Lena Sluga

This trip was delayed for 3 years, due to Covid, but it was worth the wait! The organisation by the Kimkim team, the suggested itinerary and the help, advice and support from our guide, Emad, all contributed to a fantastic trip. Our plan had been to see the obvious sights of Petra, Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea, but, as suggested, we also saw wonderful historical sites at Jerash, Mount Nebo, Kerak, Ajloun and elsewhere. Our accommodation ranged from large chain hotels to Bedouin camps, but it was all well-organised and without any hitches.

We were happy to go along with any minor changes of plan suggested by Emad, as his knowledge and patience were extremely welcome; we never felt we were being forced into anything, and every small suggestion turned out to be worthwhile, including a walking tour of the souks of Amman and lunch at the institution that is Hashem’s houmus and felafel restaurant.

Hotel Reviews

La Locanda Boutique Hotel

Amman

A quirky boutique hotel with a welcoming bar and restaurant attached. A great place to spend our first 2 nights in Jordan

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Old Village Resort

Wadi Musa

As the name suggests, this was a former village converted into a large, well-designed and luxurious hotel. Our room was spacious and comfortable and the outdoor pool was very welcoming after a day of walking around the wonderful ruins of Petra

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hike from Little Petra to Petra

Jordan

I’m really glad we did this hike through “the back door” into Petra first, as we travelled through the entire site, ending with the Treasury, before returning the next day from the main entrance and seeing the main sights from a different angle. It felt really special coming into the old city from the lesser used side first and I would recommend this to anyone.

Quality of Experience

Transport

Take the shuttle to get to the start

2 hour jeep tour in Wadi Rum

Wadi Rum

2 hours barely touches the surface of Wadi Rum, but Mohammed, our driver, knew where to take us to see some spectacular sights, including the Seven Pillars, the location of filming of several films, and a large camel caravan heading off into the desert

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our local specialist, Lena, was very impressive. She created an itinerary that perfectly met our objectives, and gave knowledgeable answers to all of my questions. After we finalized the plan and paid for the trip, she continued to provide assistance via email as we prepared for our Jordan adventure.

Our drivers, Jamal the first day and Medhet the other four days, were very professional and accommodating. They always arrived on time (early, in fact) to pick us up, and were eager to help in any way possible. In fact, when I left my phone in Medhet's car one evening, he made a special trip to our hotel to return it that night.

Our 5-day tour included Al Maghtas on the Jordan River (the baptism site of Jesus), the Dead Sea, Petra, Wadi Rum, Amman, and Jerash. Petra was the most amazing and impressive attraction, but we would highly recommend visiting all of them. In particular, Jerash was much larger and more interesting than we had anticipated, so it was a special treat to go there on our last day and carry that memory home with us.

If we were planning the trip again, I think we would want to spend 2 days at Petra (making a total of 6 days in Jordan). The extra day at Petra would allow time to explore more of this very extensive site, and also permit spending more time in the museum at Petra, which is by far the best museum we have seen in our visits to Middle Eastern and African countries.

First of all, I want to say thank you to Lena for sticking with us! We took months to plan and finalize our trip, and she was with us through it all, changing our itinerary multiple times and answering our seemingly endless questions promptly!

Jordan was full of natural beauty and we LOVED our hike in Dana and our guide Mohammed. Will never forget having Bedouin tea and freshly warmed pitas with him over lunch. Equally lovely was Wadi Rum. Aicha Camp was gorgeous (and they upgraded us to a panoramic tent - superb!), and our driver on our Jeep tour, Adam, was wonderful. We loved our driver for the first portion of our Jordan trip, Hasan. Always on time and very kind! The only thing I wish we had done differently is make sure that we had transportation arranged for our day at Petra, as our hotel was a bit off the main Tourism Street (Petra Quattro). It was easy to hire our own guide for Petra at the Visitor's Center, but I'm sure Lena could have arranged this for us in advance had we wanted! I also want to note that we loved our cooking lesson at Beit Sitti in Amman our first evening!

Lena was very helpful in prepping us on what to expect during the border crossing at King Hussein Bridge. We were a little nervous, but it went smoothly and our driver Awas was waiting for us on the other side.

Jerusalem was an overwhelming city, but we had the most wondeful guide two days in a row for it and Bethlehem (I loved that we got the same guide as it really allowed you to make a connection). Ibrahim was one of my favorite tour guides ever, anywhere. If I am back in Jerusalem, I know who I am calling. He even checked in on us a few days later to make sure we were okay and ask if he could help us with anything more! The location of our hotel was pretty great too (Gloria on Latin Patriarchate Street near Jaffa Gate). It was definitely older (the dining area is currently being remodeled), but the location makes that worth it.

I thought the price we paid for the trip was quite fair, and appreciated the flexibility Lena showed in booking everything for us.

Thank you again for an unforgettable trip!

