This desert lodge runs on solar power and lights its rooms with hundreds of hand-made candles, leaving the sky dark for spectacular stargazing.
About Feynan Ecolodge
Feynan was developed as a pioneering ecolodge within the Dana Biosphere Reserve, designed to tread lightly on the environment and to benefit the local Bedouin, who provide much of the staff, guiding and products. Run on solar power and candlelight, it became a model of sustainable tourism in the Middle East and a base for exploring the reserve's varied landscapes and ancient copper-mining heritage.
What Feynan Ecolodge is
Feynan Ecolodge is a celebrated, off-grid retreat set deep in the desert wilderness of the Dana Biosphere Reserve in southern Jordan. Solar-powered and lit at night almost entirely by candles, it offers a tranquil, low-impact escape run in partnership with the local Bedouin community, combining stargazing, desert hikes and traditional hospitality.
“Feynan Ecolodge is a celebrated, off-grid retreat set deep in the desert wilderness of the Dana Biosphere Reserve in southern Jordan.”
Feynan Ecolodge, Jordan
Candlelight, Stars and Bedouin Coffee
The lodge has no mains electricity in its rooms; instead, hundreds of candles, hand-made by the local Bedouin, light its corridors and terraces after dark, leaving the desert sky free of light pollution for some of the finest stargazing in the country. Powered by solar panels and staffed largely by the surrounding Bedouin community, Feynan immerses guests in desert life, from coffee roasted on an open fire to walks led by local guides.
The Experience
You arrive by local Bedouin transport into a remote, rugged valley and settle into a simple, beautiful lodge with no glaring lights, spending evenings under a brilliant canopy of stars, often guided by a resident astronomer, and sharing Bedouin coffee and tea. By day you hike the desert and canyons, visit Bedouin families and learn about the area. The peace, the darkness and the cultural connection define the experience.
Why It Matters
Feynan Ecolodge is a flagship of responsible, community-based tourism in Jordan, demonstrating how travel can support conservation and local livelihoods. Its candle-lit simplicity, dark skies and immersion in Bedouin life offer a profound contrast to conventional sightseeing and a memorable encounter with the desert.
Why Visit
An off-grid, candle-lit desert ecolodge in the Dana reserve, with superb stargazing, Bedouin hospitality and guided hikes, a model of sustainable travel.
Insider Tips
- 1
Rooms are candle-lit; bring a small torch for convenience.
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Stargazing is a highlight, often with a resident astronomer.
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It supports the local Bedouin community directly.
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Access is via local Bedouin transport into the reserve.
