Greening the Desert Project Ecolodge, Jordan

Private room in farm stay in Al - Shoonah al - Janoobiyah, Jordan

  1. 16+ guests
  2. 6 bedrooms
  3. 10 beds
  4. 4 shared baths
Rated 3.93 out of 5 stars.15 reviews
Hosted by Nadia
  1. 7 years hosting

Listing highlights

Dedicated workspace

A room with Wi-Fi that’s well-suited for working.

Park for free

This is one of the few places in the area with free parking.
Some info has been automatically translated.
Come and experience The Greening The Desert Project, a permaculture demonstration site and ecolodge. Take some time to relax in greenest spot in the dead sea valley. Stroll through our food forest & organic gardens and see how this barren desert transformed in to a green oasis.

The Project was started over 10 years ago by Nadia and Geoff Lawton and the permaculture research institute, to show the world that it is possible to restore any landscape through the application of permaculture design.

The space
Our authentic 8 bedroom guesthouse becomes your 'home away from home', where our team are on hand to share their invaluable local knowledge and warm Jordanian hospitality. Whether exploring The Greening The Desert Project or the beauty of the surrounding area, our guesthouse is a peaceful retreat that provides a traditional, comfortable and relaxing setting.

Guests can enjoy the first permaculture Café in Jordan, which serves a delicious range of fresh organic snacks and juices, along with the best cafe lattes in the valley.

We have a large communal kitchen and dining terrace, along with our own traditional Jordanian restaurant, Dar Al Shouneh. Open 7 days a week guests can sit back and relax while we prepare a set Jordanian feast or you can order directly from the menu.

In our professional chefs kitchen, visitors can join our traditional cooking classes and learn first hand, from one of our local family cooks, how to make one of our most favourite local dishes.
Plus we offer cultural experiences such as traditional bread or Arabic coffee making. Self guided or organised tours around the project and Permaculture gardens can also be arranged and are sure to be a highlight of your trip.

Towards the end of the day why not enjoy a Shisha and admire the beautiful sunset from the terrace which offers sweeping view across the Dead Sea valley.

We welcome families, adventurers, eco-conscious and solo travellers and provide the opportunity to experience Jordanian hospitality at its best. Here you will get to interact with the local villagers who share their culture, traditions, foods and stories of the past.

Guest access
Guests have access to:
*Rooftop terrace * Kitchen/Dining terrace * Outdoor areas & gardens * Food forest * Cafe *Dar Al Shouneh Restaurant

Other things to note
Once you step in off the street, you'll feel a sense of calm and wish to relax and enjoy the lovely natural setting of our permaculture garden. We practise 'green/eco' living on-site and have provided places to collect organic waste that we use for our composting system that feeds our forest and we encourage our guests to learn more about green living.

Where you'll sleep

Bedroom 1
1 double bed
Bedroom 2
2 single beds
Bedroom 3
2 single beds

What this place offers

Wifi
Dedicated workspace
Free parking on premises
Window AC unit
Patio or balcony
Unavailable: Carbon monoxide alarm
Unavailable: Smoke alarm

Select check-in date

Add your travel dates for exact pricing

3.93 out of 5 stars from 15 reviews

Overall rating

  1. 5 stars, 53% of reviews
  2. 4 stars, 27% of reviews
  3. 3 stars, 0% of reviews
  4. 2 stars, 0% of reviews
  5. 1 stars, 20% of reviews

Rated 4.6 out of 5 stars for cleanliness

Rated 4.0 out of 5 stars for accuracy

Rated 3.9 out of 5 stars for check-in

Rated 4.0 out of 5 stars for communication

Rated 4.0 out of 5 stars for location

Rated 4.0 out of 5 stars for value

Guest reviews mention

Where you’ll be

Al - Shoonah al - Janoobiyah, Balqa Governorate, Jordan

Located only 30 minutes from the Queen Alia Airport and set in the local village of Al
Jwasri, the ecolodge is part of our urban farm. Uber/taxies are available however we can
arrange private transfers at a lower rate if you let us know in advance. We are situated very near to the Jordan Valley and the King Hussein Bridge that is a border crossing for the West Bank. The village is quiet and lovely to wander around where you'll see local goat herders moving their animals around.

Meet your host

Host
15 reviews
3.93 out of 5 average rating
7 years of hosting
Lives in Australia
I'm Nadia On behalf of the GTD Project, I love to show people how to live sustainably, and how we can restore this planet. We hope that our new ecolodge accommodation at the greening the desert site will inspire you whilst giving you an unforgettable experience of Jordanian hospitality and traditional food and culture. 
I believe we need to focus on the solutions that are readily available to us all whilst designing for abundance. Then we can achieve miracles even in the harshest conditions like in the desert of the dead sea valley in Jordan where I was born. I learned traditional ways of land use from my father, an expert farmer and herbal healer of Palestinian, Bedouin descent. I completed my PDC in the Dead Sea Valley in 1999 then proceeded to work on the "Green the Desert" project and establish permaculture women's groups and school projects with this work as reference I went on to complete my permaculture diploma in design, education and site development and registered as a permaculture teacher in English and Arabic with the Bill and Lisa Mollison's permaculture Institute of Australia. I now live in The Channon in Northern New South Wales, Australia at Zaytuna Farm the home of the Australian Permaculture Research Institute. Since 2003 I have been working with PRI as and international permaculture teacher, consultant and aid worker. I feel privileged to have been born in a third world country with so much practical skills I have inherited to share and to live and work in many first world countries with so much appropriate technology I have learnt to understand. My passion is to give people hope that there is a better way we can all live and share all our skills and advantages with permaculture design.
To help protect your payment, always use Airbnb to send money and communicate with hosts.

Things to know

Cancellation policy
House rules
Check-in: 12:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Checkout before 12:00 pm
No pets
Safety & property
No carbon monoxide alarm
No smoke alarm