Locals, by design

Darb was founded in 2017 by a Wadi Rum guide and a Dana trail leader, with one second-hand Land Cruiser.

The story

Started in Rum,
run from Amman

Aymen grew up in Wadi Rum village and started guiding at nineteen. Nadia led hiking groups in the Dana Biosphere Reserve for six years. They met in 2017 while guiding the same group on the Jordan Trail, and ran their first Wadi Rum trip together that autumn with six travellers.

Today Darb has five guides and two office staff, and runs around 60 departures a year. Groups are capped at twelve, and every guide is from the south of Jordan.

The team

The people on the ground

Aymen Zalabia

Co-founder · Lead guide

Nadia Haddad

Co-founder · Trip design

Omar Al-Fara

Guide · Wadi Rum

How we travel

Responsible travel

Money that stays local

Guides, camps, drivers and cooks are all Jordanian, most from the regions we visit. Around 70% of each trip price is paid to people and businesses in the south.

Light on the land

Refillable water bottles on every trip, no single-use plastic in camp, and all rubbish is carried out of the protected area.

Real relationships

We work with the same camp families every season and pay them within seven days of each trip.

Travel
with us

Join a set departure or plan a private trip of two to ten days.

Get in touch