Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

Jerash was our first opportunity to explore what is an amazingly well-preserved ancient Roman city. Unfortunately we didn’t get to see the gladiator or chariot display but the vastness of the site gave us plenty more to absorb. Jerash was just the teaser though because Petra makes that look tiny in comparison. We were not at all prepared for the vast awesomeness of it all and spent a good day there covering over 10 miles on foot. The site is a tourist trap but once you get beyond the treasury itself there’s plenty of room for everyone. Highly recommend making the extra effort to climb up to The Monastery. We also did the optional Petra by Night which we enjoyed the candlelit walk to but were a bit underwhelmed by the “show”. A few of us also enjoyed climbing up to the “best view in the world” (there were a few of those) at Little Petra. The less said about the hotel in Petra, the better. These trips are not about the accommodation, that said our two nights at our Red Sea 5-star hotel were enjoyed, by the kids in particular. The Wadi Rum was a magical experience with all the sand dune rolling, jeep exploring and sunrise watching we’d been promised. This definitely met expectations. However, we would recommend not interrupting this experience with the optional stargazing excursion. It’s a great experience in itself but being 45 minutes away by jeep it does rather distract from the isolated experience camping overnight in the Wadi Rum is supposed to deliver. Finally, the Dead Sea experience is just plain weird. Very strange indeed but an experience not to be missed.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Mekhled, our group leader, was great. Genuinely well informed and available for our needs at all times. He did his best to manage a group with a wide demographic, including children covering a fairly wide age-range. He engaged well with all. I think this may have only been his second family trip as a guide but that didn’t show.

Advice for Potential Travellers

As ever with these types of holidays be prepared for early starts and long journeys. Take enough local currency so that you’re able to pay in cash for many of the optional extras. Try to bring a day pack which you can use for the overnight stay in the desert, those jeeps aren’t well suited to carrying loads of suitcases! Perhaps pack a travel game or two. We didn’t need to bring our snorkel stuff. We dressed modestly (by western standards) in public areas and found the Jordanian people to be friendly and welcoming. We were more sensitive to local customs in rural and less touristy areas and we think this struck the right balance.

Suggestions

One of our most enjoyable “meals” was to go for puddings at the yacht club in Aqaba. The restaurant we chose was completely tourist-free (apart from us!) and therefore offered up one of the simplest but also richest experiences of the whole week.

Most Inspirational Moment

Looking over the holy land. Staying in the wadi rum watching shooting stars and eating amazing food and visiting wadi rum train station with the steam train - would have loved to have spent two days in the wadi rum and two days in Petra. Making the climb to the monastery in Petra, most unexpected reward after the climb.

Thoughts on Group Leader

The group leader was friendly and knowledgable.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don’t buy pack lunches they are not worth it and not nice.

Suggestions

The coach is comfortable with WiFi so the kids never complained :). The hotels had free WiFi, the only place with no WiFi is in the wadi rum. The Dead Sea was too warm in August to spend long in however there was a nice swimming pool by the Dead Sea. A safe and enjoyable way for a family to see Jordan.

Most Inspirational Moment

The first glimpse of Petra at the end of the Siq; making it up the 900 steps to the Monastery without dying and then walking that little bit further at the top and looking out over the Rift Valley.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Knowledgeable, patient, funny, good rapport with both adults children in the group.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you tell the souvenir sellers at Petra that you will look at their wares "on the way back down" they won't forget you - I am now the proud owner of 7 fridge magnets! Read the book "Married to a Bedouin" by Marguerite van Geldermalsen alongside your trip - it adds another dimension. Oh, and cultivate a love of houmous!

Suggestions

Shokran!

Most Inspirational Moment

The first glimpse of Petra at the end of the Siq; making it up the 900 steps to the Monastery without dying and then walking that little bit further at the top and looking out over the Rift Valley.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Knowledgeable, patient, funny, good rapport with both adults children in the group.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you tell the souvenir sellers at Petra that you will look at their wares "on the way back down" they won't forget you - I am now the proud owner of 7 fridge magnets! Read the book "Married to a Bedouin" by Marguerite van Geldermalsen alongside your trip - it adds another dimension. Oh, and cultivate a love of houmous!

Suggestions

Shokran!

Most Inspirational Moment

Jerash.

Thoughts on Group Leader

See above.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The minimum age is five but I would think twice about taking a child under eight. It's hardly leisurely. (And I took a six month old baby to the Philippines and to Kashmir when she was one... portable at that age!)

Most Inspirational Moment

Sand Storms in Wadi Rum and night trip to Petra were unforgettable.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Wael was a credit to your company, and was particularly good adapting the pace and content of the tour to fit the needs of two families with 7 year olds.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't be affraid to step out of the air conditioned buses and see some of the real Jordan. You will lose out if you just eat in hotels and don't sample charms of downtown Amman. Guide was very helpful in getting us off the beaten track.

Suggestions

While we want to be very positive about our review - about our guide in particular - the accomodation in Aqaba was poor. Rooms dirty and were not cleaned during our staff, breakfast chaotic and staff less than helplful. We weren't expecting 5 star treatment, but the hotel did take the edge off a wonderful trip.

