Petra in Jordan receives around a million visitors a year, and one adventurous tourist has told how she had a once-in-a-million experience after cave dwellers took her in for the night.
Caitlin Redden, from New Jersey, visited the ancient city, which dates back to 400 BC, earlier this year and in a series of TikToks documents the adventure she had.
Instead of wandering around with other tourists, Caitlin befriended a member of a local Bedouin tribe and was invited to see how they live.
Although it was considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985, a small population of Bedouins continue to live in Petra, with small caves carved into the sandstone just like their ancient counterparts.
Caitlin Redden, from New Jersey, visited the ancient city, which dates back to 400 BC, earlier this year and in a series of TikToks documents her adventure.
Instead of wandering around with other tourists, Caitlin befriended a member of a local Bedouin tribe and was invited to see how they live.
In ‘Part One’ of her adventure, the American tourist explains how her unique experience came about.
Showing pictures from his trip to Petra, he says: ‘So I arrived at the park at 6:30am because I wanted to beat the crowd and take the Instagram photos.
“And I came with a Polish lady who was staying at my hostel and we had a great time, but then I lost her.
“So I was standing in the Treasury admiring it, and a guy who worked for the government came up to me.
‘He was getting these injections for me. He knew all the angles. He’s been doing this for years. Then we started talking and he invited me to go to his family house in the middle of Petra.
Caitlin said she trusted the local man because he “didn’t have any creepy vibes” and she felt like he was being “very genuine.”
The man continued to introduce Caitlin to his friends and family and she said it was “cool to see where they lived.”
After lunch, the Bedouin invited her to take a tour “even further towards Petra” and she accepted the invitation.
Although it was considered a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985, a small population of Bedouin still lives in Petra.
Caitlin said of her stay among the rocks: “The views from this cave were absolutely incredible and the stars were very bright too.”
Detailing how the adventure went from there, he said: “Then they gave me their donkey, Shakira, and I had to guide Shakira through the mountains.”
“At this point, I had no idea where I was, but I was just going with the flow of everything.”
In her upcoming TikTok, ‘Part Two,’ Caitlin explains that because she was falling behind the rest of the group, they put her on a donkey.
She tells viewers: “I know a lot of these animals are overworked because of tourism and I would never pay to ride one, but they said I was holding everyone back so I had to get on.”
During the trip, he became separated from the original Bedouin he was with and was told to follow his cousin and a friend.
They ended up taking a three hour hike to one of the boys’ caves and watched some ‘Bedouin TV’ sitting in front of the fire while they made dinner.
Caitlin said of her stay among the rocks: ‘The views from this cave were absolutely incredible and the stars were very bright too.
‘[But] It was very cold!’
In ‘Part One’ of her adventure, the American tourist explains how her unique experience came about. In one scene, she is seen venturing “even further” into Petra.
To end her trip, the globetrotter was shown a less traveled route to the famous Petra monastery which she said was “very impressive.”
The next morning, Caitlin turned the camera to show viewers the simple cave where she spent the night, with some bedding on the floor.
He then went rock climbing to get cell phone service to call his family and was surprised to receive a message from his shelter.
It turns out that the Polish woman he was originally with believed he was missing and was considering calling the police.
In an attempt to return soon, Caitlin packed her bags and followed her two guides. A third TikTok details her journey home.
It turns out that the group had to return to civilization when they discovered that one of their donkeys had wandered off during the night.
To end her trip, the globetrotter was shown a less traveled route to the famous Petra monastery which she said was “very impressive.”
Many viewers have expressed envy of Caitlin’s behind-the-scenes experience with Petra.
One TikToker wrote: ‘As a Jordanian who lived in Jordan for 25 years… DAMN GIRL you got the queen treatment. I went to Petra tons and couldn’t do even half of it.
Another commenter said: “I’m so impressed you’re alive and jealous I’ll never experience this.” Thanks for sharing!’
