Kimkim Trip Reviews for Jordan

Highlights: Wadi Rum, Jerash; Okay-lights: Petra, Dead Sea, the driver, the hotels; Lowlight: Aqaba.

Wadi Rum was by far the main highlight of the trip that absolutely exceeded our expectations. The place is indescribably beautiful, and the Aicha Memories Luxury Camp had the best accommodation and the best food of the entire trip. Jerash was the second favourite – quite surprisingly!

Azzam was an excellent, professional driver. He was particularly courteous towards the end of the trip. He couldn't answer some of our questions, not sure if it was due to lack of knowledge or lack of English, but generally his service was very good. Usually we drove in complete silence, no talking or music. Azzam didn't quite follow the timings and itinerary we were given in Vamoos (e.g. we didn’t go to the Karak castle, but we went to Mount Nebo and a church in Madaba instead), perhaps for the better? I also had to remind Azzam to take us to Hejaz Railway.

Overall, we would have liked more information, particularly on things to do and things not to do, and especially when we were left alone. E.g. in Petra – what routes to take, what sights to see, which routes are more (or less) strenuous, is the ride with horses included in the ticket or not (because every Bedouin was shouting a different thing), can we trust the Bedouins to take us up to various viewpoints, how about the camel and the donkey rides, how much should we pay them, etc. I also only later found out that Petra opens earlier, so it would have been nicer to start the trip earlier to avoid the crowds or perhaps even see the sunrise.

Aqaba was a disaster. When we arrived at noon, we were too late to go on any boat trips that day, and we didn't have enough time to do the trip the following day since we had to leave at noon again. And yet snorkelling was in our itinerary, so I'm not sure how we were meant to fit it in. Worse was that we were not advised by In2Jordan that the public beach is not advisable for tourists. We were harassed at the public beach by the locals (note: we were dressed!), and even after we left the beach 10 minutes after entering, we got followed by two scary local guys for a good half an hour until we finally managed to lose them. Our hotel told us we could pay extra to enter a private beach of another hotel nearby, but with 1 hour left to sunset, it was not worth it anymore. Surely if the point was to relax by the sea, the agency should have informed us of these crucial details in advance of the trip, i.e. don’t go to the public beach, note the prices of private beaches (or, ideally, book a hotel with a private beach) and note timing of snorkelling trips while planning itinerary. Finally, leaving Aqaba for New Year’s Eve was also a bad idea, since the hotel only had a really badly organised evening with an overpriced buffet where not a single dish was nice, and we didn’t feel too safe going out in the city in the dark. So, it would have been more memorable, had we spent it in Wadi Rum.

Small note regarding Jordan Pass: I explicitly asked which pass to buy, since the Wanderer (the cheapest) covers 1 day in Petra, and the Explorer – 2 days, and we had 1 afternoon in little Petra and 1 day in “main” Petra in the itinerary. We were advised to get the Jordan Explorer pass, but we could have bought the cheapest pass since little Petra is free of charge… It’s not a huge amount of money, but still, In2Jordan / Carmen should have known better.

Regarding other hotels: the Hayat Zaman 5* hotel in Petra was very atmospheric and we expected it to be the best, but it was the only hotel in the entire trip without air conditioning or wifi in rooms. At the reception, they told us about a 24/7 pool, but the pool hadn’t been cleaned or used for months and the whole area was locked; the food was very good though. Regarding other accommodation, hotel in Madaba was very poor (looks and food wise), but the staff was lovely and helpful; the Dead Sea hotel was clearly catered for large tourist groups and generally only had bad food.

Overall it felt like the itinerary was more suited for large tour groups than a family except for the time we spent in Wadi Rum, and we missed the added value of getting that insider information by booking from a local agency as opposed to doing it ourselves. Still, we enjoyed it greatly, bar the issues I’ve mentioned above that made the trip ever to slightly more tiresome than it needed to be.

