Profile photo for Andy Nurse
2869 messages

Andy Nurse

I truly enjoy supporting travel to Jordan: a country of remarkable hospitality, history, and landscapes. From being offered tea countless times, to a meal with a local family, to Petra, Wadi Rum, and the Dead Sea-- Jordan has something incredible to offer. Given the often broad-brush painted over the region, when you come here and experience the amazing sites and people, your perspective is bound to be altered. Mine certainly has, and that transformation is my favorite part.

What places and activities do you specialize in?

""We specialize in adventure and experiential tours of the Middle East, particularly Jordan and Israel Palestine, offering hiking, biking and experiential sightseeing tours. Our experienced guides will take you off the beaten path, to see the real highlights of the region, meeting the people, experiencing the hospitality and tasting the delights of the Middle East.

We aim to be the best inbound tour operator in the region, offering you the perfect trip, tailored to your specific requirements at affordable prices, with excellent customer service.

We know you’ll love our trips, because they are all the result of our own adventures around the region, sharing all the authentic treasures we have found and love. All the Experience Jordan team love exploring and we’re here to help you create the perfect tour for your needs, whether it’s sightseeing, hiking, cycling or family adventures. Do you want to stay with a local family, camp out under the stars in the desert, learn to cook Arabic food, explore the markets, ride a camel, engage with the people and even learn some Arabic greetings? Our international team has travelled the world, so we know what it’s like to be travellers, so we aim to give you outstanding service and include the best practices we’ve learned global into our trips.

As part of our commitment to the people of Jordan, we continue to pioneer new tours and experiences to create jobs and generate income for our local partners throughout the country, both in Amman, but also in the rural communities and Bedouin families across Jordan.""

How did you get involved in travel?

"While in college I did an 8-week international development program in Nicaragua, the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. While there, I realized the development work we were doing had limited impact, but the experience for me was life changing. Living in homestays in a developing country, learning a language on the ground, hiking, and other off-the-beaten path adventures were tremendously valuable experiences– and importantly value that could be (and was) capitalized to benefit the local communities. In Nicaragua, I learned through experience the mutual benefit of community-based tourism. "

Please share a unique travel experience you will never forget.

"I first moved to Jordan with a just a backpack and an interview promise, crossing my fingers that things would work out. The interview with Experience Jordan went well and I was given an amazing first assignment: a 10-day cycling and camping trip from the north to the south of the country to develop the Jordan Bike Trail (http://jordanbiketrail.com/)."

Andy is part of the following groups: Jordan Travel Agents
Top itineraries and travel advice

Recent trip reviews for Andy

Dana to Petra Trek - Hiking from Dana to Petra in Jordan - 9 Days
Jordan | Oct 6 - Oct 13, 2018

D
david h.
Hong Kong | Reviewed on Jan 16, 2019

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.

Local specialist: Andy Nurse
Andy
Andy Nurse
Local specialist in Jordan | Replied on Jan 20, 2019

Thanks David :) Raisa and Jawad really are two great coworkers and I was happy to receive their assistance for your trip! I heard from Jawad that you all were a fun group to to guide. It's nice to also hear that your group had a great trip and some of the guys are thinking of coming back! Best of luck on your future hiking adventures.

Dana to Petra Trek - Hiking from Dana to Petra in Jordan - 9 Days
Jordan | Nov 9 - Nov 17, 2018

V
Valleesh A.
United Kingdom | Reviewed on Nov 24, 2018

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

Local specialist: Andy Nurse
Andy
Andy Nurse
Local specialist in Jordan | Replied on Nov 29, 2018

Thanks Valleesh.

We chose Mahmood and Habu one of our best hiking guide teams to guide your hiking trip due to the large size of your group. I am really happy to hear that you enjoyed spending your trip with them!

