Jordan
SERAI WOMEN X MANUELLA MAVROMICHALIS11 DAYS | 10 NIGHTS
Step into a landscape of ancient wonder and soulful stillness as we take you on an unforgettable journey through Jordan - a land where history and spirit intertwine. From the lively streets of Amman to the wild beauty of the Dana Biosphere, the rose-red majesty of Petra, the vast silence of Wadi Rum and the healing waters of the Dead Sea, this journey invites you to explore both the world around you and the world within.
Co-hosted by Serai Founder Iman Muldoon and intuitive artist Manuella Mavromichalis, this women’s journey is as much an inward exploration as it is an outer adventure. Through guided creative practices of journaling, movement, meditation, music and art, we’ll connect more deeply to ourselves and each other, finding inspiration in the textures, colours and rhythms of Jordan.
Together we’ll wander through ancient ruins, trace the footsteps of prophets and nomads, share stories beneath desert skies and float in the stillness of the lowest place on earth. This is a journey of intuition and illumination - a celebration of feminine creativity, soulful connection and the timeless magic of the desert.
THE ITINERARY | NEED TO KNOW | HOSTS
Day 1 - ArrivalWelcome to Jordan! Upon arrival at Queen Alia International Airport, you will be warmly greeted and assisted before being transferred to your hotel in Amman. Once settled, as the sun begins to set, we make our way to the rooftop for welcome drinks where you will meet your hosts and fellow travellers. Here we will provide you with an introduction to the week ahead. The evening then moves on to a special culinary experience, an immersive guided food tour, where you’ll taste Jordan’s authentic street flavours.
Meals included : Breakfast
Accomodation : The Boutique Suites Amman
Day 2 - Culture, cuisine, HammamToday, step into your feminine power through guided meditations and intuitive art and enter a space of freedom and curiosity, before we continue with a lively dabkeh dance session at the beautiful Beit Shocair, immersed in Jordanian traditions. We will then head to Beit Sitti for a private cooking class where together we will prepare and enjoy a homemade Jordanian lunch. In the afternoon, discover Amman’s heritage with visits to the Citadel and the Roman Theatre before unwinding in true local style at Hammam Al Basha where you will enjoy a traditional Turkish bath, shisha and a light dinner before returning to our hotel for a restful sleep.
Meals included : Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accomodation : The Boutique Suites Amman
Day 3 - Spiritual sites and eco adventureAfter breakfast we set out on a journey rich in spirit and history. We begin at Bethany Beyond the Jordan, the sacred site where Jesus was baptised, before continuing to Mount Nebo where Moses is said to have glimpsed the Promised Land. Our path then leads to Madaba, the city of mosaics, celebrated for its exquisite Byzantine art. Here we’ll enjoy a delicious Jordanian lunch at Carob House, a local favourite known for its warm hospitality and soulful flavours. In the afternoon we travel to the peaceful Feynan Ecolodge, hidden in the heart of the Dana Biosphere Reserve. Surrounded by sweeping desert vistas, this award-winning eco-lodge offers a rare off-the-grid retreat experience. As night falls, we’ll share a traditional candlelit dinner beneath a canopy of stars.
Meals included : Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accomodation : Feynan Ecolodge
Day 4 - Hiking and bedouin eveningWake to the stillness of the desert and enjoy a nourishing breakfast at the lodge. After breakfast we will do a morning grounding ritual before we set out on a half-day guided walk with a local Bedouin guide who will share stories of the land, its traditions and the rich natural beauty of the Dana Biosphere Reserve. On our return to the lodge we’ll feast on a hearty lunch made from locally grown organic produce, following which we will then spend the afternoon at leisure - resting, reflecting or joining one of the optional activities on offer. As evening falls, we will gather for a traditional dinner accompanied by the soulful notes of the oud and stories woven by a local storyteller beneath a sky filled with stars.
Meals included : Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accomodation : Feynan Ecolodge
Day 5 - Into the heart of Petra, the Rose-Red CityAfter breakfast we depart Feynan and make our way to Petra, Jordan’s most iconic wonder. Enter through the narrow Siq and emerge before the magnificent Treasury, its rose-red façade glowing in the sunlight. Continue exploring Petra’s ancient temples, tombs and intricate carvings, each revealing stories carved into stone. Surrounded by these ancient landscapes, Manuella will guide us in a meditation within one of Petra’s oldest cave temples. Enjoy lunch at the Basin Restaurant, set in the heart of Petra. After lunch we will check in to our hotel and enjoy some free time before gathering for a delicious dinner at a local restaurant renowned for its traditional Jordanian cuisine.
