Utmost Professionalism and Detail

Jordan | Sep 5 - Sep 11, 2023

We opted for a custom tour with KimKim. Samir was our online contact; Mohammed was our driver for the week. Both made our trip to Jordan one of the books. Highly recommend them.

Samir was responsive (got back to us within a few hours) and patient with our various requests and preferences (it took us about two months on and off to finalize our trip). Mohammed was engaging, informative, and just as patient with us on the road; we never felt rushed with him.

Our week-long itinerary involved time in Amman, Petra, Wadi Rum, and the Dead Sea. Samir finetuned our itinerary to our preferences, always answering our questions and making changes for our review without hesitation. We rarely travel the “meet us with a sign and take us around” style, but we did for this trip and all details were handled for us: hotel check-ins, guide intros, and excursion tickets. We didn’t have a single hiccup in 6 days and 650 miles of driving (even when we were late by an hour one morning).

We didn’t need the fanciest hotels as we planned to be out and about during our short week in Jordan. We wanted close proximity to attractions and Samir honored our wishes even if he thought other hotels would have been more comfortable, which we appreciated. In Amman, the Art Hotel is 3-star, so manage your expectations. It’s in the heart of King Faisal Square and close to the downtown attractions. Staff was always pleasant. For Petra, we stayed at the Petra Palace Hotel in Wadi Musa, which was a bit dated but offered amenities such as two pools, spa with massage, full-service bar, and breakfast. It was within walking distance to Petra and we would stay there again even if it isn’t the shiniest hotel (we woke up late another morning and got to breakfast at closing, but they still set us up with a table by one of the pools). Our splurge was a Martian tent in Wadi Rum at Mayazen Rum Camp. We had all the modern amenities: AC, nonstop running hot water, and even an outdoor hot tub. We even got to see sunrise from our bed through the panoramic window. The staff was also pleasant and attentive. The restaurant served good traditional and foreign food; we always had more than we could eat.

Amman is a lively city with a lot to see and do from tourist sites to restaurants, cafes, and shops. We love a good shisha when in the Middle East and Amman had two great options at Faisal Cafe and Nara Cafe. We wish we had more time there. Petra is a bit touristy and the local vendors can take away from the experience, but it is hard to deny its allure. We went to Petra at Night and despite mixed reviews, we recommend going. How often can you walk The Siq at night underneath the moon and stars? Check out Old Street Cafe on a side street off Tourism St, excellent food and service. The Dead Sea is a must do, but we went in early September and it was hot (100 degrees - the air temperature, not the water). Hope you’re lucky and a tour bus (or several) don’t arrive at the same time you are there. The surge of people all trying to get their floating pictures can get annoying, but fortunately for us, it was too hot out for most people. Still, where else can you float without even trying? Wadi Rum was our favorite stop. We stayed two nights and did a sunset 4x4 tour and a 1/2-day 4x4 tour… two different experiences you should have. We also opted for a sunset camel ride for our last night and it was surreal to cross the red sands of the Wadi Rum with the landscape on the horizon. We appreciated how beautiful, and peaceful, our planet can be. All of this arranged through KimKim.

Thank you, KimKim, Samir, and Mohammed!