Dana to Petra Trek - 9 Days
Jordan | Oct 14 - Nov 1, 2018

F
fern k.
Canada | Reviewed on Nov 04, 2018
The itinerary turned out to be a bit too much driving in the first few days. The drive from Ajloun to Wadi Hasa was tough - thought it was booked this way because of tight scheduling at wadi Hasa but that in fact didn’t seem to be the case?? The backtrack to Amman after the wadi also seemed unnecessary just to turn around and head back south again. Raisa was awesome at making some last minute changes and updates. Islam was the best- really enjoyed the wadi with him. He needs to NOT bring... Read more

The itinerary turned out to be a bit too much driving in the first few days. The drive from Ajloun to Wadi Hasa was tough - thought it was booked this way because of tight scheduling at wadi Hasa but that in fact didn’t seem to be the case?? The backtrack to Amman after the wadi also seemed unnecessary just to turn around and head back south again.

Raisa was awesome at making some last minute changes and updates.

Islam was the best- really enjoyed the wadi with him. He needs to NOT bring so many heavy cans for everyone to haul‼️ Appreciated him giving up his tent to us when we found ourselves without. The lunch after the hike at safir? Was awesome.

The hike from Dana to Petra was so awesome ‼️‼️ It would have been so much better if we were given an historical guide rather than an adventure guide( Mirwan was really nice but knew not much of any history of geographical details). Our local guide was very quiet but knowledgeable when you asked him questions - he just didn’t offer up much spontaneously. Happily the scenery was stunning and made up for some of the shortcomings of our guides. Food along the hike was awesome except for Dana which was soso.
Might suggest that before the bag lunches are packed they ask if we do or do not want certain things. I don’t drink juice or pop and carried the extra weight a couple of times before learning to check the lunch before we started hiking so I could leave the unnecessary weight behind.

The souvenir shop near Madaba that Mohammed took us to felt weird. The people in there weresuper pushy and aggressive and I kind of got pressured into buying stuff that I look back on and feel it was a bit of a spoiler for our visit to the area.

Mohammed was always on time but could have been more helpful with baggage. He’s also a bit aggressive on the road and drives very fast - there were no close calls but going so fast while he was texting made me feel a little nervous

The Red Sea and Dead Sea were awesome. Also liked um Qais but a guide here ( which we hired on our own) is essential to really get the most of the visit. Should just automatically book a guide for guests - Mohammed had no clue how important a guide was and we almost didn’t hire one.

Petra was awesome. Just the right amount of time there.

Wadi rum was great but we had one day too many as we did the two days of itinerary in 1

Local specialist: Andy Nurse
Andy
Andy Nurse
Local specialist in Jordan | Replied on Nov 15, 2018
Thank your fern for your feedback. I have sent it to Raisa as well. Yes, driving logistics and getting good hotels out of of Amman are always tough logistics for Jordan tours given the layout of sights. I am very happy that Raisa and you were in communication throughout the to make the best of last minute updates given the weather circumstances. We very much appreciate your detailed feedback. We'll be sure to address that for our future tours. Lastly, we really enjoyed being able to host... Read more

Thank your fern for your feedback. I have sent it to Raisa as well.

Yes, driving logistics and getting good hotels out of of Amman are always tough logistics for Jordan tours given the layout of sights. I am very happy that Raisa and you were in communication throughout the to make the best of last minute updates given the weather circumstances.

We very much appreciate your detailed feedback. We'll be sure to address that for our future tours.

Lastly, we really enjoyed being able to host you in Jordan. It was a pleasure communicating back and forth with you throughout the planning process and the tour itself.

Experience Jordan Tour - 8 Days
Jordan | Oct 9 - Oct 15, 2018

A
Anne C.
Cincinnati, OH | Reviewed on Oct 17, 2018

Andy was very accommodating and was very good with the follow up. Once The trip was booked, we did not hear back from Andy or Kimkim. I wrote to them about days before the trip was to begin and at that time I received a handout of what to expect when we arrived in Amman. I wish the materials were forwarded earlier and without having to ask for them.

Local specialist: Andy Nurse
Andy
Andy Nurse
Local specialist in Jordan | Replied on Oct 21, 2018

Hi Anne,

Thanks for your feedback. I have noted your comment and will make sure to send out pre-trip details earlier.

