Reviews

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

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Excellent

4K reviews on

148 Reviews

4.5 out of 5

Patricia Trimble

Reviewed June 2017

Trip: Petra & Wadi Rum by Bike

Petra & Wadi Rum by bike

A fast paced trip but combining the cycling with sightseeing was fantastic.

Most Inspirational Moment

Of course Petra, but I have to say that I was surprised with how much I loved the Dead Sea. Having two full days in Petra and Little Petra was perfect. They were long days of walking in the hot sun so expect to walk around 20k but it is so worth it. I couldn't imagine only seeing Petra in 1 day, that's not enough time for such a spectacular place.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Issa was amazing. He made me wish that I had taken some history courses prior to the trip as his knowledge is so immense and he made every stop so interesting. He is an archeologist, but also somewhat of a historian, so of course the two go hand in hand. He was very concerned for our safety on the bikes and made us all feel very well taken care of.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Definitely take water shoes for the Dead Sea, the sand is quite hot. Expect to use more money than the trip notes mention as the prices are higher there than the trip notes indicate. It is very hilly for cycling so make sure you have some fitness going into this trip to make it more enjoyable for yourself.

Antony West

Reviewed May 2017

Trip: Petra & Wadi Rum by Bike

Petra & Wadi Rum By Bike (and Minibus)

We enjoyed the tour and all of the historical sites that we visited; we also enjoyed the recreational trips to swim or see the desert. I enjoyed the cycling and, as a regular rider in the UK, I did not find any of it difficult. We did not find the heat a problem but we have had regular holidays in Greece.
All of the Jordani people we met were friendly and helpful; some enthusiastic marketing of goods and services but nothing aggressive.

Most Inspirational Moment

Realising the scale of Petra when I saw the vista from the steps above the Royal tombs.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader was excellent; energetic, knowledgeable and willing to adapt plans to the group's requirements.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The bicycles provided are basic hybrid or tourer style with general purpose saddles and rim brakes. Most male cyclists will find them too wide so taking a saddle would be a good idea. Luckily for me, one of the bike guides lent me his narrow saddle for the longer rides. If you have any special interests about buildings or aspects of Petra, do some research to determine your "must-see" items. Let the guide know your interests and he will discuss a plan with you. In the time available you will not be able to see everything within Petra.

Helen Loveless

Reviewed May 2017

Trip: Petra & Wadi Rum by Bike

Wonderful in large parts

Jordan is an incredible place in many ways and this trip was very well-organised to show us as much as possible. However, there were some things that let the trip – and us – down. As a keen cyclist I was disappointed with the actual distances we ended up cycling in this trip, they were never as long as the trip notes said they would be. Unfortunately the pace was also frequently too slow and there was only one cycle guide which meant the trip couldn’t cater for different abilities. On other trips I’ve done there have been two, sometimes three guides to help people going at all speeds and this was a real downside here. It was very hilly in parts, which I enjoyed mainly, but it might not suit everyone. While our guide Wael was very informative, funny and good company, there were times when he seemed disorganised and he left us to go on another trip before seeing us back to the airport. A real disappointment was the snacks – basically we hardly had any! Strawberries on one day and a box of biscuits was passed around on a couple of days but then on both occasions disappeared, never to be seen again. We had dates precisely twice. Overall I thought this was really poor, especially as we had each given 30 Jordanian dollars towards snacks etc at the beginning of the week and 10x 35 is 350 Jordanian dinar which is early £400! We definitely didn’t get value for money there at all. There were no cold drinks and when I asked we were promised we would stop and get some but that never happened. Another problem is the trip notes – the costing was out on everything. They recommend to bring about £350 – well I ended up having to take out another £300 over the trip and that was without buying anything major. Jordan is very expensive, especially if you drink alcohol – about £6-8 for a beer or glass of wine. Also all of the trips cost more than the notes said and I didn’t do many of them. Exodus needs to update all of this asap. On the plus side, Petra was breathtakingly beautiful and inspiring, Jerash was also amazing and the desert was special too. It was a nice group of people and I am glad I experienced Jordan – it felt completely safe and most people were friendly and warm.

