Come and experience the Greening the Desert Project permaculture demonstration site and ecolodge.
Take some time to relax in the greenest spot in the dead sea valley. Stroll through our food forest & organic gardens and see how this barren desert transformed into 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.
We welcome families, adventurers, eco-conscious and solo travellers.
Guests have access to:
*Rooftop terrace * Kitchen/Dining terrace * Outdoor areas * Food forest * Cafe *Restaurant
Interaction with guests:
Shrooq will be available to help you book and organize your travel needs. Our team, Hayel the farm manager, Nyma, Mama and Odie are on hand to look after you full time, yet how much you need them is up to you. Please make all culinary or special requests prior to visiting so we can meet your needs, we look forward to making your stay truly special.
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.
The Greening the Desert project is well worth a visit. Not only do they serve the best cappuccino in Jordan, you can also enjoy various fresh fruit shakes and other consumptions that are made from the organic produce grown in their amazing permaculture farm. To understand how it works, ask for a tour of the farm by one of the friendly people that work there. They will explain it with such passion, that you might just end up starting a farm like that yourself! Ask Ali and Hayel for anything and they will go out of their way to help you. Thank you so much for a lovely stay! - 4/29/2019
We stayed here two nights with our kids and it far exceeded my expectations! The grounds are lovely, the rooms are very clean and bright, and the food was amazing. You really feel like you are on a peaceful retreat when you go here. The staff was very friendly and helpful. We even forgot something we needed and one staff member drove into town to buy it for us! The cafe is adorable, has great smoothies and air conditioning if you get warm in the afternoons.
As far as activities outside the lodge, one morning my husband took the kids on walks around the neighborhood to see sheep and hike up the hills. Another morning we took a beautiful drive over to Madaba to see some tourist attractions. (Obviously the Dead Sea, Mt Nebo, and the baptism site are very close).
Note if you have little kids: This place is a walled-in compound so you can just let the kids roam which is amazing! Also the compound is small so we felt fine putting the kids to bed, then going back out to the sitting area or roof for the rest of the evening. Having a shared kitchen was great too for the kids. - 4/13/2019
Nothing short of amazing. First of all, the team will go above and beyond to help you with everything. Especially praises for Ali are in order. The location is great for navigating the dead sea. Next to that, the lodge is wonderful. All the energy is green. everything is recycled. Food is all made from homegrown products. But when you arrive you get a tour and I don't want to spoil too much. Staying here was the best decision of our trip. - 5/05/2019
My stay at the farm was great. Ali has made me feel very welcome. He arranged a short walk around the farm. The room was spotless clean and had beautiful decoration. The food was fresh and delicious. The cafe serves very tasty coffee and a great orange and basil smoothie. You can learn there about permaculture and growing plants. The view from the rooftop is stunning both during the day and at night. I would definitely stay there again. I think it's a great place for everyone looking for a break from a big city. - 4/19/2019