Hidden Treasures of Jordan

18 Reviews

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  Anonymous
  Written on November 11, 2013

  5.0 - Excellent

  A great holiday! Great archaeological sites, stunning views, good company, and an excellent tour guide (Zuhair). And GREAT FUN!What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?Visiting Petra, floating in the Dead Sea. Visiting the neolithic village near Little Petra, and Jerash. Visiting all the museums, Wadi Rum and the forts. Everything really.What did you think of your group leader?Excellent. Zuhair was very interesting and informative on Jordan past and present, with a good sense of humour. He tried hard to please everybody, and to go 'the extra mile' in taking us to places not included on the itinerary.Do you have any advice for potential travellers?Eat at the Heef wa Reef in Amman, about 50 yards from the El Fanar Hotel. Very cheap and very tasty (esp. chicken and rice). Also did takeaway salads which are good to buy for next day's lunch.Is there anything else you would like to add?Thanks to Hamza in Petra (guide at the hotel we stayed at) who managed to get me some antibiotics 'over the counter' when I got a flu bug, and thus get me back on my feet again!
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  Anonymous
  Written on November 6, 2013

  4.0 - Good

  It was advertised as leisurely but it was much more energetic than that.What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?Walking through Petra and trying to get upright in the dead sea.What did you think of your group leader?He was informative but pushed his religion too muchDo you have any advice for potential travellers?Take sturdy footwear.
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  Anonymous
  Written on October 30, 2013

  4.0 - Good

  Jordan is a fantastic country, sadly bypassed by events in the Middle East. The people are friendly, the food is fantastic, the ancient sites are awe inspiring and the weather (in Oct) pleasant. There's not much to dislike!What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?Jerash was a suprise - a huge sprawling Roman city that bettered Pompeii I think. Petra was equally awe inspiring in size and quantity of rock chiselled buildings. Floating in the Dead Sea covered in mud was unbelievable and although snorkeling in the Red Sea was great, the views of the port not so.What did you think of your group leader?Zuhair was informative, helpful and added in extras such as seeing the Dead Sea Scrolls and Little Petra. He took us to good restaurants of varying price ranges (note some were more cafes/diners or street side eating places but equally as good). He was always concerned for the welfare of the group and our happiness and couldnt really be faulted. He guided us to restaurants in the evening (unlike a previous review) and was always willing to accomodate any needs.Do you have any advice for potential travellers?Food can be cheaper than in the guide notes (anything from 2JD to 20JD). Lunches however were anything from 12-3pm(or non existant due to the distances travelled and availability of places) so take snacks (or rolls from the hotel breakfast buffet) to stave off hunger. Use mosquito repellant at the Dead Sea - I forgot and suffered for it!Nights and mornings are a bit chilly (in Oct) eg 13c so do take a fleece. NB: The 4x4 drive into the desert is at Desi, not Wadi Rum (if reading a guide book) but does not detract from the overall fun experience and amazing views of mountains eroded like dripping candles.Is there anything else you would like to add?This is a good trip, made fun by the group members and informative tour guide. A few tweaks to the itinery would improve it further as one night at the Dead Sea and in Aqaba didnt feel enough to enjoy the surroundings, nor the quick visit to Madaba. The quality of the hotels was good (fair for the 5 nights in Amman/2 in Petra, excellent at the Dead Sea and good in Aqaba) and overall good value for money.
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  Anonymous
  Written on August 30, 2013

  5.0 - Excellent

  A wonderful, unforgettable holiday which introduces one to the culture, people and environment of a fascinating country. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? My personal highlights were meeting such wonderful people, snorkelling in the Red Sea, floating in the Dead Sea (and enjoying the luxury of the hotel) Petra at night, Bethany beyond the Jordan and sleeping outside in Wadi Rum. The perfect holiday with diverse and exciting adventures. It was inspirational to meet and connect with Jordanian people. People must continue to visit Jordan because it is a beautiful and fascinating country. I always felt safe and welcome.  What did you think of your group leader?Our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and charmed the group with stories and historical information at just the right level. The guide would often stop to collect interesting food for us, including on one occasion lemon leaves picked from a tree which we had in a refreshing tea. The guide bent over backwards to ensure that everyone’s holiday was perfect and added extra trips and excursions at short notice.Do you have any advice for potential travellers?Pack hiking boots.Is there anything else you would like to add?Go - you will have a wonderful time!
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  Anonymous
  Written on June 23, 2013

