Most Inspirational Moment
That first famous magical view of Petra after the walk through the Siq is so well known, but it literally moved me to tears! Petra lived up to its promise and more. I had not realised how large it was, and when you got away from the easily accessed bits we almost had it to ourselves. The rock colours and the geology are as wonderful as the manmade structures. A unique landscape.Wadi Rum was also amazing. I had not realised how beautiful the desert could be, and the camel ride was wonderful. It made one feel more at home in the landscape somehow.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Sami was quite a character and did his best to inform us about his country its history and the region in all its complexity. We asked a lot more than the "10 questions each", but he answered them all with a lot of patience & humour, although sometimes the answers were somewhat unnerving! He gave us his time and energy generously, and tried to make things more interesting, for instance, by taking us up the back paths to the Place of Sacrifice in Petra, where we could look down on it all, and taking us to local restaurants
Advice for Potential Travellers
Although this was classed as leisurely/moderate, we did not have much time to stand and stare! We were on the go all the time as there was a lot to pack in in a short time to see everything. I found this quite tiring, especially if I had not slept well, but most days you can take a short nap to recuperate when you get to the hotel, before dinner. Physically, there is usually a choice about how far you climb and walk, and some activities are extras, but as you are there, you want to do them all, and it is worth the effort. You just have to take your time and pace yourself. Take layers if you go when we did (March). We were lucky with the weather and had mild nights and warm days, but when we left it was quite cold and raining and the weather forecast was not so good for the following week. If you like a drink in the evening, take some duty free from the UK as most places we stayed and ate in were either alcohol free or drinks were very expensive. You can get fruit juices everywhere to mix with your favourite tipple!
