Jordan small group cycling holiday

Planet

Water conservation is a hot topic in Jordan which one of the driest countries in the world. Our trained tour Leaders are well versed in advising travellers on initiatives to manage water consumption, and we are working with our suppliers to encourage better management of this precious commodity. This may be by way of water refilling opportunities in hotels and more signage to encourage water conservation practices. We encourage our travellers to take short showers and to never leave the tap water running unnecessarily. On cycling trips it is easy to use plastic excessively, especially in hot climates like Jordan Rather than use single-use plastic bottles we refill our water bottles from a large water drum kept on our support vehicle.

Our greatest contribution to minimising our transportation's impact on the environment is to simply travel by bike, avoiding any use of energy or fuel. When we do use a vehicle we are committed to providing local experiences and as part of this philosophy during this trip we use local forms of transport wherever possible. Where we use private transport we stick to the small back roads which minimises the impact on locals using the main roads for daily routines. Where we use a support vehicle we will always ensure that it is an appropriate size to suit the cyclists it supports - no using a 16 seater minivan if we only have 5 people travelling. We also endeavour to have the vast majority of our included and optional activities (such as walking the Roman ruins of Jerash or enjoying the Dead Sea in Aqaba) have a carbon-free footprint.

On this trip we use our own local Jordanian supplier who shares our commitment to responsible business, from waste and water management to ensuring we are leaving as minimal a foot(tyre)print as possible. For the cycling portion we also use a third party to assist in the running of the trip, ensuring they share our commitment to responsible travel, are educated on all aspects of responsible business, and supported in making any changes they need to improve in this aspect.

People

An important part of travel is mixing with the locals and experiencing “real life” in destination. On this trip we stay only in locally owned hotels or guesthouses that are locally staffed, enabling the money you spend to stay within that community. We also use only Jordanian cycling guides and support staff, as well as local guides in many destinations.

This trip stays at a Bedoin desert camp which enables us to talk freely with the Bedoin, try great food and help to directly sustain a local family.
Where meals are provided, ingredients will be sourced from a local market wherever possible.

We source local activities which we believe are sustainable to the economy in that they allow the flow of income from visitors to be distributed to a greater audience rather than remain concentrated with tourism providers, this could be as simple as spending time in a local café, to cooking classes in a home and shopping at small local stores.

As part of our commitment to responsible travel a portion of your trip cost will be donated to Bicycles for Humanity – a not-for-profit, volunteer run, grass roots charity organisation focused on the alleviation of poverty through sustainable transport – in the form of a bicycle. In the developing world a bicycle is life changing, allowing access to health care, education, economic opportunity and wider community. A bicycle means you can travel twice as far, twice as fast and carry four times the load, providing a profound and lasting positive effect for the individual as well as their community. Bicycles for Humanity collect donated (used or new) bicycles, repair them if needed and send them to Africa. Along with donated bicycles each of the 40 ft shipping containers that Bicycles for Humanity sends becomes a bike workshop, providing employment, skills, training, business, opportunity and economic development for the community in which it's placed, helping the community to move away from aid dependence.

All aspects of this trip (on the ground) are operated by local Jordanians including all our cycling guides, support vehicle drivers, local site guides, and accommodation providers. We provide our cycling leaders with a formal 4 day cycling training so that they are up to speed with the needs of our travellers and help update their skills.

Locals know where the best food, souvenirs, local crafts and entertainment can be found. This trip is operated by local Jordanians and we ensure any shopping opportunities, from the larger cities like Madaba and Aqaba to the tiny villages we stop off at while cycling along the way, are authentic experiences that showcase Jordan's inspiring and unique culture and crafts.

Our philosophy is to act local and that means respecting the local traditions which such as the wearing of a headscarf for all women at appropriate times and ensuring that both men and women are conservatively dressed with legs and arms covered. We also take care to form genuine and mutually beneficial relationships with local people. An excellent example is in the remote Bedoin Desert Camp stay where we try and live like a Bedoin, eating local food and sleeping under the stars.