Israel
Israel | Jun 15 - Jun 24, 2018

J
Jeremy H.
Canada | Reviewed on Jul 03, 2018

Overall itinerary was great. Monther Salah, our guide in Israel was fabulous and we had two guides in Jordan, Ahmed and Seyeal, who were equally good.

Highlights included: Jerusalem Old City; Masada; Sea of Galilee; Tel Aviv; Amman; Kerak; Petra and Wadi Rum.

Local specialist: Andy Nurse
Andy
Andy Nurse
Local specialist in Jordan | Replied on Jul 05, 2018

Thanks Jeremy, it is always great to hear when our clients enjoy the highlight of the Holy Land across Jordan and Israel / Palestine. There are so many great sights in this region and I am happy you enjoyd Monther Salah's service. He is a valued partner of ours.

Best wishes and enjoy your future travels!

Custom day trip to Petra
Jordan | May 29 - May 29, 2018

M
Marisa J.
Hayward, CA | Reviewed on Jun 16, 2018
Our trip to Petra and Wadi Rum was one of the most memorable, and it was very much thanks to outstanding planning by Andy. I was trying to communicate with local tour operators to schedule a very specific, customized private tour and was not very successful doing so. I ran into the KimKim team and gave it a shot, best thing I could have possibly done. Our trip was surprisingly smooth, everything was scheduled impeccably and the itinerary executed flawlessly. Andy captured my vision, and... Read more

Our trip to Petra and Wadi Rum was one of the most memorable, and it was very much thanks to outstanding planning by Andy. I was trying to communicate with local tour operators to schedule a very specific, customized private tour and was not very successful doing so. I ran into the KimKim team and gave it a shot, best thing I could have possibly done.

Our trip was surprisingly smooth, everything was scheduled impeccably and the itinerary executed flawlessly. Andy captured my vision, and delivered exactly what I was looking for. We started our day in Tel Aviv, visited Petra, and spent the night under the stars in Wadi Rum in a beautiful camp. The following morning we admired Wadi Rum and all it has to offer during the day. I also want to thank our Jordan-based driver, Ali, who was nothing short of amazing. He really made us feel very welcome and was accommodating to our needs throughout the trip. I was amazed at this hospitality and professionalism.

To Andy, Ali and the other local operators: thank you!

Local specialist: Andy Nurse
Andy
Andy Nurse
Local specialist in Jordan | Replied on Jun 18, 2018

Hi Marissa,

Thank you so much. It feels great to organize truly memorable experiences for our guests and introduce them to some authentic Arab hospitality. Thanks for coming to the region and we are thrilled to hear that us at the Experience Jordan / Kimkim team were able to make this trip smooth and enjoyable.

Keep traveling!

Highlights of Jordan & Israel: 9 Day Itinerary
Jordan | May 27 - Jun 5, 2018

W
william n.
| Reviewed on Jun 07, 2018

Guides were great, in particular Jerusalem guide. Drivers were great, Jordan driver was very funny/full of knowledge and you can tell he really enjoys his job. When we experienced a bad hotel and had to change in Tel Aviv, Walid was great. He assured us the company would reimburse us and that their first priority is to take care of customers. I will discuss the hotel in an email/further on this, was our only bad experience, but was quite bad, unfortunately. Hotels in Jordan and Jerusalem were great, and wadi rum was really great as well.

Local specialist: Andy Nurse
Andy
Andy Nurse
Local specialist in Jordan | Replied on Jul 23, 2018

Thanks William, Its great to hear that the different people who were on the tour really helped make the trip a nice experience. We work very hard to make sure we have the best guides and drivers in Jordan.

It looks like the hotel we have been using has slipped a bit recently so we are changing our hotel package for Tel Aviv to avoid that issue. I am happy that you enjoyed the highlights of Jordan and Israel and I enjoyed organizing this trip with you.