Meals included : Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accomodation : Hayat Zaman Village, Petra
Day 6 - Meditation monastery walkEntering Petra through the back door, we will hike the scenic trail that leads to the awe-inspiring Monastery, soaking in the spiritual wonders of the ancient monuments. Along the way, we will pause for a picnic lunch surrounded by sweeping sandstone cliffs and desert silence. Afterward, we will return to our hotel to rest, refresh or enjoy a dip in the pool. As evening falls, we will gather for dinner at the lively Cave Bar, a unique spot carved into the ancient rock.
Meals included : Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accomodation : Hayat Zaman Village, Petra
Day 7 - Desert adventuresAfter breakfast, we journey to the spectacular desert of Wadi Rum. On arrival, we will set out on a jeep safari, weaving through canyons, red sand dunes, and dramatic rock formations. Pause to enjoy lunch in the camp before settling in for rest and relaxation. As night falls, we join a fun belly dance session, followed by a traditional dinner and an enchanting stargazing experience under Wadi Rum’s crystal-clear skies.
Meals included : Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accomodation : Hayat Rum Camp
Day 8 - Rhythm of the desertMarvel at the majesty of Wadi Rum from the air on an optional sunrise balloon safari. Nothing quite compares to watching the sun’s first glow as it hits the red dunes of the desert. Today is a day of rest and creation. As a group, we will have an intuitive and spontaneous art and writing session, where we’ll discover images and words that surface from within - an exploration of expression, not skill. After a relaxing lunch, the evening transforms into a celebration: a silent disco under the stars, followed by an elegant dinner accompanied by a qanoun player.
Meals included : Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accomodation : Hayat Rum Camp
Day 9 - The Healing dead seaAfter breakfast, we drive to the legendary Dead Sea, the lowest point on Earth. After we check in, savour a fresh lunch before spending the afternoon floating in the mineral-rich waters, enjoying natural mud treatments, or relaxing by the pool. The day ends with a delicious dinner at Rihan Restaurant before retiring for the night.
Meals included : Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accomodation : Kempinski Dead Sea
Today is free to enjoy the serene surroundings of the Dead Sea at your leisure, whether indulging in spa treatments, floating once more in the healing waters, or simply relaxing by the pool. In the evening, we will gather for an exclusive farewell dinner at Najwan Villa, hosted by Chef Najwan Al Masri, who will prepare a curated menu of exquisite Jordanian dishes in an intimate and elegant setting. A fitting farewell to our wonderful time together, where memories were made, friendships forged and our imaginations and creativity ignited.
Day 10 - Culinary finaleMeals included : Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accomodation : Kempinski Dead Sea
Day 11 - Farewell JordanAfter breakfast, transfer to the Queen Alia Airport for your onward flight. As you leave Jordan behind, you’ll carry with you not just souvenirs, but stories, friendships, and a kaleidoscope of memories that will stay with you forever. We hope to see you again on one of our other adventures soon!
Meals included : Breakfast
Accomodation :
Need to know
11 DAYS/10 NIGHTS | 20-30 MARCH 2026
USD8,950 PER PERSON TWIN SHARE | USD 2,775 SINGLE SUPPLEMENT
START: AMMAN | FINISH: AMMAN
Please note: This tour departs with a minimum of 8 people and a maximum of 14 (Including hosts). A single supplement of USD 2,775 applies. If you are ‘willing to share’ we will do all possible to pair you with another participant. If unsuccessful the single supplement will apply. Airfares are not included, book and pay for your air tickets as soon as possible to secure the best available fare.
INCLUDES
Hosted by Iman Muldoon, co-hosted and facilitated by Manuella Mavromichalis
Meet and assist by our airport representative, including Jordan entry visa
Transfers in a 30-seater medium bus throughout the program
All sightseeing tours as specified, hosted by English speaking qualified guides
All meals throughout entire itinerary
3-hour 4x4 Bedouin jeep tour
Entrance fees to all detailed sites and monuments
Accommodation in hotels and camps as specified
Private guided stargazing session in Wadi Rum
Private visit of Bethany with Mr. Rustom “Bethany Manager”
Silent disco under the stars at Wadi Rum
Dabkeh and belly dance sessions
Mineral water on board while touring
All scheduled group arrival & departure transfers on dates specified
Land transportation in air‐conditioned deluxe vehicle throughout the itinerary
All guided meditations and creative artwork and practice sessions, including art materials
Exceptional once in a lifetime experience!
