A Girl Fell in Love with a Bedouin and Moved into His Cave (4 photos)

An American woman moved into a cave in Jordan after falling in love with a local tribesman who liked one of her photos on social media.





Natalie Snyder, 42, was visiting Petra and took a photo of a Bedouin on horseback, then posted it on Instagram. Feras Budin, 32, wrote under the photo that he invited her to visit, and after 18 months of online communication, she arrived in September 2021.

The couple fell in love and now share a two-bed home in a network of caves that are home to some members of the Bedouin community.

Feras has lived in a Bedouin cave since he was born – as have previous generations of his family. But for Natalie, who has lived in Italy, New Zealand, Florida and Germany while traveling for work and doing administrative work for a travel company, it was a huge change.

The couple now live in a cave that has two bedrooms, a storage room and a bathroom that runs on spring water they collect. There’s a balcony overlooking the desert and another room for storing saddles and other equipment for the camels, mules and chickens they keep.



Snyder, a tour guide from Orlando, Florida, shared, "I was there and I took a picture of a Bedouin guy riding a horse barefoot with a scarf on, and it was a cool picture. I posted it on Instagram and he commented saying it was him. Then he told me to come visit him, which I did. I've always been interested in archaeology in the Middle East, and I've been in Jordan for a few years now. I've been traveling the world my whole life and I've always been a free spirit. I'm probably more grounded than I've ever been and more present in one place. I just started a company that does Jordan tours and authentic experiences. When I'm in Jordan, I I help out on tours. When I'm outside of Jordan, I do office work, when I go to America or New Zealand."

Natalie describes Bedouin culture as "on a different level" than what she's used to, and she just "goes with the flow of life day by day."

She said: "I've started learning about the culture, but Bedouin culture is on a completely different level. Tribal life is on a completely different level. They don't live like other people. There are about 42 communities in the caves. It's an open-door community, so everyone meets together. It's like Thanksgiving and Christmas all year long. The Ferasa tribe are the only people allowed to live in the cave because they've been there for so long, and also to support the indigenous population in the caves."





In the winter, they move to a dormitory they rent for 10 years in a village in Petra, then return to the cave for the warmer months. They recently rented a house in the village of Petra for 10 years, where they will live for the next few winters.

The cave is a 15-minute drive from the city, so supplies like food, firewood, and animal supplies are readily available. They use solar panels and pay no rent. They live off the grid, collecting spring water for their bathrooms, and Feras even built handcrafted pipes for the cave.

Feras, a tour guide from Petra, said: "I've lived there all my life, as have my grandparents and many generations of my family. I love this place and I don't want to leave. I prefer the cave lifestyle. The government has offered us land, a house and things for free if we leave, but we've always refused and will continue to refuse. I call the cave 'The Palace.'

The couple say one of the best things about living in the cave is the peace and quiet, with views of the Jordan Desert. And they say the close-knit community of indigenous people is the main reason so many stay.



Jordan’s landscape was what attracted Natalie to move there, and as for her love of travel and exploration, she says there’s so much to see and do: “In Auckland, I lived in a condo on a marina overlooking the Hauraki Gulf. There was more of a routine and I spent more time on my computer and catching up on work, enjoying walks or fish and chips on the beach at the weekend. Life is calm, relaxed and slow. Life in Petra is very fast-paced, from sunrise to late at night, there’s always something going on and something to do. Excursions, cooking dinner in the mountains with my family, working in the cave, at home and with the animals. In the city, life is defined by what I own – clothes, cars, gadgets to keep up with society. But in the cave, that’s how I feel. In the city, even though you’re surrounded by people, it’s very easy to feel isolated. The cave and living in Petra have taught me to slow down and appreciate "The essentials of life are what the city often makes me overlook. In the caves, life is simple but deeply connected. Sharing food, stories, and even silence with the Bedouins feels like home. I've never encountered such a community before."