Dipankar's 7 days trip to Jordan
5 years agoI would like to thank TravelTriangle, our travel agent - Anshul-Passionate Discoveries Travels to put us through Travco Jordan. Travco Jordan were the ones who handled our travels in Jordan - from assisting in visa at the point of entry, transfers from the airport to the hotel, daytime sightseeing, travel guide etc. I would definitely recommend everyone to travel to Jordan and exploring it with Travco Jordan is a good way to do it. They have good drivers and English-speaking travel guides, who take you along. Were a group of 7 strangers in a comfortable van, but eventually made an awesome group of friends and memories. We had a travel-guide, who was knowledgeable, but was always in a rush to get over with things. With the itinerary we went with - we were to explore Amman city on our own. Uber works well within Amman. The hotel we stayed in Amman, Rum Arts Hotel (Al-Waleed) didnt provide great service with its food, not much of vegetarian option provided but the location, room quality was good. Hotel Petra Palace (Petra Stay) , The Grand East Resort (Dead Sea) are good places to stay, have food, explore and were really satisfactory. Our stay at Hillawi Camp (Wadi Rum) was decent, it wasnt a great camp, but yes Wadi Rum is a magical place, we explored it well by a desert night safari, night star gazing (not included in the itinerary), but highly recommeded. In Petra, we had to walk around 10km to reach the monastery (Ad-Deir) from the Petra Visitor Centre, to climb those 800 steps is exciting and also needs a good fitness level, shoes etc. I would not recommend the paid night visit to the Treasury, Petra, not much happens out there, it makes more sense to utilize those 17JD someplace else - probably at the Wadi Mujib (Al Siq Trail ) near Dead Sea is more exciting. Watch few youtube videos to know more about it. Do not miss the Al-Joun Fort, Jerash trip, if you love Roman history, ruins, this is going to be a good day-trip. Few tips from my side to make the Jordan trip with Travco more awesome -
1. Make a visit to Aqaba - the down south portcity of Jordan. It's ike an easy 2 hr drive from Wadi Rum - beaches, malls, a little fort, jelly fish, submerged tanks , an Israeli city across the sea makes it worth it. (not included in the itinerary, we paid extra to visit it)
2. Visit Al Maghtas (Jesus Baptizaiton site), there is something unique about this place, the feeling is sacred to watch the Jordan river flow, dangle your legs on its edge and let the feeling sink in (not included in the itinerary, we paid extra to visit it)
3. Do not pay 17JD for the night visit to Treasury, Petra. Not recommended. It's dark, crowded, a lot of camera flashes and nothing unique about it.
4. Buy drinking water cheaper in some general stores, a little bargain would really help.
5. Give yourself sometime to explore Amman City in the itinerary - the view from the Citadel is a must go place during the evening,Blue Mosque, stroll in the Rainbowstreet with visit to few eateries like Books Cafe, Hashims, Al Quds etc would be great (not included in the itinerary, take help of Uber, Google Maps and do it on your own)
6. Use Zain simcard. It has the best coverage in Jodran. Umniah, the other operator wont work in remote areas of Wadi Rum, Petra etc
7. Ask for sea-facing, pool facing rooms at the resorts of Dead Sea beforehand and have clarity about it , because the view other side aint great.
8. Carry an umbrella, a good pair of shoes, sun-screen lotion if you are there during summer
9. At times, the travel guide would get you into few shops to buy souveniers, but thats your call, you might get those at better prices someplace else too, so dont be in a hurry
10. Please be sure who would be your point of contact for any issues from Travco Jordan, because for us, they never gave us a point of contact for customer support. We used to talk to our travel guide, or with the representative who came to receive us at the airport etc, but never knew any senior 's number from Travco.
Rest, we had an wonderful time exploring Jordan. The country is a hidden gem, amidst war-torn countries like Syria, Iraq, S.Arabia not even for a moment we felt unsafe walking Jordanian streets, the people, the culture is beautiful, the country's stunning landscape, history leaves me mesmerized and wanting for more. The country is tourist-friendly, Travco Jordan, Anshul -Passionate Discoveries ( our travel agents) have been equally professional, responsive and acted positively to make our trip, a successful one. Highly recommended group tour !!