As restrictions limit use of public pools, locals in Jordan turn to farm getaways

AMMAN - Locally owned farms have seen a rise in activity since the beginning of summer amid the coronavirus pandemic.

With pools, gyms and hotels having opened only recently with rigorous health precautions, citizens have been turning to renting private farms as an alternative.

“The weather has been wonderful since the beginning of June and my kids have been nagging me to swim, but with the pools closed, a private farm was our only option, albeit an expensive one,” said Nuha Abbadi, a mother of four.

Speaking over the phone with The Jordan Times, Abbadi said that a daily rental or overnight stay on a farm ranges from JD150 to JD300, based on the number of days, the farm’s location and the number of guests.

To make it affordable, Abbadi said she invited extended family to join, something which, according to the owner of a group of farms in the Dead Sea area, is common.

The owner, Eyad, who preferred to omit his last name, told The Jordan Times that he allows up to 10 people in his compound of farms, as “many families cannot afford to pay that amount on their own”.

The farms are not just rented by families, but have become a destination for groups of friends as well, he noted.

Masa Tarteer, a college student, posted pictures of a getaway weekend with her friends at a rental farm in the Dead Sea area.

She later told The Jordan Times that “gym pools have become difficult to visit as changing rooms and lockers are prohibited due to Ministry of Health instructions”.

While renting a farm for two days at a cost of JD200, she said that ”dividing JD200 between 10 girls amounts to JD20 per person for a private villa, a private pool and an overnight stay — that is more than any hotel or gym pool can offer”.

Om Waddah, whose husband oversees several rental villas in Al Ghour, told The Jordan Times that the farms have been in high demand since the beginning of June.

“We have had families, groups of friends and some companies who wanted to shoot ads here because some shooting studios are closed,” she added.

Om Waddah noted that each farm has villas of varying sizes, pools, barbeque areas and playgrounds for children.

“It is good to see some activity after months of winter and then the lockdown,” she said.