EXCLUSIONS
International air arrangements plus all applicable pre-paid departure taxes
Travel insurance and individual health requirements
Laundry, camera fees and personal purchases
Discretionary tips and gratuities for accompanying guide and at hotels
Items of a personal nature and any items not specified
Optional Balloon Safari at Wadi Rum
Meet your hosts
Add a short description of the hosts relationship to one another here.-
Iman | Host
I’ve always loved the freedom and magic of travel - the way it opens our hearts and minds.
Even as an experienced solo traveller, the moments that have stayed with me are the ones shared: meals with strangers who become friends, laughter on long train rides and conversations that linger long after the journey ends.
Born in Egypt, my parents came to Australia when I was three. There’s an Egyptian proverb that says once you drink from the Nile you are destined to return. So at 23 I packed a backpack and set off to see the world, travelling solo through Egypt and Africa before settling in Bahrain in the Middle East where I had my three children. After 12 years my family moved to South Africa where I worked in broadcast journalism and TV production – work that allowed me to keep exploring the world through a storyteller’s lens.
After my children left home and I found myself single, I craved connection with like-minded, curious women. Women who wanted more than just a getaway. Women who wanted depth, discovery and real conversation.
That’s how Serai Women was born – because I believe that cultivating meaningful connections among women is transformative. Seeing the world through other women's eyes makes us wiser. It opens us up and we amplify each other.
Shared experiences are how friendships are forged.
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Manuella | Co-host and facilator
Manuella is an artist, writer, educator, and poet with over 25 years of experience helping people of all ages reconnect with their creative voice. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts and a Master’s in Art Education and her work has been exhibited across the Middle East.
A storyteller at heart, Manuella has performed her spoken-word poetry at literary festivals, conferences, and events in Athens and Cyprus and recently completed her first novel.
Deeply committed to the transformative power of creativity, she has led intuitive art and writing workshops for children, teenagers, adults, and seniors. Her work has supported women reclaiming silenced voices, refugees and grieving individuals finding healing through expression, and people with special needs experiencing joy through creation. She is also passionate about guiding writers and artists through creative blocks and helping them rediscover their flow.
In Greece, her work with refugees, particularly unaccompanied minor girls, offered them a safe space to be seen, heard and to share their stories through art and storytelling.
At the heart of all she does is a belief that intuitive creation is both an act of healing and self-discovery. Each brushstroke and each line of writing reminds her why this work matters and why she continues to share it.
Manuella facilitates our intuitive art retreats that are designed to unlock your creativity and awaken the goddess within.
Suggested Reads
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From the acclaimed author of Crescent, called “radiant, wise, and passionate” by the Chicago Tribune, here is a vibrant, humorous memoir of growing up with a gregarious Jordanian father who loved to cook. Diana Abu-Jaber weaves the story of her life in upstate New York and in Jordan around vividly remembered meals: everything from Lake Ontario shish kabob cookouts with her Arab-American cousins to goat stew feasts under a Bedouin tent in the desert. These sensuously evoked meals, in turn, illuminate the two cultures of Diana’s childhood—American and Jordanian—and the richness and difficulty of straddling both. They also bring her wonderfully eccentric family to life, most memorably her imperious American grandmother and her impractical, hotheaded, displaced immigrant father, who, like many an immigrant before him, cooked to remember the place he came from and to pass that connection on to his children. As she does in her fiction, Diana draws us in with her exquisite insight and compassion, and with her amazing talent for describing food and the myriad pleasures and adventures associated with cooking and eating. Each chapter contains mouthwatering recipes for many of the dishes described, from her Middle Eastern grandmother’s Mad Genius Knaffea to her American grandmother’s Easy Roast Beef, to her aunt Aya’s Poetic Baklava. The Language of Baklava gives us the chance not only to grow up alongside Diana, but also to share meals with her every step of the way—unforgettable feasts that teach her, and us, as much about identity, love, and family as they do about food.
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‘Where you staying?’ the Bedouin asked. ‘Why you not stay with me tonight—in my cave.’ He seemed enthusiastic. And we were looking for adventure. “ Thus begins the story of how Marguerite van Geldermalsen—a New Zealand-born nurse—became the wife of Mohammad Abdallah Othman, a Bedouin souvenir-seller of the Manaja tribe, and lived with him and their children in a community of 100 families in the ancient caves of Petra in Jordan. Marguerite and a friend were traveling through the Middle East in 1978 when she met the charismatic Mohammad and decided that he was the man for her. Their home was a lofty 2,000 year-old cave carved into the red rock of a hillside. She became the resident nurse and learned to live like the Bedouin—cooking over fires, hauling water on donkeys, and drinking sweet black tea—and over the years she became as much of a curiosity as the cave-dwellers to tourists. This is her extraordinary story.