Most Inspirational Moment

Camping in the Wadi desert with the amazing family who cooked traditional food for us, the camel susnset trip, telling ghost stories round the campfire and sleeping under the stars.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Wael was friendly and funny and very well-informed. However, I felt he lost interest in us as a group at the end when we were close to going.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take a lot more money than exodus suggests and insect repellents if you plan on sleeping outside under the stars. Definitely ride the camels by sunset. Be prepared that the cycling may be less than you'd expect.

Vicki Nunn

Reviewed May 2017

Trip: Petra & Wadi Rum by Bike

Jordan was great - the cycling was not!!

We loved Jordan! The itinerary was very good – we got to see and do a lot in our week, a great variety of sights and experiences. Having been on several cycling holidays (with Exodus and other companies) we thought we knew what to expect. We did NOT expect the first 2 rides to be all fast downhill (with the exception of the last couple of miles) on bikes with terrible brakes. I like to earn a downhill and whizzing downwards concentrating on where I was going meant that I didn’t really appreciate the view and the bad brakes made it hard work! The 3rd ride was truly awful but not normal itinerary ride so no comment. At last, the 4th ride was as we expected – some up, some down, lovely views, camels running down the road in front of us, a baby donkey running alongside us and a picnic at the end of the ride, perfect! The last ride was just a short, flat and fairly boring ride to the desert camp. The cycling element also made some of the other things a bit rushed. On the whole the cycling felt a bit ‘tacked on’ and not a cohesive part of the trip!

Most Inspirational Moment

Visiting Petra - it was more amazing than we anticipated. Floating in the Dead Sea.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Wael was great - informative, well organised, good natured and funny!!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take the 'Week in Jordan' trip as you'll see exactly the same things (plus a bit more!) and take another one of Exodus' excellent cycling trips if you want to pedal!!! You'll have plenty of activity with all the miles of walking at Petra and the swimming at the Dead Sea and Aqaba.

John Crossley

Reviewed April 2017

Trip: Petra & Wadi Rum by Bike

Petra and Wadi Rum by bike 25th March to 2nd April 2017

An excellent holiday. Hugely interesting part of the world. Well planned and even though an Arab Summit meant a change of itinerary, everything was fitted in, and in fact it was possibly better to do the Dead Sea at the end of the week anyway. On the whole everyone got on well. We were the oldest in the group and the pace was slightly fast for us. I also had a problem with my knees which meant I couldn’t cycle as much as I wanted to,but everyone, guides, tourist police officer and other cyclists were helpful and supportive. We felt completely safe and it is a shame Tourism in Jordan is suffering from a down turn in holiday makers due to the situation in the Middle East

Most Inspirational Moment

The whole trip was very special. If we have to choose though, the first sight of the Treasury Building in Petra was amazing. In fact all of the ancient city of Petra was beyond our expectations.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Zuhair was a wonderful leader. He told us stories and about the history of Jordan which were so interesting and enjoyable. He organised lovely snack breaks and took us to very good restaurants. He was extremely supportive with me when my knees were causing problems. He took such pains to point things out to us when we were in Jerash and Petra and was very knowledgeable and answered everyone's questions. A thoroughly nice man. A word also about the Tourist Police Officer, Sami, who accompanied us. He was also very pleasant and helpful and the two of them could not have been better and really made the holiday special. Nothing was too much trouble for either of them.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Well first and foremost don't be put off going to Jordan. Everywhere we went we were welcomed and we always felt safe. Take comfortable walking shoes there is some hard walking in Petra, but totally worth it.

Eleanor Freckleton

Reviewed April 2017

Trip: Petra & Wadi Rum by Bike

Petra & Wadi Rum by bike

The holiday was action packed from start to finish and I was taken aback by the variety of sights that we saw during the trip. Whilst the first two cycles were a bit disappointing, the remaining cycles were much more interesting and challenging. In particular, I really enjoyed our longest cycling day through the desert – our group spread out on this day so for large parts of it I was in my “own world” riding through the spectacular desert scenery.

