A Week in Jordan

Came up to my expectations.Fast paced but time to enjoy places.

Jam-packed but brilliant tour of this beautiful, fascinating country. Saw so much I felt like I'd been there for two weeks, not one!

An awe inspiring trip, with something for everyone, and covering all the key sights, sounds and tastes of Jordan. I knew I wanted to see Petra, but didn't really have any particular expectations of the rest of the tour, I was just curious to see the country. Everything was beyond my expectations, and our leader Eddie and the great group of fellow travellers really made the trip for me. This is my third Exodus trip, and they've all been very different, but equally good. We arrived into Amman late at night and were assisted through immigration and driven to our hotel. The hotel is clean and modern and very comfortable, although if you're at the back you might be woken by the call to prayer - a regular feature for the week! Day 1 was a walking tour around the ruins of Jerash which was really interesting, and then a dip in the Dead Sea and a swim in the pool above it. That evening several of us took taxis to Rainbow Street to find a restaurant for dinner (for the rest of the trip our leader Eddie took us to a different restaurant each night, also pointing out options for anyone who wanted something different). Day 2 and we left Amman with a long day of driving puntuated by stops at Mount Nebo, Arnun Valley (viewpoints and the Mujib Dam), Madaba, Kerak Castle, and finishing with dinner with a Bedouin family in their home, before checking into the hotel in Petra at around 10pm. Loo and snack stops were plenty, and between stops we were given all the info on the places we were going to see (plus jokes and stories!). Day 3 was a full day in Petra. The hotel is close to the entrance to the site, which was appreciated after a day of walking, but the rooms aren't as nice as the Amman hotel. Everything is fine, nothing major to complain about, the rooms could just do with some updating - particularly the bathrooms. In Petra we stuck together as group, walking down the Siq, seeing the big reveal of the Treasury and then along the valley. A couple of people opted not to walk the trail of 600 steps up to the viewpoint high over theTreasury, but it was well worth the climb if you have a decent level of fitness. There are two Bedouin tea tents on the way where you can take a much-needed break in the shade. That evening two of us took the option of the Turkish Bath just down the road before dinner (my tired legs appreciated the massage!), then Eddie took us all to a nearby restaurant. Day 4 was another full day in Petra, this time walking in the back way from the modern Bedouin town, and then walking around the 'nabatean neighbourhood' of cave houses. After a break for a drink, most of us set off on the climb up 850 steps through the rocks and hills to The Monastery. It was hard going in the heat, but there are rest stops on the way to buy water and snacks and plenty of amazing views to take in as you go. We ate our packed lunches in the cafe/rest stop opposite the Monastery, which is a surreal and amazing view. Having covered nearly 10 miles on each day in Petra (148 and 143 flights of stairs each day accodring to Fitbit) most people opted not to walk back in for Petra by Night, which has some very mixed reviews. Instead, after dinner a number of us headed to the Cave Bar near the visitor centre for cocktails. Day 5 and we had a lie in (there are a lot of early starts) and then left Petra, but not before exploring Little Petra and learning the history of the camel trains and the people who lived there. We stopped in town to buy lunch to eat on the bus, Eddie having pointed out the bakery, mini-markets and shawarma shop. We drove on to Wadi Rum, arriving late afternoon where we transferred to the camp in trucks/jeeps, left our luggage, went to the loo, and then set off on a 2 hour tour of the desert. The landscape is stunning and we had a great vantage point to watch the sunset before returning to camp for dinner. The tents are for two, so any single travellers are paired up with another of the same sex, as when the trip is full there aren't quite enough tents to go around. The tents are traditional woven structures with a flap across the entrance, single beds with a blanket and pillow, and a low wattage electric light from the ceiling. The loo block is a little way behing the tents and very clean, with two loos and a shower on each side. It was beautiful sitting under the stars after dinner, listening to a local musician playing traditional Bedouin music, before retiring for an early night. Day 6, and five of us had a very eary start with the optional camel ride at 5.45am. I can't recommend this enough - from the hilarity of trying to get on and stay on, to the beauty of the desert at dawn. After breakfast of omelettes back at camp, we transferred back to the bus by jeep and went to take a look at the Ottoman Railway from the time of Lawrence of Arabia -climbing aboard the steam train parked there. We then drove to Aqaba, where we had a short tour around the town by bus, stopped off for a Turkish coffee from a street vendor, and then arrived at the beach club by mid-morning. At the beach club there are several pools plus obviously a beach, all with loungers and umbrellas. You can rent snorkel gear to swim off the jetty which was fun, and you keep it for the day. Lunch was taken together with a buffet served by the main pool. After a packed itinerary to this point it was nice to just relax in the sun and the water. In the evening we checked into our hotel (fine, and has a small bar area for pre-dinner drink, but bathroom's need updating as flooding from the shower seemed to be common among all our rooms!). Eddie took us for a walk around the town including a spice stall, and the mosque, before we all went to a local fish restaurant for dinner. Day 7 and we left Aqaba to drive back up the length of the country to Amman. We stopped for photo opps overlooking the Dead Sea, to buy snacks for the journey, and to buy souvenirs at a bazaar. Arriving back in Amman early afternoon, we walked around the Roman Theatre and the Citadel before checking back into our original hotel (such comfy beds!) before heading out for a special farewell meal in a great restaurant with rooftop seating, The waiters were full of jokes and the food and atmosphere were great. Having said goodbye to our guide and driver back at the hotel, most of us then headed down the road to another hotel for a drink in the bar (most hotels, including ours, are dry). Day 8 and we transferred to the airport at 8am before flying home, with happy memories, tans, and some new friends.

