How was your Explore Tour Leader?

Saleh was excellent. We all felt very fortunate to have him as the tour leader. His Bedouin background made him very at home in the desert and in Petra but he also looked after us very well in the towns. His knowledge was first class and he explained the history and archaeology of the sites very clearly. He obviously loves his subject, especially the Nabateans. He also had a good sense of humour and managed a large group (16 of us) very well.

What tips would you give to someone else booking this tour?

Be prepared for the basic facilities at the camps. We didnt get a hot shower from Sunday morning until we arrived at the hotel in Madaba on Thursday evening. Sharing a large mixed tent with 15 others is not for everybody, esoecially if you are a light sleeper. And there was only one chemical portaloo for the whole camp with little or no privacy to wash and change. But we all managed! Do take a head torch, sleeping bag liner, hand gel, biodegradable wipes (or take them away with you), travel towel, walking boots.

Do you have anything else to add?

"Lucky things if you are booked on this tour. It was an excellent introduction to Jordan with a wonderful itinerary. I would highly recommend it if you dont mind a bit of roughing it. One word of warning, Day 4 was quite arduous - 10 hours walking over rough terrain and we covered 15 miles. The camp food was very good - healthy, tasty and plentiful. Not so sustaining if you are a vegetarian - you mostly got vegetable stew. If necessary, ask them to include more protein eg chick peas."

 

How was your Explore Tour Leader?

 

Excellent

What tips would you give to someone else booking this tour?

 

 

Be aware the tour is only 6 days not 8

Do you have anything else to add?

 

 

Yes your marketing people need help in mathematics.  The tour was advertised as 8 days, this is not true and is possibly a contravention of advertising standards.  We left at 4.00pm on Saturday and returned to Heathrow at 3.00pm the following Saturday meaning the most the tour could possibly be is 7days but the reality is actually 6 days in Jordan.  I hate this type of misleading information and it does you company no good at all.  You are great at what you do.  There is no need to give false information which could be detrimental to your company.  Please be more open and honest about how long the tour is.

 

 

The advice I'd give to anyone doing this trip is to just do it - you won't be disappointed.    Trip highlight was Petra which is absolutely amazing.  That doesn't mean to say that it totally out-shone the rest of the trip though, because it didn't. 

Camping and hiking in Wadi Run was fantastic and trying to sink in the Dead Sea was just plain strange!    This is one of the best Explore trips I've done! (TP -16th October 2010)

The walking element of this trip made it much more appealing to me than the slightly 'coach tourish' aspect of some trips to Jordan. The two days walking and camping in Wadi Rum were excellent, the walking wasn't particularly challenging and should be fine for anyone who is in normal health. There isn't a great deal of time in Petra but you do have a full day and a bit which was plenty for me. The walk to and from the camp is beautiful and was so much better than going back to one of the hotels in the town would have been! The walk to the Monastery on the second day in Petra has one very small precarious part where you need to edge along a ledge (we're talking about 2 metres maximum) - everyone in our group managed even the less brave of us but it is a little bit above the normal expected on a walk of this grade. After the days of walking the last couple of days are a bit more touristy and I opted out of the guided tours. However Jerash, the Roman City, was a revelation - a really unexpected highlight. I found it more impressive than Pompeii or Herculaneum. The only part I didn't like much was the optional Petra by Night activity. Lame and over-hyped - don't expect it to be a 'magical experience'. The quiet walks you do around Petra are far more special than this. I would recommend this trip as a classic Explore adventure. It takes a familiar and very busy destination and finds a way to make it a bit different, getting off the beaten track and introducing a more active element. (TP- 1st December 2009)