Kimkim Trip Reviews for Jordan

Overall we had a great trip. Unfortunately we had two night in Ajloun which were dreadful. We were so cold we slept in most of our clothes (coats, scarves and hats), there was no running water and nobody else staying there so clearly everyone else knew that it’s not a great place in winter so I was disappointed that we had x2 nights there. We missed out on two other places which were on our itinerary; Lots cave (because it was closed that day) and bush walk on our last day because our driver didn’t know about it.

We are really glad we booked our trip through KimKim and Carmen. We had a great holiday and enjoyed the interesting experiences Carmen organised that were tailored to our preferences and not just the standard package. We think having an in-country travel agent who is able to network with the local people and find slightly different experiences and accomodation makes a big difference. We particualrly enjoyed our trekking and homestay with Eisa in Ajlun and staying with Gail at the Little B&B on the Hll in Petra. Our driver Yahya was very friendly and helpful and had excellent English. The support from Carmen and the ops team was prompt and effective when we had any queries, again we think working with an in-country agency made a difference.

We thought Jerash was fabulous - give yourselves enough time to walk around the whole site, particularly to the north gate as it has some of the best sections of road and column. While you're at Jerash we recommend going for lunch at the Lebanese House, it really is rather good.

In Madaba take the time to visit some of the other mosaics, don't just do the map and go!

Petra is way more than just the Treasury. If you take the time to walk around and particularly take the side trail to the Place of High Sacrifice you get to see many more sites and you can go into them, and without the crowds.

We had a fabulous trip. Jordan is very beautiful and the trip enabled us to see its great beauty. Our driver was extremely helpful, had great english and a wonderful love of his country as well as a new and very reliable car. He was willing to give us as much information and colour as we asked for which was plenty. He also tuned in quickly to how we wished to engage as tourists, and happily took us to more out of the way places to eat which we loved. The highlights were Petra and Wadi Rum. While we enjoyed the drive through the desert we would not visit the Dead Sea again..nothing there to do really and might have been better to extend the stay at Wadi Rum

Kim Kim did a great job and the office was always accessible if needed ( although we didn’t,need them as the trip was so smooth)

To begin with Tamara and the Why Jordan team did a comprehensive and very professional service from itinerary to drop off at the airport. At no time did we feel unsure of procedures or plans for the next day which is in direct contrast to our experience in Egypt.
Our driver/guide Mohamed Ali was all you could ask for. His attention to detail, protectiveness to our family, detailed explanations of sites and customs and flexibility to our whims throughout is a great credit to your company and countrymen, a real gentleman in the old-fashioned sense. We would not hesitate to recommend Kim Kim, Why Jordan and specifically Mohamed Ali to friends and family.
Regarding other guides, both guides in Jaresh and Petra were well informed, courteous and entertaining, excellent. Our guide for the day in Wadi Rum was lazy( never left his car to guide us), had limited English and the filthiest car I have ever been in... a real disappointment. Our bbq lunch in the desert was a meal on plastic chairs in a deserted old camp. Why would we prefer lunch in an ugly place compared to our night camp. In such an amazing place to see it in such a disappointing way lets you and your team down badly. An open LandRover and small fire under the shelter of some rocks away from civilization was all we wanted to enjoy the charm of such a desert place... disappointing.
Richard Allen

Experience Jordan did a great job with our group and we have no hesitation in recommending them. Raisa was very helpful in sorting out the inevitable pre-trip niggles. Once we got onto the trail the guys running the camp were excellent and the food was wonderful. For sure the only way to arrive at Petra is via the hiking trail from the north.

The real star of the show was our guide Jawad. Do not hike Jordan without this guy! David.

Our trip to Jordan was great but we encountered glitches almost everyday we needed a driver to go to a different location.

On day 2, there was first a conflict because we were told the driver would be there at 8am but he was told 9am. Unfortunately he was then in an accident and could no longer be our driver. Company sent a new driver but we lost almost 3 hours that day, losing precious time, not allowing time for us to visit little Petra that day.

When it was time for us to leave Petra to go to Wadi Rum, again we waited for our driver who was provided the wrong hotel name. once we contacted Lena, she contacted the driver who then came to the right hotel. We lost again precious time.

in Wadi Rum, we had booked a horse back ride. Once we got to our tent site, they did not have us listed as horse back riding and instead had us booked for camel ride/ We asked to still do horse back. The next day we were brought to do horse back riding. After the ride someone came and asked that we pay for our ride. Our driver had to get involved and eventually someone fro the company had to come and pay cash for the horse back riding. We again lost almost 2 hours of sight seeing time.

Otherwise, the sites were beautiful although Petra was awfully crowded.....

Our trip to Jordan was perfect. Every detail was taking care of by Tamara and her team. We were taking care of from the moment we arrived until the moment we left. No complaints at all. It was a wonderful trip from start to end thanks to the detailed planning and assistant from Tamara and her wonderful guides. Loved it. Highly recommend.

Overall, we had a wonderful experience on our 12 day tour of Jordan. Lena did a great job planning our itinerary with us. We had different drivers which we were not expecting at the beginning of the trip but need up having Haithan for 6 days at the end and really enjoyed working with him! He was a super guide, went out of his way to introduce us to new restaurants, new experiences, was always on time and shared interesting information with us and was very flexible.

We would definitely book with you again!

Many thanks,

Cassie Carroll

We found dealing with Raisa very easy and she responding promptly to all our questions in the planning and lead up to this trip. The itinerary was very comprehensive and busy which suited us although with hindsight we did miss out on a few things (Guide in Jerash) and a tour of Amman which was not included. Some of the hotels were not up to a standard that we would like and in need of maintenance (faulty leaking showers) but overall we had a terrific trip.

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...