Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

Petra and walking down the Siq to discover the "rose-red city" was the most inspirational moment of our trip. The Treasury and Monastery were amazing! Walking to some of the high places was both exhilarating and beautiful.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Nidal Alateaq was a great leader. He was very knowledgeable and wanted very much to show us his beautiful country. He was friendly and approachable.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I am glad that we did the 12 day trip as opposed to the 7 day because we had three nights and three days in Petra. This was definitely required if one wants to visit Petra properly. We went from April 12th to 23rd and the weather was just right-not too hot but not too cold either. I would recommend taking a light jacket for this time of the year as it did cool down in the evenings. The coach/bus we travelled in was compact so don't take excess luggage.

Suggestions

I would strongly recommend reasonable walking shoes if you wish to do some of the walks in the higher areas in Petra. The hotels were of a reasonable standard but the best one was the Holiday Inn in the Dead Sea. It was only the standard of hotels that stops me giving this an excellent rating.

Most Inspirational Moment

To try and sum this up is a challenge. There were so many and so varied. They range from walking through Petra with the amazing carved rocks faces, to watching the pale crag martins (birds) "floating" along the cliff faces; watching the sun-set over the Martian like landscape of Wadi Rum and then drinking tea around an open fire in the desert camp; Taking in the 360 vista of the quiet flat rocky desert around Qasr El Kharana, to travelling alongside the Dead Sea knowing you're 380+ metres below sea level; and finally being waved to by the whole school when we stopped outside, to taking in the view of Jordans own Grand Canyon - Wadi Mujib.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Nidal was a great guide, very experienced and excellent company. He seemed to know everyone, and everyone knew him too. Very knowledgeable and friendly, and a great ambassador for his country. He took care of all our needs and ensured we got to see every aspect of Jordan. He was ably assisted by our great driver Mather.

Advice for Potential Travellers

This is a well balanced trip that ensures you see and experience a great deal of Jordan. Although jam packed it was well paced and we had enough time to really soak in all of the sites and meet the locals. I would not hesitate to recommend this trip.

Most Inspirational Moment

Most inspirational moments: Traveling over the sands of Wadi Rum at sunset on the back of a small open jeep was sublime. Traveling over the sands of Wadi Rum at dawn on the back of camel was far beyond sublime. These are moments when one truly feels fully alive; amazing, moments that will remain sharply vivid long after the trip. Hats off as well to the Exodus tent camp at Wadi Rum, tucked in a narrow cleft between two "jebels," the hard rock mountains that give Wadi Rum its distinctive look.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Nidal Alteaq was a great pleasure to travel with. Tour leaders are nearly always friendly, informative, personal and professional; Nidal's proud, unbridled joy at showing off and wanting to share his Jordan shone through. Thank you Nidal, for that gift. Shukran!

Most Inspirational Moment

So many to choose from but here goes! The two days in Petra were amazing. This site is vast and to make the most of it you need a good pair of walking shoes/boots and a lot of stamina for the steep climbs. In two days we walked a total of 20 miles, we had not realised how much there is to see here, truly breathtaking!! The night in Wadi Rum was very special, the Exodus camp is private and very intimate, we enjoyed the Bedouin stories, music and traditional food. The camel ride at sunrise is not to be missed!!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Mohammad was not as experienced as we would have hoped for however I don’t think it’s fair to be too critical as I believe this was his first Exodus trip and with such a large group and I think perhaps he was not prepared enough. That being said, he was a good escort and we felt safe with him, he was entertaining and fun to be with, and anything we were not sure about we just looked up in the guide book or googled!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don’t underestimate the amount of walking at Petra if you really want to cover all the main sites and some hidden spots away from tourists! Take snacks with you during the day as meal times were not always predictable and not on European time, that’s how it is in Jordan! Go with the flow and don’t moan, not everything will go to plan, it’s impossible with a packed itinerary and a group of 16 people so try to keep an open mind and maintain a sense of humour!

