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Reviews

Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers  

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148 Reviews

4.5 out of 5

Reviews

Jordan Exceeded Expectations

An incredible trip, would highly recommend. So many highlights it’s difficult to list them all!

Most Inspirational Moment

Petra and Wadi Rum exceeded high expectations, with the right amount of time spent in both places. Jerash was an unexpected hidden treasure. The day in the desert of watching the sunset, having a traditional ground cooked meal and sitting by the campfire under the stars was unforgettable. Our group was great fun and this really enhanced the experience. Spending an evening in the home of a local family in Petra was a unique experience.

Thoughts on Group Leader

We learnt so much from Mikhled about the culture, history, education and politics of Jordan. We left with a far better understanding of the country. We travelled during the end of Ramadan, and really appreciated Mikhled having to spend Eid with us when I'm sure he would have rather been with his family. He dealt with a medical emergency very efficiently and also went the extra mile to make my birthday special.

Advice for Potential Travellers

In terms of clothing, normal cycling gear was perfectly acceptable (including female cycling shorts and tshirts) just have a wrap and some trousers ready on the bus for when you visit any towns. Using wraps as head coverings wasn't essential from a religious perspective, but was a very good way of protecting from the sun and heat. I wouldn't bother with the Hamman in Petra, it was okay but nothing special.

Cycling in Jordan

Excellent and well organised trip. Bikes in good condition and relatively new. Daily cycling a little less than several of us expected but the level (3 – moderate) is appropriate. Suitable for a keen weekend cyclist, not necessarily someone looking to do lots of miles per day. That said, some downhill sections were long and difficult. Traffic not a problem. Throughout, food and accommodation were good – although the desert camp bedding did require a sleeping bag liner. Overall, sights and sounds of Jerash, Petra and Dead Sea made this a memorable trip well organised by Exodus.

Most Inspirational Moment

Both Jerash and Petra were outstanding visits. It's a pity the one week schedule doesn't allow more time there - if anything, I'd drop the Aqaba element in favour of more Petra or Wadi Rum time.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sammi was an excellent leader, obviously an expert in herding cats. Similarly 'Us' and the cycle team were great.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Get in more cycle practice than you think you'll need. Distance isn't the problem (about 40km per day average) but the heat in mid-May was (34 degrees average).

Astounding Jordan

An excellent holiday, taking in religious history, amazing scenery, ancient civilisation and making fab friends.

Most Inspirational Moment

All of it was inspiring. Petra was a highlight but I was just as excited by the religious history and loved the snorkelling at Aqaba.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sami organised us all well and was informative on culture and history. However we did tend to get ‘dumped’ at our hotels and told dinner was at 8 but not given any info on what we could do in the meantime, which was sometimes half a day.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you are a woman take long sleeved tops. I had not been to an Middle Eastern country before and the absence of women out of the main tourist areas really hit me.

Amazing thanks to Mikhled!

There were so many aspects of this trip that made it so incredible: a great group of fellow cyclists, a well planned route which ensured we saw the key sights of Jordan but mostly it was our guide Mikhled. Mikhled managed to perfectly blend being a highly professional and effective leader with being friendly and fun to be with. When things didn’t quite work out for us (not his nor Exodus’ fault) he always worked hard to find a solution. For example, on the day we visited all 1500 visitors had to be evacuated from Petra mid-afternoon due to torrential rain and flash-floods. Because of this we didn’t get to climb up the 900 steps to the monastery. The next day, when we had a few hours spare in the afternoon he arranged for those who didn’t want to return to Petra to go back to the hotel while organising a bus for the rest of us to go back to Petra to experience the incredible monastery sight! I would recommend the Petra & Wadi Rum Bike trip to anyone; it is something you will love and an experience to cherish for always. However, if you are lucky enough to have Mikhled as your guide leader you can be assured that everything will be done to optimise every second of the trip. Thank you Mikhled! My only negative comment is that Exodus is possibly growing too fast – the communication with the office team was poor. Emails getting no response until chased several times, welcoming us home while we were mid-way through the trip etc etc.