Jamileh was our guide and we loved her. She offered information and insight that we couldn’t have found in a book. Jamileh let us set the pace when walking, but made sure we saw everything we were promised.
Our driver Hassan was so nice and helpful too. We definitely could not have driven in Jordan, having a driver was a must!
The country of Jordan was beautiful, the natural landscapes were breathtaking. The ruins and sites we visited were truly “once in a lifetime “ moments.
Raisa was great to work with, she answered my questions promptly and provided reassurance about our trip.
We loved our trip to Jordan!
Nathalie Leifermann

The entire trip from start to finish was beyond brilliant . Our driver Mohammed was so knowledgeable and catered to our needs . A highlight of the trip was Wadi Rum Jeep tour . Thank you Amanda for your seamless and stress free travel plans.

Lena was excellent! She was patient and put together an amazing trip and experience for us. She was prompt in her replies and provided expert opinion. There wasn't anything that we would have done different except extend our trip! The accommodations that were arranged were fabulous. The activities and suggestions for itinerary definitely enhanced our experience. Would recommend Lena to anyone looking to travel through Jordan and Israel. For anyone traveling to both who cross the boarder into Israel, ensure you have cash left for the exit tax!

Overall it was a fantastic trip. We covered a lot of ground in a very short period of time, and it was flawless as a result of the efforts of the team, and in particular Akram. From the moment we landed until our drop off back at the airport, the team worked hard to ensure that our trip was as memorable as possible....and it was.

Our trip to Jordan was beyond anything we could have imagined. From the “Grand Canyon”, Mt. Nebo, Wadi Rum and Petra, the landscapes were unforgettable. Our driver Akrem made it all come alive. He is so knowledgeable. He saw to our every need, and took us to places off the beaten path. Please give him a raise Carmen.!
KimKim does a good job of connecting with local agencies, and Lena from In2Jordan put together an amazing itinerary. Our only complaint was with one driver (George) in Israel. He needed a lot of improvement in his English speaking and comprehension, and should have at least known the names of the sites he took us to. Martin Handal, our guide in Bethlehem, did a great job. We're not sure what the purpose of dining in a local home in Wadi Musa served, but the “upsidedown” was delicious.
Maybe printed instructions for border crossings, and encouraging travelers to make sure they have WhatsApp or similar for storing all driver/guide numbers would be beneficial.

I am telling everyone that if they make one trip -go to Jordan and make sure Akrem is your driver!!!
Thanks Lena and Akrem!!!

Jordan is an example to us all of getting along no matter what your religion!

We bought last minute tickets for Jordan, so we did not have time to organize it by ourselves so we decided to pick Carmen as our travel organizer. We only had 3 and a half day and manage to see everything that was our "must do places". Thanks to our driver Azzam, we did not feel tired at all and were enjoying our stay in Jordan to the fullest! Accommodations were also great and near to the everything. Especially we liked our stay in aisha luxury camp where we went stargazing! And the staff there was also amazing!

I would recommend Carmen to everyone who wants more free time on their vacation and for those who dont want to worry how their trip is gonna look like in the end.

Dina

The entire experience was awesome! Lena took care of the Jordan side, and Daniela handled Israel. Both did an amazing job of building a schedule that allowed us to see the key sites that each country had to offer - some of which we wouldn't have seen without their insight. We put our trust in Lena and Daniela and they definitely delivered! Having found Kimkim via a Google search, I was a little skeptical at first that it would work out, but there was far more understanding of our needs than the local travel agent we spoke with in the US who had no experience of the region.

In Jordan we saw Mount Nebo, Madaba, Karak, Wadi Rum, Aqaba, Petra (including dinner with a local family, which was an inspiringly positive experience), and the Dead Sea. Petra and Wadi Rum were outstanding, and while we had 1 day in Petra it really takes 3 to see everything. Our driver, Mohammad, was excellent, and provided neat insights as we drove around. Finishing at the Dead Sea Spa and Hotel was a perfect way to end the Jordan tour. The only lowlight was making our way through the border crossing north of the Dead Sea from Jordan to Israel. We were unaware that there would be an exit tax (10JD per person), plus fees to take ourselves and our luggage on a bus to get to the other side. This experience was frustrating (everyone else making the crossing was just as bewildered), particularly as we'd used our remaining JD to tip our driver. But overall, Jordan was fabulous!