Most Inspirational Moment

It is hard to mention only one thing, instead I would highlight my top three: - Exploring Petra. Not just our first (breathtaking) sight of the Treasury, but also walking up the steps to the Monastery and then finding a small cafe with a wonderful view for refreshments at the very top. - The long cycle ride through the desert. There may have been a lot of ups and downs this day, but it was exhilarating to cycle through such beautiful scenery. - The boat trip on the Red Sea, with opportunities for swimming and snorkelling.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Zuhair was a knowledgeable local guide.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I spent a lot more money than expected on this trip, largely due to the weakening of the exchange rate (I was able to withdraw extra money money quite easily in country). I also chose to partake in most of the optional extras, and I am glad I did as they were all very enjoyable - the boat trip on the Red Sea, the morning camel ride in the desert (so tranquil), and the Turkish bath and massage in Petra. I would recommend that you take hiking shoes (or trainers as a minimum) for the afternoon walk on the second full day in Petra to the Place of High Sacrifice - it was rough going at times. Also, pool shoes would be handy for the trip to the Dead Sea as it was quite uncomfortable walking over the salt deposits to get into the water.

Lori Roth

Reviewed April 2017

Trip: Petra & Wadi Rum by Bike

Petra and Wadi Rum by Bike

The itinerary covered many of the best archeological sites in Jordan, with the added highlight of a night camping under the stars (which we couldn’t see because, much to our surprise, it rained in the desert) in Wadi Rum. Petra is magnificent, as is Little Petra, and we had plenty of time to explore both. Floating (because it is next to impossible to swim) in the Dead Sea ended our trip on a high note. The only itinerary flaw was Aqaba. It is a busy, noisy city, in which, for us, the only thing to do with our free morning was to take an expensive, dull and uninspiring boat trip to snorkel amidst underwater garbage.

Most Inspirational Moment

The highlight for me was, of course, the magnificent building called The Treasury in Petra. I suspect that building is the highlight for just about everyone. I always find travelling more inspiring when I can combine the sites with cycling and hiking as the itinerary of this trip allowed.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our local group leader was ill-suited to his job, but we didn't let him get in the way of our enjoying the sites, tastes and sounds of Jordan. I think, though, that I was the only one of our group who enjoyed the sound of the call to prayer five times a day, even when it woke me up before dawn.

Nicholas Lipkowski

Reviewed April 2017

Trip: Petra & Wadi Rum by Bike

Petra & Wadi Rum by bike

Luck played a part in that we had ideal weather the entire time but Exodus fulfilled their responsibilities brilliantly. In summary, a fantastic experience.

Most Inspirational Moment

When Zuhair our guide had us line up along the dark, narrow canyon wall in order to witness the dramatic splendor of of the shining facade of the treasury at Petra.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Zuhair was everything I could hope for, informative, entertaining and attentive to individual needs. His historical perspective and anecdotal memories helped make our bus rides fly by. After all, we were there to cycle and he made sure we were well fed and hydrated. When one of our group had an accident that called for being checked by medical professionals he was rushed to the hospital nearest our destination and Zuhair kept us apprised and that was appreciated. To our collective relief he was discharged and able to rejoin us and resume that evening.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring extra layers because the temperatures can vary and on the bikes we don't always have access to our main luggage. Personally, I would have had a better experience if I had packed a wetsuit for snorkeling the Red Sea.

Simon Storvik

Reviewed April 2017

Trip: Petra & Wadi Rum by Bike

Petra & Wadi Rum by bike

A fantastic week, well organised and took in all the major sites as well as some great cycling.

Most Inspirational Moment

First glimpse of the Treasury at petra

Thoughts on Group Leader

Very knowledgeable and keen to help wherever possible.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do see Jordan-it is a safe and welcoming country, and currently visitor numbers are 70% down on earlier years, so you almost have the country to yourself!

Mark Steward

Reviewed March 2017

Trip: Petra & Wadi Rum by Bike