Most Inspirational Moment

That must be either my first view of the “Treasury” after walking down the Siq, (even if it was crowded), or looking out over the quite breathtaking beauty of the landscape in Wadi Rum, after a night spent in the desert camp.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Nidal was outstanding and had a fairly comprehensive knowledge of the history of Jordan, whether he was talking about the details of Roman architecture, the water management system of Petra or the geology of the region. He answered questions about the recent history of Jordan’s place in the Middle East and it’s culture with patience and good humour, whilst demonstrating a passion to show and explain what the country had to offer. He was also very well organised and worked extremely hard to ensure that everybody in the group got as much as they wanted out of the tour.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Looking back after the tour had ended I realised that not much time is allocated to Amman. We visited the citadel and Roman theatre on the afternoon of the last day, after a necessarily long and tiring drive back from Aqaba. There was no time to visit the Jordan museum, (where some of the Dead Sea scrolls are displayed), the Hijaz railway museum, (for those like myself who are interested in Lawrence of Arabia), or any other parts of the city. I would in retrospect arrive a day early, or leave a day later and spend a day there.

Suggestions

The recommended reading is Lawrence’s “Seven Pillars of Wisdom”. This is a very long and not at all straightforward text, and I can’t imagine any but a committed Lawrence enthusiast reading it nowadays. He did write an abbreviated version for the popular market called “Revolt in the desert”, but it would be a lot easier to read one of the many books published about the Arab Revolt in general, and his part in it, if you did want to read something in advance. Lawrence does not figure greatly in the tour however, and you will find that the glories of Roman mosaic and the architecture of Petra much more important. Finally I found the Jordanian people unfailingly polite, friendly and welcoming wherever we went. They contributed greatly to the success of the trip with waves, smiles and “good morning, how are you ?” from teenagers to old men.

Most Inspirational Moment

The approach to Petra through the winding narrow passageway with the rock walls towering above creates a feeling of anticipation that is totally fulfilled as you step out into the Wider space with the Treasury facing you. Both the climbs up to the monastery and the Place of Sacrifice are the other highlights of apetra not to be missed Finally our stay in the desert amidst the amazing rock formations.

Thoughts on Group Leader

If you were making a training video highlighting how not to behave and what not to do then Mohammad Baninazet would be perfect. His English is not good, pronunciation poor and he slurs one word into the next. He was confused about the number of nights in the various hotels, the times for meeting constantly changed partly because he kept confusing 8.30 with 10.30. On the journeys he was totally engrossed with his mobile phone and if not for being prompted by the driver told us nothing about the places on our journey. He appeared to have little knowledge of the sites we visited so that as the trip progressed people wandered off. If you questioned anything he said or asked for clarification he would say we hadn’t been listening . Some were told off for ‘undermining ‘ by listening to other guides who had far superior knowledge and English. I arrived the day before in Amman and a notice was displayed giving the time of the group meeting as 8am the next day. At 8.15am I asked for the second time about this and he said there wasn’t one. I pointed out the notice and he dismissed this as being from the Exodus Office. He wouldn’t accept that it had anything to do with him. No meeting happened and even on day 4/5 we were still trying to get to know each other. The staff doing the transfers were helpful and efficient. I can’t praise the driver enough for even with his limited English he was always courteous and helpful. Though writing for myself alone I know we all tried to make the best of it and not let him spoil our trip.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Definitely arrive a day early otherwise you will not see Amman especially the souks and the Jordan Museum which house the Dead Sea Scrolls. AsThere isn’t enough time on the last day

Suggestions

The hotel Mena in Amman is too far out. The holiday Inn was fine as was theCosta in Aquaba. The desert camp was brilliant and the guy running it a gem. The content of the trip was great and our choosing a trip which had 2 days in Petra was definitely correct. I’ve been on many trips and this the first time I’ve given negative feedback. At the end I could all most feel sorry for our guide because he was totally out of his depth. It felt as if we were there for his benefit when it should be the other way round

Most Inspirational Moment

Certainly the 2 days at Petra. You really get a feel for it as you get into all the nooks temples and caves. Although the bright spring flowers at Jerash within the 2000 year old ruins was also pretty special too.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Bassam was enthusiastic, tried hard and meant well. His English was very easy to understand. Through no fault of his own his weakness came from inexperience with the details of trip (like how much spare time we need for photos, where exactly we went next, what they wanted from experience) and also with the diverse group of travellers that come with an Exodus group tour. But I have to say the tour ran according to the itinerary and he was pleasant company.