Israel was also fabulous - rich in history and culture, and perhaps more familiar or comfortable to western hemisphere visitors. We spent 3 nights in Jerusalem and 3 in Tel Aviv. Rather than having a personal driver as we did in Jordan, this time we were shuttled to join small group (20 people) tours, which included Jericho, Bethlehem, Old Jerusalem, Nazareth, Galilee, Rosh Hanikra, Caesarea, Acre and Haifa, with some down time in Tel Aviv on our last full day. It was amazing to see so many different things, as well as being right on the Mediterranean.

We would revisit both countries in a heartbeat, and wouldn't think about using anyone other than Kimkim to do so!

Carmen did a very impressive service in organizing our trip to Jordan. We had a wonderful stay in Jordan because of all her efforts in catering our suggested itineraries. Thanks a lot Carmen.

Hakam,our dirver is very friendly, goes out of his way to make us both very comfortable during the whole trip. We felt very safe and had a great time seeing the tourist spots in Jordan because of him. He’s such a gentleman and so far he is one of the best driver we’ve known. Thanks Hakam :)

Tamara was an excellent specialist - she worked within our budget, and made sure we saw all the sights we wanted to in Jordan. I was impressed with the itinerary, and loved every one of our drivers. Our hand-offs were smooth, and all of the drivers and guides were incredible! Other than the hotel in Petra (which was just old) the lodging at each stop was fantastic. Tamara even accommodated a last minute change to our arrival time, without blinking an eye. She was amazing, and I was so happy we went with KimKim!

This was an AWESOME trip! Extremely well organized, both of our guides were knowledgeable and friendly, the scenery was spectacular, and Petra is indeed one of the wonders of the world. Don't be fooled; this hike is not an idle ramble in the countryside; it's more a Seal Team Six exercise in some of the most austere scenery I've ever seen. But, when you finally get to Petra, you feel you've really earned it. Now I'm going to sleep for a few days...

The process of booking was easy. But I was very disappointed in the tour. While the tour of Petra was a must-do, the price for the experience was not equal to the value. Our guide was nice and pleasant and stayed with us 2.5 hours. She connected us to a young friend to provide rides up the mountain. After she left, he tried to scam for more money. We finished our walk up and down ourself. The price of entry to the park, 2.5 hours of tour and a buffet lunch did not really equal the $185 in value.
I will not recommend this tour to any others.

Mehmood and Habu were a great company and very helpful. They were very friendly and patient in guiding our big group.

Carmen set up a trip of a lifetime for our family. We were impressed with every aspect of our journey. From our driver, hotel rooms, and general itinerary - all of it was superb.

Our driver (Haitham Shaltoot) was way more than just a driver. Immediately upon greeting us at the airport he was asking us our likes and dislikes for food, and what we expected from our visit to Jordan. He became our driver, cultural adviser, and tour guide. Without Haitham our trip would have been great, but with him our trip turned into something special that we will always remember. He was great with both of our boys (5 and 10), and ensured that they were always included. We were all saddened to say goodbye to him at the airport on our last day - he had become part of the family.

We met a tremendous guide at Little Petra (Qassim Mohammad). Qassim led us through Little Petra and we were so impressed that we asked him to lead us through the desert to the Monastery at Petra. Qassim not only led us to the Monastery, but he also explained all of the wildlife and vegetation along our journey. We all learned a great deal from Quassim specifically about the Bedouin way of life. He got along so well with our children that he invited us over for dinner after our visit to Petra. His whole family showed us tremendous hospitality and my wife was able to get the experience of our dreams - learning how to cook Arab food from an Arab woman.

I cannot recommend Carmen enough - you cannot go wrong working with her.

Brad

We enjoyed our trip to Jordan very much. It was very well planned out. We got to see and experience everything on our list! It was a fast pace, but did allow some down time for a bit of relaxation at the Red Sea and Dead Sea.

Our guide at Petra, Merriam, was exceptional! She invited us to dinner at her sister's house, which allowed us to experience true Bedouin hospitalty.