Most Inspirational Moment

Petra and the monastery were, of course, incredible sights. The camping in the Bedouin tents in Wadi Rum wasn't a luxury experience but was a wonderful night not to be missed. We had dinner around a camp-fire with food coming from dishes buried under the sand and cooked by the day's sun. Things like these were additional bonus aspects of the trip. Floating in the dead sea was something I'd always wanted to do but it was also moments such as cycling through a little town as the mosque's call for prayer chimed that made it so special.

Thoughts on Group Leader

I can't praise Mikhled enough. He made our trip so special and looked after everyone. He was efficient, highly effective and professional but also a fun member of the group. He did everything within his powers to go out of his way to make every moment the best he could. There was never a "I can't do that" - he always went out of his way to find a solution. If you can have Mikhled as your leader - get the trip booked today!! You won't regret it!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Two suggestions: 1) We arrived a day early so we had time to visit the Citadel and Roman temple. Sadly those who arrived on the scheduled date never got to see these sights. One solution would be to have the 4x4 ride around Wadi Rum on the evening we arrived so that we could have quick camel ride in the morning before returning to Amman early. This would give those who hadn't seen the Citadel and Roman theatre a chance to see these sights. 2) Please change the hotel in Amman. The Days Inn is pretty tired with cracked tiles and mould around the bathroom area. It may be in the centre of the new town but tourists are only interested in the old town. Please find a nice hotel near the Citadel and Roman Theatre. Everyone in our group said they'd prefer to pay another £50++ per night to stay in a nicer and better located hotel.

A perfect blend of culture and adventure!

We have just returned from this trip and it was truly one of the best! A wonderful blend of cycling, swimming, walking and culture. Mikhled our guide was amazing and nothing was too much trouble. He is so knowledgeable on his country and culture. The cycling team were great and led us on some fabulous rides. Lots of fantastic downhill but also a fair few hills too! The views were incredible and we were well looked after. Petra is spell binding. The only day of rain was the day we went to Petra and by midday we had to be evacuated due to flash floods! However we still managed to see plenty! Some of us revisited the next afternoon when the weather was better and climbed up to the Monastery for spectacular views. Camping in the Wadi Rum was just amazing and a great way to end a magnificent trip.

Most Inspirational Moment

Too many to choose just one!! We revisited Petra on our free afternoon having cut our visit short the day before. We climbed the 900 steps up to the Monastery and were not disappointed. The view from the highest point was out of this world. The snorkelling in the Red Sea was also a high point. The sea was crystal clear and the coral and fish just superb. And finally camping in the Wadi Rum was just fantastic. Nothing can prepare you for the vastness of this beautiful desert. We arrived at sunset and after dinner we lay down on the sand and gazed up at the stars. In the morning we watched the sunrise! It was just awesome. We finished up with a camel ride! Definitely something to tick off the bucket list!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Mikhled was just great! Nothing was too much trouble and he worked tirelessly all week to ensure we had a great experience. Our accommodation at Petra was double booked and whilst we were enjoying ourselves he was beavering away arranging alternative accommodation which we thought turned out an upgrade - a superior glamping camp in the middle of nowhere! It was delightful! He is also so knowledgeable about his country and culture. He very sensitively explained Arabic, Christian and Moslem sensitivities in the area.

Advice for Potential Travellers

This is a great trip if you fancy combining adventure and culture.

