Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

I have two, and I cannot decide which one should be most inspiring! 1) Petra was everything I had imagined, and the "reveal" of The Treasury as you walked down towards it was breathtaking. 2) The night in the Wadi Rum was perfectly serene - from watching the sunset, to star gazing to seeing the sun rise was just magical.

Thoughts on Group Leader

I was very lucky to have had Mikhled as my Tour Leader for this trip. Mikhled is a wonderful leader. We could not have asked for a better or more knowledgeable Tour Leader. He shared his knowledge and love for his country with passion together with a sense of fun. He guided us with sensitivity, kindness and with the patience of a saint. Exodus are truly lucky to have him as a Tour Leader, and as a proud Jordanian he is a true representative for his wonderful country of Jordan. He went above and beyond on several occasions including sharing some wonderful historical photos of Amman, Jerash and Petra after we had visited them - a real insight.

Advice for Potential Travellers

GO! Jordan is totally safe, in fact I felt safer in Jordan than I do in London. The people of Jordan need our support as tourists. Hope that Mikhled is your tour leader. Be prepared for large meals - the Jordanians like to feed people! Take loose comfortable clothing. Take some cat treats - there are dozens of friendly cats. Mind the salt in your eyes in the Dead Sea.

Most Inspirational Moment

2 winners for me; Petra at night - to see the treasury lit up at night and to walk down the gorge lit by lanterns was simply magical against the beautiful night sky. Also camping in the bedouin camp. This was also truly magical; sleeping under the incredible night sky, sitting around the campfire then watching shooting stars until we could no longer keep our eyes open - I will never forget this night!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ayyad was brilliant - great sense of humour and always looking for the best experiences for us such as joining us to climb to the high place of sacrifice in Petra but then showing us an alternative longer route down. He clearly loves his country and did his best to teach us about his culture and language which all went towards making the trip even more special. As a vegetarian, he was great at always ensuring that I was catered for when we had our evening meals and did a good job of organising a group meal almost every night.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Just do it! Be prepared for lots of walking, especially on the days visiting Petra and for varying temperatures eg Aqaba typically much hotter than Amman. Wearing loose clothing covering knees shoulders (for women) was actually great at keeping cool. As a vegetarian, main meals were scarce but there was always something to eat, usually mezze style dishes - just be prepared for limited choice. Don't take your best swimwear to the dead sea - the mud might not come out afterwards..!! Walking sandals are fine for most days but walking shoes at least for Petra as it's difficult underfoot at times. Do Petra by night - don't expect much and you might be surprised! It was a highlight for me. If you have room, take your own snorkel to save renting them in Aqaba and if you're a cat lover, some cat treats will be very much welcomed by the Jordanian cats..! I was very popular..! Cash was needed for the optional trips but I mainly used cards in shops and at restaurants - they were accepted widely. Finally no need to take towels and all hotels had hairdryers!

Most Inspirational Moment

Petra by night.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Fantastic. Unfortunately this cannot make up for the extremely negative experience I had with a supplier Exodus continues to do business with yet claims it is unable to obtain an explanation from.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go to Jordan! But don't book with Exodus. I have friends who have traveled to Jordan with competitor companies and have thankfully not had the woeful and distressing experience I had with Exodus.

Most Inspirational Moment

I loved walking into Petra for the first time and sitting on a rock in Wadi Rum late afternoon with my eyes closed feeling the desert.

Thoughts on Group Leader

I feel fortunate that Amer was our group leader, he shared with us his global knowledge and love for his country with passion and a sense of fun. I value the opportunity to learn about the world from a different point of view. He guided our group with clarity, sensitivity and kindness.

Advice for Potential Travellers

GO! It is important to know it is safe and Jordan is so safe, welcoming and inspiring.

Most Inspirational Moment

I remember the moment I fell in love with Jordan: we were wandering around in the Amman citadel and just after 4pm the call for prayer came, in that moment I knew I was in trouble. I left a part of my heart in Jordan and I've come back heartbroken.

Thoughts on Group Leader

We had an amazing leader, Abdullah, who was warm, kind, humorous, and who made everything that much more special.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't worry about anything, just enjoy it!

Most Inspirational Moment

Too many to just pick one out. Every day brought new sights and experiences.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group was fortunate to have Ahmad as the Group Leader. We could not have asked for a better guide to take us through Jordan. Friendly, knowledgeable, professional and with a great sense of humour - a true ambassador for the wonderful country of Jordan.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go with an open mind and go with the flow. On a trip like this, sometimes you just can't stick to the itinerary. For example, our group were visiting Madaba and the King of Jordan rocked up (yes, really), meaning that we couldn't visit two of the planned sights that particular day. But Ahmad, our brilliant guide, managed to take the group to one alternative venue that day and then squeezed in Mount Nebo on our penultimate day at the Dead Sea. Flexibility is key.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Muayed

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don’t worry about a thing!

Most Inspirational Moment

Petra had to be the most awe inspiring point of the trip, it was magnificent! Having walked around all the amazing tombs, monuments and Roman ruins during the day we then went back in the evening to see it by candle light. This was a very moving experience with local Bedouin musicians playing traditional instruments creating a very contemplative atmosphere.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ahmad was wonderful! He was very knowledgeable and obviously proud of his country and its heritage. He went out of his way to make sure that everyone was catered for as we were a very mixed age group with varying levels of fitness. The day we went to Madaba we discovered that the King of Jordan was visiting the same day so it was very crowded and many roads were closed off for the visit. Ahmad made sure we negotiated the crowds and, after seeing the King drive past (and wave to us!) he took us to a restaurant, owned by a ‘cousin’ were we all had coffee and waited for the crowds to disperse. This delay meant that we could not visit Mt Nebo that day but Ahmad made sure we visited on the way to the Dead Sea on the last day. Instead he took us to Little Petra which was lovely in the evening sun. We could not have wished for a better, more knowledgeable and helpful group leader than Ahmad.

Advice for Potential Travellers

When staying at the Bedouin camp overnight you will definitely need a sleeping bag liner, the facilities are very basic and the bed covers not very clean. Also it would be advisable to take walking boots as through the whole week you will be walking on quite rough rocky and/or sandy terrain.

Most Inspirational Moment

Almost impossible to say, each day brought a new favourite moment.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Muayad was outstanding. He was friendly, knowledgeable, entertaining and his love for his country and it's people shone through everything he said and did.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Jordan is safe!

Most Inspirational Moment

Every day was a highlight but eating in two Jordanian households has to be above everything. We felt hugely privileged to be able to see the lives of local people. The whole country is an inspiration with fabulous historical sites, friendly people, stunning scenery and excellent food.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Muayad Mismar is such an inspiring leader. He has great knowledge, a passion for his country and its people , energy and fabulous interaction with both us and local people. Simply one of the best.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don’t worry about security. Jordan is extremely safe and we never worried for even a second.