I love working on Steven’s holidays as he is always up for new experiences and adventures, either solo or as part of a small group tour, and I equally look forward to hearing about them on his return.
With Covid postponing his trips with Explore to Thailand, and then Egypt, they were able to move him to their Jordan Discovery Tour, another destination on his bucket list...
After my fantastic adventures in Iceland, my next trip took me in a completely opposite direction with a long-awaited opportunity to sleep in the Arabian desert, under the stars.
I know it sounds cheesy but the main reason I wanted to go was because of the movie Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade, which I loved.
I was also desperate to see magnificent Petra and I know that Jordan has so much culture and history to experience.
Having previously enjoyed travelling solo on group tours with Explore, I knew the trip I wanted to go on and Amanda duly got everything efficiently sorted.
It was ten days in Jordan, staying in Amman, Petra, Wadi Rum desert and Aqaba, and I was in a group of 18, with other solo travellers and some couples.
I flew direct from London Heathrow with BA, although I am unlikely to fly with them again due to their poor planes. It’s gone significantly downhill for me since last flying with them a good few years ago.
The airport experience was pleasant with hardly any queues, which seems to be rare these days! There were no COVID-19 checks, passport checks were nice and easy, and going through security was surprisingly quick.
I was met by a representative from Explore and met three of my fellow travellers, the national treasure that is Mick, along with Floss and Tim.
It was hot and sunny, and I immediately also felt the warmth of the friendly Jordanian people who seem to like the British.
Most of our touring group were English, with two from America and we quickly gelled well.
We had one tour guide for the whole trip, who was absolutely fantastic. We had daily personal time, even though each day was jam-packed full of amazing things to do.
Our comprehensive itinerary included the following:
Amman Citadel
Jerash
Amman City Centre (Rainbow Street)
Petra & Petra by night (stunning during the day and phenomenal at night!)
Little Petra
Turkish massage (that was an experience!)
Dead Sea (a surreal experience)
Red Sea (swimming and seeing amazing Coral)
Mount Nebo
Wadi Rum Desert (sunset, star gazing and sunrise - and slept in a communal tent, in the desert!)
We got around by coach, which was well spaced. Accommodation throughout was superb, meals were cheap, very nice and massive plates; and service was top drawer, with the people being very friendly.
I loved every minute of the trip, and it is difficult to pick a specific highlight. Petra surpassed expectations as we had a six-hour tour and covered 80% of the site; Amman surprised me, as I didn’t know what to expect, but it was lovely and the mosque was incredible.
The Dead Sea was a bizarre experience, as you try and sink, it just won’t let you; and the Red Sea was beautiful and incredibly chilled and we saw Israel and Egypt from a distance.
My Turkish massage was great, arguably for the sheer brute force the guy used when it came to the massage itself after the steam room.
I didn’t do much on my own, as us solo travellers grouped up and went out to explore the areas, the cuisine and the culture.
Jordan unquestionably surpassed my expectations, and I made the best decision to go and encourage others to do likewise - it’s a fantastic experience.
As always, Amanda was superb. She knows what I like, and it’s great to have someone to go to for valuable advice when booking my holidays.
Steven