Superb Trip

We were a private group of 9 chaps, none of us spring chickens. We went early-March, and the weather was generally warm apart from a couple of very chilly mornings. We were led there by our brilliant leader Mikhled; nothing was too much trouble for him, and he is very knowledgeable. A wonderful country, very friendly. The trip was a good mixture of biking and mini-bus transport. Highlights were Petra, Wadi Rum, the Dead Sea, and Red Sea/Aqaba. Some steep cycling downhill sections and the odd walk up hills – no great surprise at our age! Accommodation fine and food generally excellent; alcohol is sometimes available, sometimes not, so you need to plan a bit in advance if you like to imbibe, as we do. Overall view – highly recommended. (One tip – we were advised to take US dollars as well as Jordanian dinar; you only need the latter in reality).

Jordan by bike

This was a great trip because of the staff that were with us. The guide Anas was so accommodating and helpful, always smiling and wanting to share as much knowledge about Jordan as possible. No problem was too difficult for him to try to sort. The driver Walid was also hugely experienced and helpful. We were a very small group-3 of us and another super couple. Luckily it worked very well. There was a private group of 9 who were doing the same holiday and I presume that was how the 14 was made up. We were made to wait an hour every morning to let the private tour go first and this was probably the most annoying thing about the trip as we had to wait until 9.00 or 10.00 to leave and so had less time in the evening at our destination – a bit unfair but nothing our group had control over. Also think you should state there is really not much cycling in your brochure. And what cycling there is, is predominately downhill-and some of the downhill is very scary. Quite a few accidents between the 2 groups. We had a poor cycling guide who did not maintain a steady pace and this did not help with uphills and downhills. He seemed to care little what the group was doing, rarely looked behind and was also focusing on his training! Our guide spoke with him but I would suggest he is moved on. We had a day with an excellent cycling guide-ammar and so this guy’s failings really stood out.

Most Inspirational Moment

Jordan really was the most inspirational thing. It is a fantastic country to visit with so much to see. This is a holiday really jammed packed with sights. The backdrop of many of the cycles was also marvellous-great views of incredible rock formations. Nearly every day there was so much to see. Petra was hugely impressive and we had a great day there. However we stayed at Petra for 3 nights which was 1 night too long. This was also the poorest hotel and the food etc not great. Little Petra only took us at most 2 hours and it was quite a made up cycle that day-only 12 miles so we ended up with a free afternoon and another night there. Anas was great at suggesting activities for the afternoon but it was really just filling in time. We ended up in a very touristy Turkish baths which were not very nice. Luckily Anas organised a meal with a family that night and that was a superb evening. Other highlights were swimming in the Dead Sea, seeing the mosaics of Madaba and Mount Nebo and the fabulous Roman site at Jerash. The trip to Wadi Rum for the night was also wonderful. Lovely little camp in a perfect setting with a wonderful evening looking at the stars.

Thoughts on Group Leader

As mentioned above, Anas was a marvellous group leader. He really looked after us so well and really wanted us to have a good time. He dealt with things immediately and was very good at reporting back to us. We were a very small group but he was impressive at working out the best way for the group as a whole making sure no-one was left out. His leadership meant there was not one moment of stress to contend with! He had a great back up staff who all got on very well which also reflected well on Anas. He clearly loves his country and was very happy to share his life and customs with us. We learnt a lot from him. The cycling team who fixed our bikes were very helpful and good fun as was our driver. The only weak link was the cycling guide Josif, whose very uneven cycling pace could have endangered the group.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I think after the trip, that it is a good idea to consider a couple of days at the Red Sea-unfortunately this trip takes you back to Amman but if you can work it out, you can get a lift down to Aqaba and stay at the Sea-there is a short flight from Aqaba to Amman or you just do the car transfer to Amman at the end of your Red Sea adventure. Very easily arranged independently but we were very lucky that our group leader and driver helped us arrange transfers to our own hotel at the end.

Some reservations

Jerash, Petra and Wadi Rum are amazing!! I’m so glad that I have visited these fantastic places. I wouldn’t recommend going in the winter. The trip notes are not fully representative about how it is. I would also probably advise to go on a walking or sightseeing tour instead as the cycling is a bit limited (lots of sitting on a bike going steeply downhill) and the bikes are not as good as those used elsewhere.

