Samanta Neroli

Overall, KimKim was an excellent choice for us in planning our trip to Jordan. We are confident in recommending KimKim to friends and associates, and will look to KimKim in the future when planning trips. In addition to the professionalism and expertise, KimKim was also a good value for us, and simplified the complexity of international travel.
Driver / Guide: Bader Halaiqa
As a mom and daughter traveling as a “group of two” in an unfamiliar, foreign country, Bader Halaiqa made us feel welcome, safe and appreciated. He went above and beyond to make our trip memorable. We felt more like family than clients, and he treated us to little surprises along the way, such as eating Arab Bread and dates after a gas station stop, and sampling unfamiliar Jordanian “treats” while walking through the market. Bader always made sure we made plenty of water, and when we were driving between locations he pointed out many cultural sights that enhanced the trip. For example, on the last couple of days of our trip, we saw sheep and goats in pens in unexpected places and he explained the religious customs associated with an upcoming major holiday. He also showed us how camel owners identify their herds. On longer trips, he played music in the car that fit the scenery, or videos to provide history and context to an upcoming site. It was reassuring to know that after he dropped us of at our hotel each evening, he lodged close by overnight to make sure he was there to pick us up on time the next morning. Occasionally Bader accompanied us on excursions to help us find our way and avoid making “touristy missteps.” He steered us clear of saying “yes” to an offer by random locals offering unscheduled “guide services” and explained that could actually turn into an obligation to provide a generous gratuity. When we wanted to go shopping he guided us through the market, speaking to shopkeepers to ensure we purchased the best item for a fair price. From the exceptionally tasty and fresh watermelon while we waited for our camel ride, to serving as our “photo journalist” when we explored and experienced the wonders of Jordan, we can’t imagine this trip without the contributions of Bader. His love of country, culture, family, and profession shone through in every encounter we had with him.
Pre-tour Contact: Samanta Neroli
Months before our trip to Jordan, we were introduced to our local specialist, Samanta Neroli. Samanta never tired of answering questions as she helped us make the most of the five days we planned to spend in Jordan. She was prompt in her communications, and creative in the suggestions she made. Samanta was flexible as we developed our trip and it was helpful to have a female representative tell us what we needed to know about local customs. Samanta was very knowledgeable about the sights and features of the places we planned to visit, and made certain our lodgings were relaxing and comfortable. She also explained the process of crossing the Border, and assured us that all the documentation would be in order and prepared for us ahead of time. Thankfully, the Border crossing went smoothly for us – just as she predicted.

I am writing to express my deep dissatisfaction with the local tour company, Zaman Tours, which was selected for us during our recent trip to Jordan. Our disappointment with Zaman Tours was significant as we had previously experienced an excellent trip to Peru last year with Peruvian Tours, also arranged through Kim Kim. As a result, we placed our trust in Kim Kim again to find us a reliable tour company for our trip to Jordan and Israel. Unfortunately, our experience with Zaman Tours was far from satisfactory, leaving us feeling let down by the quality of service provided.

During the booking process, we were impressed by the website claim that Zaman Tours creates tailor-made tours with local experts. Regrettably, our experience did not meet this promise. The itinerary provided was inadequate and lacked details such as local contact information and a clear timetable. When we asked for a more detailed itinerary, we were told that it was all that could be provided. We specifically requested a thorough schedule, but instead, we were given a vague response and told we had total flexibility to change it ourselves. We were hoping to have an expert guide us through the best schedule so that we didn't have to worry about the logistics ourselves.

During the first two days of our trip in Amman, we were disappointed to be guided by an inexperienced tour guide who had only joined the tourism industry for a month. Despite informing Zaman Tours before our trip that we were interested in history, our guide didn't seem to know the city or its history well enough to provide us with any meaningful information. He clearly did not do enough research beforehand and left us feeling frustrated and underwhelmed by the experience.

To make matters worse, we had to pick him up and drop him off at his home before heading back to the hotel as apparently it was "on the way." However, we later realized that we actually made a detour just to send him home, which was very unprofessional and a waste of our travel time. We could have planned the sites and booked separate tour guides ourselves, which made us regret paying a premium for an "expert" when we could have done a better job ourselves.

It was disappointing that Zaman Tours linked us up with an inexperienced, young guide and claimed that he was an expert. We expected to receive professional and expert guidance from a tailor-made tour company, but instead, we received the opposite. The lack of attention to detail throughout our trip caused us stress and frustration, which is not something we would expect from a professional tour operator.

Another example of poor service we encountered was when Zaman Tours planned Petra by Night for us on a Tuesday when it only runs every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Despite being informed that it was a must-see attraction, we were not told about its opening dates and hours, which was quite disappointing. As Zaman Tours claims to provide local experts, we were expecting them to have this information readily available. Instead, we found ourselves having to navigate our itinerary and communicate with the driver, who was not a tour guide and did not have the necessary information. We feel let down that we missed Petra by Night, which was the most important highlight of our visit to Petra.

