Tel. +44 (0)1273 600030 (UK)
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Taybet Zaman Eco Resort, Petra: Located 10 kilometres from Petra, the village of Taybet has been converted to a 5 star resort with the support of the local community. The old village was almost deserted as the community had moved away during the 1960s, and in the early 1990s the mayor proposed turning the old village houses into a tourist resort, rebuilt and owned by the local community. The end result was a recycled village, owned, rebuilt, and run by the locals, keeping the community and its heritage alive and spurring economic growth. There is a Turkish bath and a restaurant serving traditional Arabic meals as well as a small market area which sells locally produced pottery and textiles to keep alive old crafts skills and bring employment and money to revitalise the villagers.
Taybet Zaman was restored with respect to authenticity of materials, environment and regional style, resulting in a preservation of culture along with a recycling of materials, offering a rustic and local Jordanian experience to its guests. Since its completion in 1994, Taybet Zaman has won numerous awards, including the 1996 British Airways Tourism for Tomorrow Award and the 1997 Green Global Commendation Award.
Petra Kitchen: The Petra Kitchen offers an evening of learning, fun and a very special dining experience allowing you to re-create some of the traditional Jordanian dishes for yourself, alongside some of the local women. Great care has been taken to make The Petra Kitchen a truly Jordanian experience - right down to the furnishings which are all crafted in Jordan, the tableware which is all produced by the Iraq al Amir Women’s Co-operative and the aprons and table linens which are all hand-embroidered by the Jordan River Foundation.
Above the Petra Kitchen there is also a small fair trade shop selling handicrafts made by local artisans which are of a very good quality and are often entirely unique items. A lot of these items are made by local women in their homes or by members of charitable organizations set up to support local women so buying items here helps these women but also helps inject money into the local economy.
Local Guides: As a company we have a policy of staying in locally owned accommodation wherever possible and our ground agent employ local guides using transport owned and operated by local people. Lunches are eaten in locally owned and managed restaurants thus supporting the community financially. This provides valuable employment to the region and keeps the money you spend in the country which helps to maintain and develop the infrastructure.
When she was 23, Edinburgh-born Liz bought a £10 boat ticket to Africa; she wanted to see the world and has subsequently lived over half of her life overseas. When she returned from Arabia with her family in the 80s she set up a tailor made tour operators that was the first to sell trips to Oman. She has a strong sense of social responsibility and has seen first-hand how tourism can increase local people’s quality of life. The company is now a closely-knit three-woman team who share their expert knowledge and experiences to ensure your holidays have a real personal touch.
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