Most Inspirational Moment

First glimpse of the Treasury in Petra Being in the huge expanse of Wadi Rum

Thoughts on Group Leader

Mixed I'm afraid. Very good initially but he disconnected a bit when he started to suffer from a cold.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go in the spring or autumn. Think carefully about whether the cycling tour is the best one for you

Petra and Wadi Rum by bike

I very much enjoyed the program. It kept us busy and engaged. Jordan has a fascinating history and spectacular scenery. It would have helped if your trip notes had been more relevant to the season. Many people were not fully prepared for the cold (which was as low as 1 degree) and the rain (there were floods). Jordan has a well documented 40 days of winter which begins somewhere around December 21st (can up to 10 days earlier) and ends early to mid February. During this time there are storms and very low temperatures. I know this as I have been to Lebanon in the winter but Dezlin was unaware of this, and when I asked her to call the guide to check the validity of the ‘packing list’ she claimed that due to ‘global warming’ the weather was unpredictable. This is not the case. It is always winter in Jordan at this time of year ! She did call the guide who confirmed that it was cold, but many in our group were not informed. Petra flooded the day after we visited. This s not unusual during the 40 days of winter.

Most Inspirational Moment

1. Being in Petra with our guide on Christmas eve and Christmas day: dinner with the family, Turkish bath, free time to walk up to the sacrificial site 2. Our days and nights in the desert 3. Tour of Jeresh 4. Beach morning - cool but sunny I liked it all except the hotel on the first and last nights which is AWFUL. Why on earth would you book people into an hotel with a NIGHT CLUB in the basement ????? We arrived very late on our first night and NO ONE slept. Please change this as friends have asked me if I would recommend this trip and I have said no on this basis. People were exhausted on the first official day of the tour.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our guide was good humored, knowledgeable and experienced. He knows how to manage his country and was able to navigate the general chaos. He had a great deal to manage and did very well under the circumstances. Our group was was not easy . The weather was challenging which meant that we couldn't cycle as planned, and because there are few roads in Jordan, there were limited options when change was needed ,so we ended up cycling on very busy roads with a police escort just to fill in time. Some people complained about this. They also complained that they couldn't ride ahead of the cycle guide. They didn't seem to understand that it wasn't safe to do that and seemed reluctant to accept that not all countries are safe for cyclists ( which was why the tourist police came with us everywhere we went), and that the drivers in Jordan are reckless and unused to cyclists .

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you go to Jordan in winter insist that EXODUS provides a seasonally relevant packing list so you are prepared for the extremes of temperature which vary from 1 degree and snow to howling gales, thick fog, rain and floods, to 17 degrees and sunny..... You will need, waterproofs, wind-proofs, thin down jackets, base-layers, winter gloves, hats, winter cycle tights, thick socks as well as shorts and swim wear. You really won't need bug spray and hot weather clothing

Overall a very good trip

This was a very well balanced trip, good cycling and we visited really good historical places of interest. We also enjoyed both the dead sea and the red sea, with enough time at each. Accommodation was good with the highlight of staying in Wadi Rum.

Most Inspirational Moment

Cycling to and staying in Wadi rum.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Mekhled was an excellent group leader. He organised the whole trip very well, everyone kept to a sometimes demanding schedule. He was knowledgeable and gave us a lot of information about historical sites culture etc. Extra things like lunchtime food was always well managed. The cycling team was also good, the leader set a comfortable pace and kept the group together, they were helpful with bike maintenance. Mekhled didn't ride a bike but was in a support van, this didn't matter much at all except at various times he'd say "it's down hill". The ride in total would be a descent but could be undulating and hard work at times, or have an uphill that you wouldn't feel in the van. The cycling team leader was better at knowing the route from a cycling perspective but tended to be quite quiet.

Advice for Potential Travellers

We went late November which seemed to be about right for weather/temperature.