My adventure started in Jordan’s capital, Amman, where I met with my driver and tour guide. They picked me up from my hotel at the crack of dawn. There’s a lot to see and do here, so to ensure there’s enough time to enjoy the beautiful landmarks, you’ve gotta be an early bird.

My journey headed south on the Desert Highway, along the way passing spectacular landscapes, mountainous valleys and mystical deserts; which were every bit as fascinating as their inhabitants. Three hours drive and a few bathroom stops later, we arrived in Petra. We had found the Lost City! Although, it wasn’t that hard to find, as the hordes of tourists, guides and locals that fill the entrance to the city are a dead giveaway there’s a major attraction ahead.

Passing through the entrance we followed the crowd down the steep rocky path. In an instant the Bedouins began huddling around, yelling “Ten dinars for a horse or 20 dinars for carriage, very long walk to Petra!” I kindly turned the offers down, adjusted my Indiana Jones hat, and continued along the path, feeling courageous and eager for what was to come.

We were walking along the Al Siq chasm, which is a narrow ravine that runs for about a mile. The long gorge has steep sides that obliterate the sun, providing a dramatic contrast, not only geologically, but in cooling the oppressive air. The atmosphere is enchanting and you can sense the magic to come.

A short walk later and there it was, peaking through the chasm. A door. A walkway into history. Emerging from the Al Siq passage we entered into a natural square, dominated by Petra’s most famous monument – Al Khazneh. I’ts one of the most elaborate buildings in Petra, with classical Greek-influenced architecture, and as with most of the other buildings in this ancient town, the structure was carved out of the sandstone rock face.

It is unknown as to why it was originally built, though its Arabic name, Treasury, derives from a legend that bandits hid their loot in a stone urn high on the second level. Significant damage from bullets can be seen on the urn and local lore attributes this to Bedouins, who are said to have shot at the urn in hope of breaking it open and spilling out the “treasure” within. The decorative urn, however, is solid sandstone. Many of this impressive building’s architectural details have eroded away during the two thousand years since it was carved and sculpted from the cliff.

Film buffs would recognize Al Khazneh from the movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. In this epic it was used as the entrance to the resting place of the Holy Grail. It also featured in another Hollywood blockbuster – Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.

After a short break I did the tourist thing – a camel ride – then continued through the city, exploring the many magnificent structures. But with the sun beginning to slip behind the rocks my day trip to Petra came to a sad end. While I managed to see only a small portion of the city, I felt privileged to discover why this magical place is now one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

Leaving Petra we drove 45-minutes to Aqaba, where we spent the night. Then the following morning we drove an hour to Wadi Rum, where upon arrival we were introduced to our Bedouin guides.

Wadi Rum is a valley cut into the sandstone and granite rock in southwest Jordan and is the largest wadi, or valley, in the country. The name Rum most likely comes from an Aramaic root meaning ‘high’ or ‘elevated’. To reflect its proper Arabic pronunciation, archaeologists transcribe it as Wadi Ramm.

The most amazing part of this experience was meeting the remarkable and friendly folks. The Bedouins were the most beautiful, generous and patient people. They were proud of their inheritance. The desert belonged to them, and they were so rich in spirit and knowledge it blew me away, more so than the spectacular landscapes.

We climbed into the back of an old jeep for the trip into the desert. The glorious vistas acted as a distraction from the rattling of the motor and rigid seats. The Bedouins then gave us a brief history of this remarkable land, quoting the words of T.E Lawrence to describe Wadi Rum, ‘vast, echoing and God-like.’ The guide then broke out in a loud ‘hello’ that echoed through the desert.

Soon after we had lunch at the main Bedouin’s campsite, before heading further out into the desert. We wore the traditional Jordanian shmagh (hat) to protect ourselves from the blistering sun, sand and wind that we were about to be exposed to. Along the way we made a few stops to take pictures, as our guides delved further into the history of the desert.

I had been to the Grand Canyon, which was just as beautiful and breathtaking. But there I was up on the top looking down. In Wadi Rum you get a different perspective of things. Here you are at the bottom of the pit, admiring the 1800 meter monoliths above.

Further on was Khaz’ali Canyon. It’s the sight of several petroglyphs etched into the cave walls. They depict humans and antelopes and date back to Thamudic times. The guides explained some of the 4000-year old rock drawings, and then surprised us all when they said that a million years ago all of Wadi Rum was under water.

My journey into this magical desert ended with a stop at another Bedouins’ campsite, where we indulged in their delicious traditional tea and purchased some souvenirs. Bidding our guides farewell I couldn’t thank them enough for the amazing time I’d had.

I loved every minute of the trip and now hold the experience close to my heart. The only thing is, there was so much more there to see, so I’ll definitely head back again in the future.

For everything you need to know about Jordan visit www.visitjordan.com

For more information about Petra visit www.petrapark.com

For more information about Wadi Rum visit www.wadirum.jo