Jordan and Syria holiday, Wadi Rum & Desert Kingdom
| country: | Jordan, Syria |
| trip type: | A small group adventure |
| departures: | 2010: 20 Mar, 3 Apr, 17 Apr, 1 May, 15 May, 29 May, 12 Jun, 26 Jun, 10 Jul, 24 Jul, 7 Aug, 21 Aug, 4 Sep, 18 Sep, 2 Oct, 16 Oct, 30 Oct, 13 Nov, 27 Nov |
| price: | From £1195 (14 days) excluding flights. We can help arrange flights from the UK |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
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introduction to Jordan and Syria holiday, Wadi Rum & Desert Kingdom
Syria and Jordan are two of the Middle East's best kept secrets. Discover this beautiful part of the world and be astonished by the friendliness and hospitality of the locals.
Take tea in the bazaars of Aleppo and Damascus, follow in the footsteps of the Bedouin with a night in a desert camp, and explore the magnificent remains of some of the world's oldest civilisations.
In Aleppo we explore the massive souqs, gaining an invaluable insight into Syrian culture. In Dana, Jordan, we stay in a tiny and remote village overlooking the natural reserve.
Our hotel is actually the home of a Bedouin who has lived in the village all his life. It is very basic but makes up for any lack of facilities as it is so homely and such a unique experience.
Take tea in the bazaars of Aleppo and Damascus, follow in the footsteps of the Bedouin with a night in a desert camp, and explore the magnificent remains of some of the world's oldest civilisations.
In Aleppo we explore the massive souqs, gaining an invaluable insight into Syrian culture. In Dana, Jordan, we stay in a tiny and remote village overlooking the natural reserve.
Our hotel is actually the home of a Bedouin who has lived in the village all his life. It is very basic but makes up for any lack of facilities as it is so homely and such a unique experience.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Arrive Damascus. |
| Day 2: | Damascus- Aleppo. Travel to Aleppo, an exciting town in the north of Syria and a great introduction to the region. (B) |
| Day 3: | Aleppo. Free day in Aleppo. Explore the exotic atmosphere of the covered bazaars or visit the town’s imposing citadel. (B). |
| Day 4: | Hama. A short drive to Hama, a lovely old town famous for its old water wheels. There is the option to visit the magnificent Crac de Chevaliers crusader castle. (B). |
| Day 5: | Palmyra. A drive through the desert brings us to the breathtaking ancient city of Palmyra. (B) |
| Day 6: | Palmyra. Free day to explore. (B). |
| Day 7: | Damascus. Drive to Damascus. Free afternoon. |
| Day 8: | Damascus. Free day to explore this wonderful city. (B). |
| Day 9: | Damascus- Amman. Transfer to Amman by service taxis. (B). |
| Day 10: | Amman. Morning walking tour of Amman, including the amphitheatre, the citadel and the old souk (bazaar). (B) |
| Day 11: | Amman - Petra. Morning option to visit the Dead Sea, afternoon transfer to Wadi Musa, beside the hidden city of Petra. (BD) |
| Day 12: | Petra - Wadi Rum. A whole day to explore the magnificent site of Petra with a guide. Late in the afternoon we travel to the spectacular desert area of Wadi Rum where we spend the night in a Bedouin style camp. (BD) |
| Day 13: | Camel trek - Aqaba. We join the Bedouin people of Wadi Rum for a short camel trek into the desert. Later we travel to the picturesque Red Sea port of Aqaba. Overnight in Aqaba. (B) |
| Day 14: | Aqaba. Tour ends. (B) |
traveller reviews for Jordan and Syria holiday, Wadi Rum & Desert Kingdom
Wonderful!...Sitting in a cafe in Palmyra, watching Man Utd v. Barcelona! Which I really wouldn't have expected to be the highlight but the locals were so friendly and welcoming, despite communication being solely by names of football teams and players. (more)
small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places. highly commended
This tourism business was Highly Commended in our 2007 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - the largest awards of their kind in the world, and organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Times, World Travel Market and Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society.Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.
how this holiday makes a difference
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Syria and Jordan are both traditional countries with strong religious sentiment and we ensure that our travellers are provided in advance with all the information they need relating to responsible tourism in the area, in order to prepare for their trip. This information covers aspects such as appropriate dress and behaviour, tipping customs as well as more general matters such as our littering and no smoking tour policies.
Responsible Travel has always been an important part of every tour we run. As a company we have many general responsible policies such as operating our tours with small group sizes only, employing local and foreign tour leaders and ensuring they are paid the same rate (something which is almost unheard of in the tourist industry) and wherever we can staying in locally run hotels and eating in local restaurants. In Jordan our tour leaders are accompanied through their whole tour by a local Jordanian guide, which is creating extra employment and offers our clients an extra experienced resource of information about the country and all the magnificent sites visited during the tour. Through our Responsble Travel fund we are supporting two projects in the Middle East region, an orphanage, and a local musem. Every pound that our passengers donate to these projects we promise to double (up to a maximum of 1000UK£). We have a further similar 9 projects elsewhere around the globe where we regularly operate tours. We have worked with the same local ground operators for many many years, making long lasting relationships with local suppliers is one of our strengths. We even have a local Live Transport Co-ordinator working with us who makes sure that the animals (donkeys,horses and camels) we use for riding are well look after. With a reponsible travel officer in each of our main destinations you can be confident that by travelling with us, you are travelling responsibly. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |
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