1 independent reviews for Trekking holiday in Jordan
Reviews for Trekking holiday in Jordan
Amy McGlinchy review 23 Mar 2023
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Visiting Petra was incredible, as was trekking through the beautiful desert landscape at Wadi Rum and staying in the wonderful Bedouin 'Rainbow' camp. Our tour leader Wally was fantastic. He was an amazing font of knowledge and had great energy throughout the trip.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Definitely bring your sleeping bag if you're visiting in the early Spring or late Autumn as the desert can get really cold at night. Pack for all eventualities - we had a couple of days of rain and others of glorious sunshine. I didn't find any need for my bug spray so there's no need to pack any. You need a reasonable level of fitness due to the hiking but it isn't too intense, although definitely pack your walking polls (in your hold luggage)!3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
I feel that it benefited local people insofar as a local guide was hired for the duration of the trip and we ate at local restaurants and supported local sellers at the tourist sites. However, it concerned me to see a number of school-age children working at the Petra site, as well as animals such as camels, horses and donkeys who clearly weren't treated well. I'm glad that our guide warned us not to pay for any trips on any of the animals in the site. I hope that companies such as Responsible Travel continue to lobby the Jordanian government against such practices. The amount of hiking clearly reduced the environmental impact but I was sad to see that everyone still drinks from plastic bottled water in Jordan despite the tap water apparently being drinkable. We got through a lot of small plastic bottles during the trip and it would be great to do more to reduce this where possible e.g. encouraging guides to buy bigger bottles such that people can transfer water from there into their sustainable bottles, or encouraging guides to advise people to drink the tap water where it is safe to do so. I was also sad to hear that there is currently no recycling scheme in Jordan. In terms of food waste I was glad to see the local Bedouins leaving out any excess food for local animals to use.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
It was a fantastic holiday and I'd highly recommend for people looking to be amazed by the ancient world and astounding desert landscapes. Ending the trip at the Dead Sea on the last day was perfect, but I'd recommend booking to stay at one of the Dead Sea resorts for a few extra days at the end of your trip if you have the time, in order to relax and unwind after a busy week of trekking!Read the operator's response here:
Hi Amy, thank you for taking the time to leave a review for your tour in Jordan. It sounds like your trek allowed you to truly experience the astounding landscapes as well as the fascinating culture & history of Jordan. We hope you have some happy, lifelong memories from your adventure. We’re also delighted to hear that your leader, Wally, was knowledgeable and energetic throughout the trip.
Thank you for flagging your concerns regarding ‘working’ animal welfare. Jordanian organisations, international partners, UNESCO and PETA (animal rights group) are trying to improve the conditions for the animals, which we continue to support. However, for many local people this is their only form of income, making this is a complex problem. As a responsible travel company we believe that – until conditions improve – our travellers should politely decline animal transport in Petra, and we are glad that Wally made your group aware of this. Moreover, single-use plastic reduction is a key priority of ours in all destinations, though it is particularly challenging in this region. We are continuing to trial alternative solutions such as large filter jugs and partnerships with filter bottle companies. We promise to continue working towards the best improvements for people and the planet.
Thank you again for your review, Amy. We hope to welcome you onto another adventure soon.
Holiday Reviews
You can trust Responsible Travel reviews because, unlike many other schemes, reviews can ONLY be written by people who we have verified have been on the holidays. In addition, we don't run these holidays ourselves - our only interest is giving you the best independent advice.