When we contacted Zaman Tours to complain about this issue, their response was dismissive. They seemed to think we were making a big deal out of it as we could just visit it the next day, Wednesday, when Petra by Night would be open. However, what they didn't take into consideration was that we had also planned to stay at a Bedouin Camp and participate in their nighttime activities, so we had to choose between the two activities. By going to Petra by Night, we would have missed the Bedouin Camp activities and vice versa. Unfortunately, Zaman Tours did not take our dilemma seriously and suggested we skip the Bedouin Camp if Petra by Night was more important to us. We felt disappointed that they did not understand the significance of missing out on an activity that we had been looking forward to, especially since it was one of the highlights of our visit to Petra.

On the night of the Petra by Night incident, we were informed that our agent had quit Zaman tours for personal reasons. This left us feeling even more helpless and worried. We were essentially left on our own with the driver. The lack of communication and professionalism during this situation added to our disappointment with the overall service provided by Zaman Tours.

Despite our attempts to reflect our discontent to Zaman Tours directly, we were met with an unsatisfactory response from even the CEO. His reply was "We have successfully handled thousands of clients this month, and we have not received any negative feedback thus far. All of our clients have utilized the same services, stayed at the same hotels, engaged in the same activities, and been driven by the same drivers." This response is frustrating as it is clear that they claim to provide a tailor-made trip, yet all of their clients have apparently been provided with the same services, itinerary, and experience. It begs the question: what is the point of paying for a tailor-made service if it is the same as everyone else's?

Furthermore, their unwillingness to acknowledge and address our concerns shows a lack of professionalism and customer service skills. We feel that Zaman Tours does not take constructive criticism well, leaving us dissatisfied with the entire experience. If we wanted a generic itinerary, we could have easily found one online at a lower cost and without the unnecessary stress and trouble of dealing with a tour operator.

In conclusion, we were disappointed to be linked with this local tour company. We expected better from a company that claims to provide tailor-made trips. Instead, we found a lack of communication, professionalism, and local knowledge. We hope that Kim Kim will take steps to ensure that clients are only connected with reputable and reliable tour operators to avoid similar experiences in the future.

Great value--10 stars, not 5! Samanta of Zaman in KimKim made our trip everything we could have hoped for. With our travel dates fixed, Samanta was able to develop a tour that matched our interests, emphasizing the sites we most wanted to see, and hotels and meals that were terrific. We have never had such responsive and knowledgable assistance--she always made sure we could reach her wherever we were, and when we had a small issue due to our error (not hers, she is excellent!), Samanta went far above and beyond to help us. She arranged a terrific guide and driver of a luxury SUV car, Hamdi Das, who was mediator in every interaction with his countrymen, ensuring communications were clear and direct, and that we got exactly what we were requesting. Hamdi has extensive knowledge of Jordan and, like Samanta, found no question too small to immediately address. He is also an excellent driver, as I told him on one winding road up a mountainside "I am always relaxed when you drive, Hamdi".
We are still raving about Samanta and Hamdi. On our flight back to Seattle, a seat mate was talking about her tour experience--which cost double our price--and she told my husband "I really wish we had used Samanta and Zaman Tours in KimKim instead of this luxury tour". We had the best possible experience and highly recommend them to you.

Hotel Review

Movenpick Petra Resort

Wadi Musa

Gorgeous hotel with local decor, luxurious interior. We immediately relaxed when we walked in, staff and our room were lovely. The location is just a few hundred feet from Petra's entrance, yet far enough to be quiet. We also loved the dinner, which is important after the long days hiking/walking in Petra.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful dark wood, local designs.

Location

A short distance from Petra's entrance but managed to be quiet.

Staff

Smiling friendly staff were patient with everyone.

Cleanliness & Comfort

excellent beds too

Activity Reviews

Secret Petra Backdoor Hike

Jordan

Our guide spoke very good English, made sure we were able to have every experience that we wanted (& there is a lot!), was patient with a good sense of humor. His enthusiasm made the trip even better.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

3hrs Jeep Safari + Lunch with a Bedouin Family

Wadi Rum

We were able to see petroglyphs and the gorgeous cliff walls in the powdery sand desert of Wadi Rum. Our guide cooked a delicious dish alongside his truck.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day trip to Jerash, Ajloun & Umm Qais from Amman

Amman

Our driver guide, Hamdi, made this (as all days with him) a special tour. Hamdi makes the drive in the luxury SUV smooth and interesting as well as entertaining. He made sure that we had all questions answered, and saw everything we had hoped for.

Quality of Experience

This Roman city is indeed special

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hamdi is excellent, both as a driver and as a guide. Kind, humorous, and patient.

Transport

Water and snacks are always inside the gorgeous SUV.