Excellent and unforgettable holiday. Quite fast paced taking in all the famous sites of Jordan and some 'off the beaten track' extras too!

There is nothing I can say about Jordan that others who have travelled to this country have not said before. We were a large group, 20 in all, age ranging from 20`s to 60`s but unusually with a large group we all got on so well together. We started our trip with a visit to Jerash, nothing could have prepared us for the shear volume that was there with even more yet to be uncovered, absolutely fantastic to stand there in the footprints of these ancient people who created these wonders. Onto the Dead sea, I thought it was going to warmer than it was but those of us who went in had a quick float around, a pity we could not see the sites in Israel over the other side of the sea as it was quite misty. Petra was next for us, the Treasury was revealed to by a trick the guide (Zuhair) played on us and what a site, although this is really only a fraction of what is there.We spent 2 days walking around, up and over in awe at the scale and colours, every corner revealing another site or view to take your breath away. Ah camping in the desert hold that thought, how romantic, after a 4x4 ride in the desert we climbed aboard our camels for a ride again into the desert. on our return dinner was prepared but due to a strong wind we ate inside a really smokey large tent. Those of us who brought along a sleeping bag did ok but the the temperature dropped and it was cold, yes it really was. To complete our trip we moved onto Aqaba which was different again, much like many sea ports in the middle east. I found this trip so enlightening and awe inspiring to be the best of the many I have been on with exodus, thank you.

Brilliant holiday very well run

What a whirlwind, fabulous, amazing trip, made all the more special by a truly fab bunch of people and an enthusiastic group leader that was Danny, not to forget Sadam who was also great.    Brilliant trip - you will not regret it

The 8 day tour of Jordan was really enjoyable. The trip encompassed all the incredible sights of Jordan and its rich culture and history. Petra was amazing and a real highlight. The guide was knowledgeable, caring and very enthusiastic. Would really recommend this interesting, varied and enjoyable trip. The group were all like minded people and we all got on very well which was a real bonus.

A great introduction to an interesting and friendly country. I was attracted to the trip by Petra but there is plenty more to enjoy along the way.

Busy schedule but very good. Highlight is of course Petra and it lives up to expectations. This trip involved quite a lot of bus riding. The camping was not as remote as I expected as we were near a road but it was much more comfortable than I expected too. If you are a bible follower I expect this would be a must do trip. Our group were a great bunch and more than anything this made the trip fun. We have all kept in touch since.