Advice for Potential Travellers

We went in March. The Spring flowers were in bloom and some sites were set off beautifully. With Spring in mind the weather was variable. Hot and sunny at Petra, hail stones at Wadi Rum and either hot sunny or cool and overcast at Dead Sea. Changed every day, pack for all weathers. For camping at Wadi Rum in Spring we recommend a sleeping bag liner, probably thermal or wear thermal pyjamas? The bus transport was a good size for us as everyone packed reasonably. Be aware if you take oversize luggage it may overflow into passenger compartment to make it cramped for travellers.

Suggestions

Highly recommend swimming shoes at both Dead Sea and Red Sea. Small stones and sea urchins and present. Regarding walking at Petra, we used trainers and these were suitable. You'll need some rugged grip in places and because its covered in stone shards the soles should be quite thick to cushion the bumps.

Most Inspirational Moment

The visit to Gadaremes and understanding more about the miracle when Jesus transferred Demons into pigs.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ibtahim was good. He had enthusiasm for is country. He was helpful. The bus driver was a steady and mature driver. Pleased that he was with the vehicle we used.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Travel light, read the trip notes before departure.

Suggestions

The first and last hotel we used in Amman was not so good. During the first visit we had a problem with the shower collapsing and we had a clean but generally well used room. On the second visit we had a refurbished room which was altogether better. The breakfast was well bellow standard. My main criticism is that the staff seemed fed up and did not appear to have any enthusiasm for their jobs. The second hotel at Jarash was not too good either but it was fine because the staff did their best to make us comfortable and the Breakfast was up to standard. A problem with the bus was that it was a converted van with the engine in the passenger compartment. In future it would be worth considering a small purpose built bus with the engine under the floor.

Most Inspirational Moment

Visiting the Roman town of

Most Inspirational Moment

Hard to say, but one of the main reasons we chose this trip was because of the two days allocated to Petra, and this proved to have been absolutely right. Petra is vast, and tiring to explore - even in winter - so to get the most out of it, 2 days is essential. It is, of course quite superb. Ibrahim's pace in Petra allowed the group to see the highlights of Petra comfortably. We also enjoyed the unique experience of floating in the Dead Sea whilst staying in the very comfortable Holiday Inn resort. It was also interesting to see at first hand the geographical relationship with Israel and to explore important Biblical sites. I also particularly enjoyed seeing Jerash, a major Roman City. Finally, I'd make a strong recommendation for the Jordanian Museum, which we saw on the last day. It houses some Dead Sea scrolls and the oldest figurines every found. It is particularly well laid out and in our view was a fitting end to an excellent trip.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ibrahim was an excellent ambassador for both Jordan and Exodus. We particularly liked his affable temperament and helpfulness. His organisational skills were good, and we enjoyed his restaurant recommendations. His historical knowledge was good without being overpowering - to get the most out of this trip it is highly desirable to have a good guide book to supplement the leader's knowledge, as he should not be regarded as an expert in the various civilisations that Jordan has hosted. We found Jordanian people to be exceptionally pleasant, and you should not expect to be harassed in any way.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Keep hydrated and watch personal hygiene as it is easy to pick up a traveller tummy upset. Do some homework before you travel as the history of Jordan is complex and you will see many very different sites. In winter, take warm clothing - there can be a significant windchill. It snowed in Petra while we were in Jordan. To get the most out of Petra you should be comfortable hiking for several miles, and the optional view points involve climbing hundreds of steps. If you drink alcohol, it is better to take some duty free as it can be hard to find while travelling (also very expensive).

Suggestions

We'd like to point out a small number of lowlights: We have commented to Exodus that we had a dangerous transfer from the airport to the hotel in Amman, where the driver reversed half a mile along a busy motorway at night time, and also used his mobile phone while driving. Our (substituted) Amman hotel was of poor quality, with dirty rooms, poor service and an unappetising breakfast. Finally, we felt that a 16 seater minibus (with no space for day bags) is not really satisfactory for 16 adult passengers travelling long distances. These are noteworthy but did not materially spoil our overall enjoyment, which was of course enhanced by our very genial group, who also deserve our thanks.