Two week end to two month stay in Israel
Jordan | Apr 13 - Apr 24, 2018

K
Karen S.
Canada | Reviewed on May 01, 2018
We were very happy with all of the arrangements made by Kimkim. Our drivers and guides, both city and hiking were excellent . They were warm and welcoming and all went beyond the call of duty making extra stops where they thought appropriate. We learnt a great deal about modern day Jordan from them . Of special note were Fahdi ( Abu Hamza), Fawaz and Bilal. The hike from Dana to Feynan and from Little Petra to Petra were especially memorable and we will treasure our memories of our stays at... Read more

We were very happy with all of the arrangements made by Kimkim. Our drivers and guides, both city and hiking were excellent . They were warm and welcoming and all went beyond the call of duty making extra stops where they thought appropriate. We learnt a great deal about modern day Jordan from them . Of special note were Fahdi ( Abu Hamza), Fawaz and Bilal. The hike from Dana to Feynan and from Little Petra to Petra were especially memorable and we will treasure our memories of our stays at the Dana Guest House and the Feynan Ecolodge . The home hospitality meal was a great addition to the itinerary. Thank you Andy for always keeping us informed of pickups and arranging the last minute drive to Amman from Aqaba.

Local specialist: Andy Nurse
Andy
Andy Nurse
Local specialist in Jordan | Replied on May 04, 2018

Thanks Karen! I love the different notes you made about the trip. I really enjoyed setting up your trip and working with you on the best itinerary. You experienced some gems with Feynan Ecolodge, Dana Guest House and the meal with a local family!

Jordan
Jordan | Apr 11 - Apr 16, 2018

J
Justin T.
Thailand | Reviewed on Apr 24, 2018

Great support by Andy. Local guide, Waleed, had very in-depth knowledge and was able to show us exactly what we were looking for.

Local specialist: Andy Nurse
Andy
Andy Nurse
Local specialist in Jordan | Replied on Jun 04, 2018

Thanks Justin. I was happy to support your trip to Jordan and I am very pleased to hear that you liked your guide Waleed.

Content Research Trip - Writer & Editor for kimkim
Jordan | Mar 19 - Mar 31, 2018

Jennifer
Jennifer K.
Los Angeles, CA | Reviewed on Apr 24, 2018
I'm the Head of Content at kimkim, and booked the first half of my recent trip to Jordan with Andy from Experience Jordan. A major goal of my trip was research for original article ideas, and my criteria was challenging. Andy did an amazing job of curating unique activities in Amman and throughout Northern Jordan that lived up to my "off the beaten path" standards. Two favorite memories come to mind from my trip. I loved the hike that Andy arranged in the Ayoun area of Northern Jordan,... Read more

I'm the Head of Content at kimkim, and booked the first half of my recent trip to Jordan with Andy from Experience Jordan. A major goal of my trip was research for original article ideas, and my criteria was challenging. Andy did an amazing job of curating unique activities in Amman and throughout Northern Jordan that lived up to my "off the beaten path" standards.

Two favorite memories come to mind from my trip. I loved the hike that Andy arranged in the Ayoun area of Northern Jordan, complete with a local guide and home-cooked Jordanian lunch. The day before my hike, the length of the hike had to be shortened significantly to accommodate a meeting I had later that afternoon. Andy was able to quickly make the change and worked with the hiking guide to find a shorter route that was still beautiful and enjoyable.

Andy also booked a tour of the winery facility at Eagle Distilleries, the oldest distillery in Jordan. It was so special to chat with the winery director, who was so passionate about his work, and to sample some of the best wines made in Jordan. These tours are now available to the public, and getting a sneak peek was a treat!

Thank you so much Andy for your incredible flexibility and responsiveness during my trip (and for making my border crossings from Israel so seamless)!!

Local specialist: Andy Nurse
Andy
Andy Nurse
Local specialist in Jordan | Replied on Apr 26, 2018

Thanks Jennifer!

I really enjoyed meeting you in Jordan. Your pictures look amazing, you can really see how green northern Jordan is around March and April.

Wine and foodie tours are definitely something that we growing and will be happy to provide those experiences to customers. Additionally, I was very happy to hear your talk about how great Jordan is a great tourist destination and that you would like your parents to have an extended visit one day. I believe Jordan really is spectacular, and I look forward to promoting tourism to Jordan more with you.