Maudie was recently kindly hosted by Exodus on a travel agent familiarisation trip to Jordan and enjoyed this Middle Eastern kingdom immensely …
After meeting a few of my fellow group members at Heathrow for a quick ‘hello’, we boarded our Royal Jordanian flight which ran to schedule and we arrived in Amman, just after midnight. We were promptly greeted by an Exodus representative who efficiently obtained our visas on arrival and guided us through Customs and Immigration. Before long we were on the bus and on the way to our first hotel of the tour.
I awoke early to the sound of the call to prayer and after a decadent breakfast we journeyed 50km north of Amman to Jerash. I was amazed by the grandeur of this ancient Roman city and really enjoyed the few hours spent here marvelling at the colonnaded streets, archways and theatre.
En route back to Amman we stopped for lunch, enjoying our first feast of Hummus, Baba Ghanoush and falafel, refreshingly washed down with a delicious mint lemonade, followed by coffee with a hint of cardamon!
The remainder of the day was spent enjoying the highlights of Amman, including the Citadel and it’s fantastic panoramic views across the city. The evening was spent amongst the bustling souks, a real feast for the senses, before stopping on our way back to the hotel to enjoy a mezze and BBQ meal, at a lively local restaurant.
The next day we began our reasonably lengthy journey along the King’s Highway towards Petra. The journey was broken with several sightseeing opportunities, including Mount Nebo, Madaba and the fortified town of Kerak. Mount Nebo is referenced in the Old Testament as the place where Moses stood and was shown the Promised Land. It was rather hazy on the morning of our visit but we were told, on a clear day it is possible to see the Dead Sea, Bethlehem and Jerusalem from here.
Our next stop was Madaba, the City of Mosaics, home to many Byzantine-era-mosaics. Within the small Church of St George, we all admired the sixth-century map of Jerusalem, made up of countless tiny, colourful pieces of stone. Our final stop before reaching Petra, was Kerak Castle. Here we enjoyed navigating the dark undergrown passageways, before we boarded our bus for the final time that day. We arrived at The Old Village Hotel, situated on the outskirts of Wadi Musa, just in time to watch the sun setting over the mountains, home to the rose-red city of Petra.
The following morning, we started the day early and were stood at the gates eagerly ready to enter the site of Petra at 6am. Our leader took us down the deep, narrow chasm, known as the Siq. With the cliff walls towering above us, the light and shadows changed the colour of the rock face at every turn. This incredible kilometre long chasm led us to our first glimpse of El Khazneh, the Treasury. We all stood in awe as we took in the façade, carved out of the red and yellow sandstone rock face.
After taking time to absorb the Treasury, we headed into Petra for the remainder of the day, exploring it’s expansive sprawl of houses, temples, tombs and theatre – home to its 8,000 seats carved from rock! In the blazing midday sun, we were given the choice to walk up the 850 steps to El Deir, Petra’s largest monastery. Equipped with water and my sunhat firmly on my head, I began the climb up the steep stone path. At every turn, a new stall appeared selling refreshments, jewellery and ornaments. The wise advice, given by our guide (who remained at the bottom of the hill), was to avoid the donkeys racing down the path, carrying the Bedouin men. Despite this and the heat, it didn’t take long before we reached the top and were rewarded with the incredible sight of this monumental monastery.
After taking time to see El Deir from many different vantage points, we made our way down the steps and slowly back towards the hotel for a late afternoon refreshing dip in the pool.
The next morning, we reached the gates bright and early once more, this time ready to hike to the High Place of sacrifice. Mohamad (our local Bedouin guide) was waiting and quickly diverted us off the main path and expertly led us away from the crowds to a viewpoint of the Treasury from above. To see the Treasury from this angle, away from the crowds whilst sipping mint tea, felt very special indeed!
Keen to beat the looming heat of the day, we set off once more and began the climb to one of the highest points of Petra. The High Place of Sacrifice served as the venue for religious ceremonies and the platform orientated towards an alter with a basin to one side, remains proudly perched on the cliffs. We were rewarded with incredible views over Petra from here and took a moment to absorb it all, legs dangling over the cliff, whilst once again sipping tea kindly provided by our guide.
The following day, limbs now feeling slightly sore, I took an optional excursion to Little Petra. Although Little Petra (as the name would suggest) is on a much smaller scale, it remained fascinating to see further buildings carved into the walls of the sandstone canyons. Feeling grateful to have been allowed two full days in Petra and a morning in Little Petra, it was time to travel onto our next stop, the UNESCO World Heritage site of Wadi Rum.
As sandstone mountains began to rise from the desert floor, we boarded the back of a 4WD truck for a thrilling exploration through this vast desert. Making several stops to run up and down the dunes and marvel at the endless views and otherworldly rock formations, we arrived at our dedicated spot to watch the sun set. Having arrived with some time to spare, a rather unexpected (but highly competitive and enjoyable) game of volley ball commenced!
As the sun began to go down, we found a good spot to watch the sun sink behind the horizon.
It was now time to check into our luxury camp and enjoy a delicious authentic Bedouin supper that had been cooked underground for hours prior to our arrival. After a thoroughly enjoyable meal, followed by music and dancing, it was time to relax around the camp fire beneath the stars.
Sad to be departing our camp so soon, we enjoyed a quick breakfast and watched as our luggage was loaded and driven away on our trusty 4WD trucks. We on the other hand had alternative transportation waiting for us… camels. Although a little nervous to begin with, I soon relaxed and really enjoyed my camel ride and views of the Mars-like landscape from this new vantage point.
Bidding our new friends goodbye, it was time to head to Aqaba for an afternoon of relaxing by the Red Sea. At the sun began to soften, our guide took us towards the bustling markets of Aqaba, to soak up the lively atmosphere and sample some of the spices and delicacies on offer! Our bags now laden with aromatic treats, we gathered at a traditional seafood restaurant and enjoyed some locally caught fresh fish.
On the penultimate morning of our trip, it was time to leave Aqaba behind and journey to the Dead Sea, our final stop. As we checked into our final hotel, we could see the water glistening beyond the landscape windows. Before I could douse myself with mud and float in salty waters, I had my final excursion of this jam packed tour. Al-Maghtas is considered to be the original location where Jesus was baptised by John the Baptist. After taking time to appreciate the sparse archaeological remains of the churches, we walked down the covered trail that lead us to the bank of the river Jordan. Here we watched as people entered the rather murky brown water, some choosing to be baptised here and fully immersed.
As we arrived back at the hotel, it was time to grab our swimmers and take the lift down to the water’s edge, officially the lowest point on the earth’s surface. Once on the beach, we were greeted with buckets of Dead Sea mud! With the alluring promise of its healing and beautifying properties, we smothered ourselves from head to toe! Hopeful that the mud had been successful, we walked and promptly floated to the top of the saline waters. Being careful to avoid our eyes and mouth, I relaxed into the calm, warm and oily waters.
Our final meal of the trip was taken within the hotel. Tomorrow the group would all disperse to different parts of the world, so we took the opportunity to celebrate our incredible time together in Jordan and say our goodbyes. The next morning, our airport transfers were waiting for us and it was time to begin the journey home.
Speak with Maudie about arranging a trip to Jordan – either as part of a small group as she did, or as a private journey.