Jordan and Syria holidays, Petra and the Palmyra
| country: | Jordan, Syria |
| trip type: | A small group adventure |
| departures: | 2010: 10 Apr, 8 May, 12 Jun, 24 Jul, 4 Sep, 25 Sep, 9 Oct, 13 Nov, 18 Dec 2011: 2 Apr |
| price: | From £1429 - £1669 (16 days) including flights from the UK, from £969 - £1059 excluding flights. Single supplement £285. |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
read 2 travellers reviews
the amazing things you'll be doing
This trip covers the main points of interest in both Syria and Jordan, where there is an abundance of amazing sights. Damascus, the oldest inhabited city in the world; ancient Aleppo; the impregnable Crusader castle at Krak des Chevaliers; the immense ruins of Palmyra and Jerash; and possibly the highlight, the magical city of Petra. But it's not just history that we go to see. We also camp amongst the amazing landscape of Wadi Rum, float in the salty waters of the Dead Sea and wander through atmospheric souks of Amman.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Fly to Damascus. |
| Day 2: | Full day to explore Damascus. |
| Day 3: | Drive into the desert to Palmyra and explore the immense ruins. |
| Day 4: | Drive to Aleppo via desert castle of Qasr el Hir and the 'dead city' of Rassafa. |
| Day 5: | Full day to explore the ancient city of Aleppo. |
| Day 6: | Morning in Aleppo; visit the Byzantine site of St Simeon the Stylite, and the waterwheels of Hama. |
| Day 7: | Visit imposing castle of Krak des Chevaliers; to Damascus via ancient village of Maaloula. |
| Day 8: | Visit the magnificent amphitheatre of Bosra; to Jerash in Jordan. |
| Day 9: | Head to Amman via the Dead Sea. |
| Day 10: | Down King's Highway to Petra via Mt Nebo, Madaba and Kerak. |
| Days 11-12: | Two full days to explore Petra, the 'Rose-red City'. |
| Day 13: | Drive out to camp in desert scenery of Wadi Rum; 4WD excursion. |
| Day 14: | To Aqaba; afternoon free to relax or snorkel among the coral reefs. |
| Day 15: | Morning free; transfer to Amman. |
| Day 16: | Fly to London. |
travellers' tales
Walking down the canyon at Petra and seeing the treasury building just appearing was the most memorable part. (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. award winner
This tourism business won an award in our 2004 Responsible Tourism Awards - organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Times, World Travel Market and Geographical, Magazine of the Royal Geographical Societyhow this holiday makes a difference
|
Community
As a part of our continued commitment to responsible tourism, we operate this trip in a way that aims to reduce impacts and to give as much back as possible to the local communities. We use all locally owned and run accommodation. As well as the environmental impact being minimal as there is no heating or linen provided it also offers cultural insight into Middle Eastern Christianity and helps support a very small nearby community. It also includes a night camping in the desert in Wadi Rum. This camp is run by local Bedouins, so this is a unique cultural experience and contributes directly to helping a local family. Care is taken to try not to have a big impact on the local Bedouin way of life. We use a locally owned operator as well as local leaders and we use local guides at all the historic sites helping to provide local employment. We have worked closely with our operator to help train staff in all aspects of their jobs, to help improve their knowledge and future prospects and this includes Responsible Tourism training. Environment The leaders will give a briefing including Responsible Tourism issues to help you understand how you can help reduce you impact and maximise the benefits to the local communities from your visit. There is a committed effort to encourage a reduced use of plastic from water bottles, packaging etc. The group size is limited to 18 to reduce cultural and environmental impacts. We have at our offices worked to reduce our carbon footprint through a reduction of energy use and energy conservation measures. We also actively try to reduce the waste produced by having active reduction and recycling policies in place. We run annual staff workshops on Responsible Tourism. Global warming is a reality and to help you make a difference by reducing the carbon dioxide that is produced when you travel we offer a chance to carbon balance your flights. We encourage all our clients to do this and do so for all our staff travel. Go on do your bit! |
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. |