people and in a rich, ancient, wise Bedouin culture, formed by the centuries of living in the desert.
On our upcoming Jordan trip this June, we stay in the best camp in Wadi Rum (in my humble, and very biased opinion): Rum Planet Camp.
I've brought my travelers exclusively to this camp for the past decade.
That camp, and the things we do there (like a lesson in ancient star navigating technology) is where the magic of Wadi Rum happens, because the mission for the people running the camp is to share a glimpse of their lives with us.
Rum Planet Camp is fully solar-powered and plastic-free.
There are no bubble tents. Instead, accommodations are made with the same goat-hair canvas the original Bedouin tents use.
Falah, Hasan, and Ahmad (the camp's hosts) make every single one of our travelers feel at home.
From the moment we arrive to the time we say goodbye, we experience the formidable desert hospitality and what it really means.
This, in a nutshell, can be the difference between traveling with a big global travel company or a small operation (like mine).
I focus on meeting the people who make Jordan an extraordinary place. For me, this is a passion, not a business.
If you, like me, travel for the people, you'll love this trip.
In 10 days, we will explore most of Jordan from the North to the South, while meeting the people I've come to call my friends over the years of coming to Jordan.
Here's a preview of what we'll do:
I've returned to Jordan over 20 times in the last decade. With my small-group trips, you can experience my expertise and love for the country.
No lux bubble tents needed.
Trip Dates
Trip Price
🐦 Book by Jan 5, 2026 to save $200 off the full price of $3,325
How are we different?
When you travel with us, your money funds our journalism at Going Places AND the work of local communities in Jordan.
Your trip will directly support over 100 Jordanian families working across numerous organizations like Dar Nemeh, which employs 3,000+ women & refugees across Jordan.
Through our deep relationships with people who live and work in Jordan, you'll get a close look at this country we love – all while having some fun with like-hearted travelers.
“I cannot speak more highly of Yulia and her Jordan trip. I wasn’t sure what to expect, and I didn’t know much about Jordan except for the photos of Petra all over Instagram. Yulia planned a trip that showed the entirety of Jordan. Her personal relationships with the people we met, stayed with, and interacted with made the trip special." – Carrie L.
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