  4.0 - Good

  A really good holiday in a fantastic country with some amazing ancient sites, Jerash and Petra being absoutely stunning. Good country, great companions, a passionate guide, and with a few tweaks to the itinerary, could be an amazing adventure for anyone with an interest in archaeology and biblical history.What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?Petra was just awe inspiring. Spending two days there was fantastic as you got to go off the tourist trail to some of the less well visited parts of the site. However, the most inspiring aspect, was not seeing the Treasury for the first time, but getting up the climb to see the Monastery at the top, which I think is equally stunning, and with fewer people.What did you think of your group leader?Zuhair was very passionate about his country and people which was great. He really made an effort to improve the itinerary from the base itineray from Exodus, including a trip to the see the new National Museum of Jordan, where the Dead Sea Scrolls are now located, a trip to see tha Baptism Site on the banks of the River Jordan, and a night in the camp in Wadi Rum, rather than a quick drive by. I think these certainly added to my enjoyment of the tour. The only downside was that he did abandon us when not on the tour, so we had to sort out our own evening entertainment.Do you have any advice for potential travellers?Definitely take your own guide book as you will find yourself having to find your own locations for eating in the evening in Amman, the hotel is nice, but just a typical Westernised hotel quite far out from town. It will also help with some of the background to the larger archaeological sites like Jerash and Petra. Check the itinerary before you go as well, the extra trips our guide had arranged really made a difference to the tour, i.e the National Museum of Jordan to see the new location for the Dead Sea Scrolls, the baptism site on the River Jordan and the extra night in the desert, rather than 3 nights in the Petra Hotel.Be prepared for a bit of walking in Petra, it is not recommended to use the horses, camels or mules as the owners can be quite aggressive when it comes to payment, walking is certainly manageable as long as you have a reasonable level of fitness.When changing money, don't be palmed off with an 50 notes. Nobody in Jordan seems to have any change, even in the Amman hotel, amazingly.  Aqaba is seriously hot, (well in June anyway). It was almost unbearable and felt about 10 degrees hotter than anywhere else in Jordan.  Also you won't be able to to go on the snorkelling boat trip unless there are enough of you on the trip, we didn't have enough so a few people had to make do with snorkelling off one of the private beaches.Is there anything else you would like to add?I really felt that this was a good trip, and with a few minor improvements could be a fantastic awe inspiring trip. Definitely go for it, the Jordanian people are really friendly and the sites are actually quite quiet and not the tourist traps I feared.
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  Anonymous
  Written on January 3, 2013

  2.0 - Rather poor

  Jordan is a great place to visit but some long travels involved to see the many sights. Mass tourism is present in many places but there are still many off the beaten path opportunities. Some parts were rushed, so read up before you go so that you can choose what bits of an archaeological site you really want to see. Our guide left us to do our own thing when not on the bus trip, so be prepared with a guide book to search out what to see and eat in the evenings.What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?In Petra we had a delightful walk above the siq for a view down onto the treasury.What did you think of your group leader?Our guide was not really interested in sharing his country, it was just a day job for him. I guess this is what happens when so many people travel the same route.Do you have any advice for potential travellers?You may be taken to many tourist reaturants for extended lunches. See if you can get a picnic ahead of time and take the lunchtime to explore instead.
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  Anonymous
  Written on November 5, 2012

  4.0 - Good

  This was one of those must do trips, mostly to see Petra but also the Dead Sea, Aqaba and Biblical sites like Mount Nebo. History, Geography and Culture mixed together and spiced with the charm of the Middle East. Talking about spices, the food was unforgettable as well!What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?The most inspirational moment was walking into the candlelit Siq at Petra on a moonlit night. Silent masses of "worshippers" walked the length of the Siq and emerged to see The Treasury in all its glory. An unforgettable moment!What did you think of your group leader?Ali Abed was firstly a gentleman and obviously a well-read guy. Apart from looking after our needs he gave us a good insight into Jordan, his country. He spoke very good English and kept us amused at all times especially on the four hour drive on the last day.Do you have any advice for potential travellers?Being an Islamic country some of the hotels we stayed in were "dry" but there were nearby liquor shops if you were desperate for drink!Do beware that the trek to High Places in Petra is not everybody's cup of tea especially if you have no head for heights or have got weak knees. Do read the guide books carefully. Is there anything else you would like to add?There is so much to see and do in Jordan I wished that this was a longer trip lasting 21 days or maybe combined with Jerusalem.
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  Anonymous
  Written on June 25, 2012