In response to your request:
As to my Rami, He was great and I recommend him without reservation. As to Wadi Rum, worth it and am glad that i went. Petra, Town Seasons Hotel, a great place, one that you want to keep. the Jerash trip was really a delight. The only down side, my guide in Petra, Gul. He knew his history but I had been under the impression that he would be with me for 3 hours: he was not. After 2 hours and 15 minutes he told me I could find my way, and he left. Not what I expected.
I did the Jordan Museum on my last day, took a taxi. You should tell visitors not to miss the exhibition 1001 Inventions, currently there. It is a not miss.
Marilee Jantzer White

We had a stunning trip to Jordon and our visit to Petra, our KimKim specialist Lena put together exactly what we wanted and her communication and responses were first class. Haytham was our local tour guide and we can really recommend him and his company. Over all it was a great trip and hugely enjoyed. Thanks to everyone involved

I never met Lena. During planning she was very helpful and responsive in answering questions. I do not know where in the process there was break down in communications. Lena was given the details of arrival - 2 separate flights. airlines and arrival times for the party of 7. The first flight to arrive had no one to meet them. They sat 3 hrs before the arrival of the remainder of us. The person who met the second group paperwork was based on all arriving together on the later flight but was asking where the first 2 were as he couldn't find them. He was very anxious and thus confusing us. Our tour guide Hassan was the worst guide all 7 of us have ever had. All of us have been traveling throughout Europe, Asia, Canada and Australia for many tears.

Lena was amazing at helping us to plan a trip that perfectly fit our family's needs and budget. A fabulous trip to Jordan with so much diversity. We will recommend to our family and friends.

Lena is an amazing trip organiser!

We worked closely together to create the perfect 3 day tour beginning in Amman and finishing in Aqaba. Lena is an amazing communicator and made sure all of our requests were met.
After I stuffed up some of the dates, Lena was quick to re-book everything smoothly without too many excess costs - seriously amazing!
We had a fantastic time in Jordan thanks to Lena and the convenience of Kim Kim personalized tours.
Great value, great service... I couldn’t recommend it enough!

Our driver in Jordan was Hassan, but I don't know his last name, He was an excellent driver and a thoroughly nice fellow. Our driver in Israel was also very nice and accommodating, even walking us through the exciting towns of Caesarea and Akko - his name was Rami, but again, I don't know his last name. I'd recommend both of them. Our guide in Jerusalem was called Jacob, but he also has a Palestinian name. Fantastic, and super knowledgeable about all the places we went. I have his name to recommend to anyone I know who will be coming to Jordan.

The hotels were all fine, the best ones being in Jerusalem and Haifa. That said, the food in general in Jordan and Israel was not fabulous. Maybe we should have asked for better hotels, but that is certainly not your fault. We realize that hotels have to consider that their guests come from all over the world and it's impossible to please everyone. The best restaurant in Jordan was the one Hassan took us to in Jerash, owned by someone he knew. It was lovely with fountains and a great menu. The food in Wadi Rum at the place we stayed was also good. The neighborhood in Haifa was delightful and lots of good restaurants nearby, I wish we'd spent another day there. Next time...

I will certainly recommend your company if I have any friends who are traveling to your region. I also see that you do tours in other parts of the world, too, and will keep that in mind for the future, as I still plan on traveling even after both of us got sick and had such a long, agonizing trip home with lots of layovers, etc. Again, not your fault, just bad luck. Thanks again for your kind and helpful suggestions and we have great memories of Jerash, Wadi Rum, the Dead Sea, Dana,and of course Petra. Our guides at Dana and Petra back door were also excellent. Your country has so much history and stark beauty I think your tourism numbers will improve. Jordan seemed very safe while being surrounded by turmoil in all directions. Good luck in the future, and thanks again, Lena!

Sincerely,
Kim and Bob McGregor

Everything was terrific, Lena did an excellent job planning this, the accommodations, food, people, experiences were all terrific. Everyone went over and above the call of duty. We loved our drivers Ziad Qaryti and Ahmad Alsuwi and Osama Manaseer! My wife and I had an excellent down to earth, home cooking lesson experience with Nesreen Ali, Osama's wife with their family in their home. Sherrin's review of the cooking lesson is below:

"My cooking lesson was an A+ !
It was a pleasure to have dinner with Nesreen and Osama and their beautiful, sweet children. They provided not just a generous and warm example of Jordanian hospitality, but also an enjoyable loving, family experience. I learned how to cook traditional Maglouba with Nesreen who is a force of nature with a stunning smile. She exudes joy, happiness and the essence of motherhood. My cooking lesson was decorated with cardamom brewed coffee, family experiences and Arabic lessons. Eight year old Zain smiled shyly and helped when asked to and one and a half year old mischief maker Cadi (whose name means white flower on the mountain) pushed the kitchen chair around, walked around in my shoes and enjoyed herself dancing while mommy sang and clapped. Dave and I had a priceless experience and I learned to watch Nesreen’s left hand fold and tuck the parsley and mint as she chopped and about a new vegetable Jarjeel, water lettuce! I recommend this cooking lesson experience highly." Sherrin Bernstein