Jordan family holiday, The Lost City of Petra
| country: | Jordan |
| location: | Petra and Wadi Rum |
| departures: | 2010: 13 Feb, 27 Mar, 3 Apr, 6 Apr, 29 May, 14 Aug, 23 Oct, 21 Dec, 28 Dec 2011: 19 Feb, 2 Apr, 9 Apr, 12 Apr, 4 Jun, 13 Aug |
| price: | From £998 - £1138 (9 days) per adult and from £918 - £1068 per child including flights from the UK. From £527 - £578 excluding flights |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Jerash & the King's Highway:
First we explore the impressively well preserved ruins of Jerash, one of the great cities of the Roman Decapolis, a confederation of ten prosperous trading cities spread across the region. Then for a complete change of scene we head to the lowest point on earth: the Dead Sea. At more than 400m below sea level, these waters have a salt content so high that you can enjoy the bizarre sensation of floating on the surface of the water, like a cork! Next we travel south along the historic King's Highway to Petra, visiting imposing Kerak Castle en route.
Exploring the Lost City of Petra:
We enjoy two full days at Petra: ample time to explore the extensive site on foot. One of the unexpected pleasures here is the sheer beauty of the setting: tucked away like a long lost Shangri-la, the 'Rose Red City' is carved from a mountain of multi-coloured striated sandstone. Following narrow gorges and half hidden, rock-cut stairways, we reach breathtaking vantage points and stumble across corners of the site scarcely changed in 2000 years.
Wadi Rum & the Red Sea:
We continue by 4WD across the desert to the dramatic landscapes of Wadi Rum. This is 'Lawrence of Arabia' country, where we'll sleep in a Bedouin-style encampment amongst echoing granite cliffs and beneath a star-filled desert sky. To appreciate fully the beauty of the desert we trek on camels through the twisting Siq al Barrah gorge, perhaps appreciating why for Lawrence of Arabia this landscape was both so humbling and so inspiring. Finally we reach the Red Sea, whose crystalline waters and amazing undersea life make a fitting end to our journey.
Highlights:
First we explore the impressively well preserved ruins of Jerash, one of the great cities of the Roman Decapolis, a confederation of ten prosperous trading cities spread across the region. Then for a complete change of scene we head to the lowest point on earth: the Dead Sea. At more than 400m below sea level, these waters have a salt content so high that you can enjoy the bizarre sensation of floating on the surface of the water, like a cork! Next we travel south along the historic King's Highway to Petra, visiting imposing Kerak Castle en route.
Exploring the Lost City of Petra:
We enjoy two full days at Petra: ample time to explore the extensive site on foot. One of the unexpected pleasures here is the sheer beauty of the setting: tucked away like a long lost Shangri-la, the 'Rose Red City' is carved from a mountain of multi-coloured striated sandstone. Following narrow gorges and half hidden, rock-cut stairways, we reach breathtaking vantage points and stumble across corners of the site scarcely changed in 2000 years.
Wadi Rum & the Red Sea:
We continue by 4WD across the desert to the dramatic landscapes of Wadi Rum. This is 'Lawrence of Arabia' country, where we'll sleep in a Bedouin-style encampment amongst echoing granite cliffs and beneath a star-filled desert sky. To appreciate fully the beauty of the desert we trek on camels through the twisting Siq al Barrah gorge, perhaps appreciating why for Lawrence of Arabia this landscape was both so humbling and so inspiring. Finally we reach the Red Sea, whose crystalline waters and amazing undersea life make a fitting end to our journey.
Highlights:
- Visit Petra and be Indiana Jones for a day!
- Camp like a true Bedouin tribesman.
- Swim in the aquamarine waters of the Red Sea.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Join Amman. |
| Day 2: | Late morning visit Jerash. |
| Day 3: | Float in Dead Sea; drive on King's Highway via Kerak Castle to Petra. |
| Day 4-5: | Two full days at Petra, with guided visit plus time to explore independently on foot. |
| Day 6: | By 4WD to Wadi Rum, via ancient Humeimah; camel trek through Siq al Barrah and camp overnight in the desert. |
| Day 7: | Drive to Aqaba, on the Red Sea; PM swimming. |
| Day 8: | Full day at Aqaba, with optional snorkelling over Red Sea coral reefs. |
| Day 9: | Drive to Amman where tour ends. |
small group family holiday
This is a 'small group family adventure' - typically you will join several other families and travel in a group of approx. 16 people. The trips are great value and a great way for you and your children to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of time to yourselves. Most adventure kids tend to be aged between 7 and 15, but some are younger (minimum age is usually 5) and some older (perhaps travelling as part of a larger family group). Please check with the operator to confirm the minimum age for this trip how this holiday makes a difference
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Environment:
Conscious that we are travelling in a fragile environment, we try to minimise our impact on the areas we are travelling through by adhering to strict environmental guidelines and educating crew and customers on the ‘do’s and don’ts’ Our commitment to responsible tourism is not limited to our overseas operation and we have measures to ensure our UK office operates according to our responsible tourism policy. Carbon offsets for all flights booked with us are included in the tour cost. Community: As a company we aim to encourage interaction with local communities whilst showing respect for local culture, beliefs and traditions. This is particularly relevant on a family tour as travel is a huge opportunity to educate children about the world around them in a fun way. We've created plenty of opportunities to meet the people on this tour, whether it is our local guides, cameleers or Bedouin during our stay in Wadi Rum and our leaders ensure the interactions are respectful and fun for both sides. As well as respecting local people, we also like to be an economic benefit to them. We do this by using locally owned hotels, spreading our business to a variety of local restaurants (which is a great way to sample delicious Jordanian food!) and employing local guides where we can. As well as a UK leader, we also employ a Jordanian guide for the whole trip meaning that you'll get that in-depth information only a local can give. We like to support local development though business but there are always some who are out of reach of the tourist pound and where we can, we like to extend some support to them. Our agent in Jordan supports the Petra School for the Deaf and our groups have raised funds for equipment for the school in the past. As well as the above, we support a variety of charities and projects worldwide which support vulnerable communities and habitats including Friends of Conservation, Hope Worldwide and Send A Cow. We are also actively engaged with UK travel industry bodies which promote best practice in responsible tourism, such as Tourism Concern, The Travel Foundation and AITO. |
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. |