Our drivers were competent and experienced. We only wish their use of mobile phones during driving was less frequent.

The hotels were occasionally disappointing. The Grand Hotel in Madaba was especially shabby. However, we really enjoyed the Wadi Rum Aicha Camp!

We had an amazing trip to Jordan and Israel everything was planned perfectly and worked like clockwork so thankyou for that. We saw everything we wanted to and a lot more.
Our two drivers Mo'ayed in Jordan and Monther in Israel were fantastic - nothing was too much trouble they were always on time and very efficient, informative and very pleasant, please pass on our thanks to them they really made the holiday. Our jeep safari of Wadi Rum was very enjoyable what an adventure! as was the entertainment in the Dead Sea and the desert camp.

However we were disappointed by the quality of a number of the hotels we stayed in, as you know we asked to be moved from the Rum Al Waleed for which we were grateful as we were due to stay 4 nights - this hotel was dark, dingy and dirty and Breakfast was very basic. I would highly recommend that you do not put other tourists in that hotel. The Corp which you moved us to was superb and much more the standard we were expecting so thank you for that.

The Grand Court in Jerusalem was also very good, and we enjoyed our stay there.
The Dead Sea Spa was ok but just tired and in need of a refurb and it showed it was tatty and unloved, the food was also not great.
Our desert camp likewise tired and basic - whilst we were expecting a Bedouin camp experience not a 5 star hotel it again had seen better days. The food was very good however! The sister hotel to it in Aqaba was better and we enjoyed our stay there.
The hotel in Petra La Maison the same our room was really tatty and basic.
I can understand that when you are used to using the same hotels some of these things can go unnoticed however you should be checking on your clients experiences and the facilities on offer- with such a wide range of hotels in the area to choose from I would strongly recommend you review your choices.
That said we had a fantastic holiday and with the above caveat would recommend you to others looking to explore this fascinating part of the world.

Thank you for a very well organised and memorable trip!

Everything was great especially our wonderful driver Mohammad who was very informative about the areas we were visiting as well as Jordan in general. We would have liked a bit more time at the dead sea as we arrived at 230 pm and left at 8am the next day. It was a wonderful experience except for our hotel in Petra , the Candles hotel is an absolute dump. We were initially given a room I wouldn't have housed a dog in and the replacement was much better but still way below the standard expected.

Our family of five tried KimKim.com for the first time to help us plan our one week trip to Jordan.

Carmen showed great flexibility and willingness to adapt to our (changing) requirements until we had an itinerary fitting our wishes and budget.

On site in Jordan, things worked nicely and without hickups with regards to booked activities, over night stays and drivers/guides.

All in all a very good experience!

Thank you
/Jonas Adolfsson

We loved the trip. Going to Jordan was a wonderful experience.
There were surprises. One was how long the travel took. Knowing the time frame better in advance would have settled some of our mild anxiety. We were surprised it took all day to get to Wadi Rum and arrived almost at dusk. But the camel ride was waiting and everything ended up perfectly.
Our guide was very good, but she held the mike too close to her mouth and some of her narrative was distorted by the sound on the bus, but that was a fairly minor issue.
The accommodations in Wadi Rum were wonderful, better than expected and the food was very good. Sitting by the fire and experiencing the singing and dancing there at night was a treat. The jeep ride next am was great fun and the scenery incredible.
Petra was magnificent. The hike was long and wearing, and the prospect of coming back on horseback or by carriage was impaired by gouging prices by the carriage drivers and too short a horse ride, so we just walked. We were most thankful for an honest boy who found the backpack I absentmindedly left on the trail. The police escort with us was a godsend as he contacted the police office there and located the backpack, all intact.
Hotel and food in Amman were great. Overall a great experience.

The trip was a blast. Our driver Amjad was personable and professional. My only critique is that there was not enough time to do this trip properly. If I did it again, I would skip the Wadi Rum and spend more time in the other locations. We spent a long time driving just for a couple of hours touring the Wadi Rum. Otherwise, it is a good overview of some of the spectacular highlights of Jordan.