  4.0 - Good

  Fantastic trip, with a great mixture of ancient ruins and adventure. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?My personal highlight of the trip was the 2 days in Petra and the walk of the High Places in Petra, with the most amazing view of the Treasury.What did you think of your group leader?The group leader was very friendly, knowledgable and helpfull.Do you have any advice for potential travellers?Jordan is a great place to visit and prides itself in being the Switzerland of the Middle East, its a must see.
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  Anonymous
  Written on June 18, 2012

  4.0 - Good

  A fantastic trip with and experiences I will never forget!Jordan was a brilliant place to visit, amazing history and places to visit. The group leader and everyone I met was really friendly.
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  Anonymous
  Written on November 14, 2011

  3.0 - Average

  Petra was stunning and Um Qais and Jerash were impressive too.  Many of the other items on the itinerary did not live up to the exaggerated hype in the trip notes or were not covered well, but even so the trip was still packed with a lot worth seeing.What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?Petra was amazing in the number of things to see and the area to go off and explore.  This was my fifth 'wonder of the modern world' and was definitely the most 'wondrous' so far.What did you think of your group leader?A principled and interesting person who had our trip well organised and planned out. Do you have any advice for potential travellers?I picked this trip from the many Jordan holidays I looked at because it allowed 2 full days in Petra where others only allowed one or even half a day.  This was definitely a good decision and three days in Petra would have been even better.    Coverage of many things on the itinerary was disappointing. The "full days exploration" of Amman promised in the trip notes turned out to be three hours visiting two sites and then being dropped back at the hotel and told not to go out by ourselves.  They did not take us to see the Dead Sea scrolls as these had been moved form the museum at the site we visited to a different museum in Amman.  At the caves of Iraq al Amir with the aramaic inscriptions we were only given 5 minutes to take photos from the road side and then drove on.  At Um Qais the "fantastic views of The sea of Galilee" were a dusty haze where you could imagine a sea might be.  At "Madaba, 'The City of Mosaics'" only one mosaic was included in the itinerary, though we chose to pay about £2 extra to visit another site.  At Wadi Rum the itinerary said we would "take a four wheel drive vehicle far into the area for an exciting desert adventure".  We were booked a two hour trip that lasted one hour forty minutes including stops next to the Bedouin tourist shops, so we didn't see much more than was visible from the bus on the main road.  There was a strong wind blowing away from shore on the Red Sea so it was only safe to snorkel holding onto a rope from the back of the boat and the only person who tried to swim further had to be rescued.    The "Petra by Night" option consisted of atmospheric walks in and out along the siq by candle light and two solo performances of Bedouin music and was well worth doing.  This only runs about three nights a week so make sure your group leader is on the ball, as ours was, and gets this organised in time.   Little Petra is like 1% of Petra that's then been scaled down, so in hindsight was a waste of time and I would have preferred to spend the time seeing more of the main site.  We were eventually given this tour for free as compensation for the awful hotel in Petra, but it was originally offered for 13JD/US$15.  Since the entrance seemed to be free and it was a ten minute drive up the hill from the town, you could probably see it for a fraction of the price by paying a few JD between 4 people in a taxi.   Most of the tourist restaurants want you to take the fixed meal of a similar salad selection every time followed by a hot dish.  This is typically quite expensive at £10-£12 (before drinks) and gets repetitive, especially if you are vegetarian so only have the salad part.  Try to find places where you can just order what you want form the menu.  Alternatively for snacks try one of the smaller local places.  Most look a bit grubby, but in one place I got two falafel and houmous wraps and a soft drink for under a pound.   Don't miss trying the lemon with fresh mint cold drink which is so delicious I ended up having it with most meals!Is there anything else you would like to add?The Jordanians seem a very friendly and helpful people.  They were obviously keeping an eye on people and told me when I had wandered off the trail at one point, when they thought I was staying at the high places too late, and when I was missing seeing something good.  People were always happy to give me information whenever I asked even though they were there to sell me something from their stall or get me to go on their boat trip, and when I said thank you always responded with a heartfelt "welcome".  When I asked the stall holder at the high place of sacrifice whether that was the end of the trail she even went bounding over the rocks to show me where to see the best view.  A nice country.