Most Inspirational Moment

Ancient history - Petra - just mesmerising Recent history - the River Jordan - just a few metres of water separating the borders of Jordan and Isreal. Quite humbling.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent. The constant narrative, in excellent English, was very welcome and very well received by all ages. Maybe a few too many religious facts for the younger ones but there were a lot of long drives and a lot of religious sights to visit. Traditional Jordanian stories in contrast with current affairs and the history of the region kept us enthralled throughout the trip.

Advice for Potential Travellers

We travelled in March/April. There was no need for solid footwear, my 13 year old spent the week in flip flops. In Petra, there was a significant difference in the quality of the Turkish bath experienced by the females in the group compared to the men. For the same price, the men were given a far more lengthy and comprehensive time in the baths. I would question the value of the baths for ladies. Don't fill your luggage with towels. They can be hired wherever you are although I don't remember being given towels at the desert camp.

Suggestions

There were no swimming pools in the hotels in Amman and Aqaba. Not too much of a problem for us as we were travelling in in March / April, but in summer,particularly in Aqaba, I can imagine that with a young family this would be a real disadvantage.

Most Inspirational Moment

Petra has to be seen to be believed, I just wasn't prepared for the scale and the colours. For once in my life I made my boys, 15 & 17, climb to the top of something (a good hour’s very steep hike in the searing heat) without them being disappointed by the sight that awaited. George who had gone on ahead as usual, came running back to tell us, Wow! you're not going to believe it, it is so worth it! A monastery as big as a cathedral on the top of a Mountain surrounded by endless desert, there are no words, you have to go and see it!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Salah was a fantastic guide, a very proud Jordanian who not only looked after us in a practical way but gave us a fascinating insight into his country and people. Our driver Mamdoor also went out of his way to make sure we were always comfortable.

Advice for Potential Travellers

We all made an effort to respect the fact that we were visiting a Muslim country during Ramadan by dressing conservatively and not making a show of eating and drinking during the day. I feel this was very much appreciated. The food was great everywhere and kept our hungry teenage boys very happy.

Most Inspirational Moment

The highlights are different for all of us...I choose seeing the sunset on a camel in Wadi Rum. My son's highlight was snorkeling in the Red Sea. And one of my daughters' preferred moment was the mule ride in Petra...admittedly after climbing 900-1200 steps up to the monastery (and down again!), it was heavenly to have a ride back to the treasury.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Alla(din), our guide, was incredibly knowledgeable and very open to any questions. He gave excellent advice (for example to do the camel ride in Wadi Rum and not in Petra) and really helped to make our trip a very memorable one. He certainly added value to the whole experience.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Yes. We hired a medium sized boat with our group for snorkeling in Aqaba. The minimum group size is 10 and it cost 35 JD per person. BBQ, towels and snorkeling equipment were included. Although this is optional, I would highly recommend it...it was one of the highlights of our trip. We brought sleeping bags for the one night's camping in Jordan, but in May it certainly doesn't get very cold in the desert, so they were not really used. Our children were fine with all the food, but if you have got very fussy eaters, you may want to take some snacks (like oat bars or fruit bars) to keep them going.

Suggestions

Jordan is indeed very relaxed about clothing styles...you only need to cover shoulders and knees in churches and on religious sites. Bikinis are perfectly acceptable when visiting public swimming areas, although you will also see a lot more traditional clothing around you. Although the weather in Amman was a pleasant 25 degrees, Aqaba is substantially hotter. Be prepared for some serious heat there if you travel in summer!

Most Inspirational Moment

Emerging from the ancient gorge approach in darkness after the thirty minute walk to see the majesty of the Treasury at Petra lit by hundreds of candle lanterns was breathtaking. An experience that neither Hollywood or You Tube could spoil. Quick to correct, my daughter advises that the best bit was riding camels at Wadi Rum having slept under the stars by the camp fire. This trip really does have something for everyone.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our great group leader was a Palestinian refugee generous with his knowledge and life experiences. He really rounded out our experience giving us so much more than just historical background. Most importantly, given the age range of children and parental interests within the group, our guide was able to set a great pace - never rushed and able to fill the gaps when we finished things early.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Recommended for all interests and ages. We travelled in October 2012 and the weather was perfectly warm hot rather than hot hot. There are a couple of longer drives so a pack of cards in addition to the ubiquitous iPod / mp3 player really helped time pass. Food was delicious throughout. Our daughter couldn't get the hang of the breakfast buffets where the food choices were not familiar and I wish I had bought some more familiar "back up" snacks for her. Hats needed all round. Wouldn't recommend low cut tops or short shorts for Mums or Dads - dress is conservative - occasional inappropriate dress choices didn't cause an issue but I definitely felt more comfortable with covered shoulders/upper arms and knees! Children are welcome everywhere and were able to run wild climbing and exploring. Our long blond haired seven year old daughter did attract a little more local attention than the boys in the group but not in an excessive way. Final piece of advice...don't hesitate this is a great trip.

Suggestions

I don't think you can wrong booking an Exodus trip - the other families in the group were all different but we got along famously. We have talked about booking an Exodus trip together next year!