100% customisable travel idea
Jordan as a family Petra, the desert and the seas
Jordan - Dead Sea - Petra - Wadi Rum - Aqaba
100% customisable travel idea
Jordan - Dead Sea - Petra - Wadi Rum - Aqaba
100% customisable for you
Airport pick-up and private transfer to the Dead Sea. A three-night stay in a large, international-style establishment, with stylised Middle Eastern motifs adding a touch of local colour. The motto here seems to be living in the sun without fuss. The hotel stretches to the water’s edge with a private beach. Palm trees gently sway their branches. The pools - both indoor and outdoor - are spacious and angular. The rooms are comfortable and well-equipped, some with open-plan bathrooms. The many restaurants and bars offer a variety of pleasures and locations.
Your rental car will be delivered to your accommodation - it will allow you to explore the region. For now, it's time to experience the Dead Sea. With a salinity level ten times higher than any other sea or ocean, located more than 400 metres below sea level, impossible for any normal human being to dive into and impossible for any fish to live in, even if they tried, the Dead Sea is one of the most curious natural phenomena. The beaches along the coast are all subject to entry fees, but they do provide freshwater showers - which, after swimming, is no luxury (you need to wash the salt off your skin). Be careful not to get water in your eyes or nose, or you'll pay for it... dearly!
Optional: Private gourmet and cultural tour of Amman.
On the agenda: Private tour of an organic farm and lunch at the Carob House. Jordan may have one of the lowest water resources of any country, but it is nonetheless an agricultural land. With the aim of promoting environmental awareness and sustainability, a small group of farmers decided to establish an organic farm. Almost everything is grown here: vegetables, fruit, herbs... After touring the farm and its facilities, head to Carob House, a 1930s family home transformed into a community canteen. It offers the opportunity to sample products grown nearby during a delicious meal featuring local produce. Seated at the communal table, the whole family enjoys a succession of gourmet dishes inspired by Middle Eastern cuisine.
Optional: Private water-based hike in Wadi Mukhereis.
Drive towards Petra, with a stop near Kerak.
On the agenda: Private aquatic hike in Wadi bin Hammad. This is one of the most beautiful hikes to take in the area. Accompanied by a private guide, you follow a picturesque trail in the shade of cliffs and lush greenery. Dip your feet in the water, amongst oleanders and palm trees, in a canyon that is sometimes wide, sometimes narrow. Along the way, waterfalls and viewpoints punctuate this remarkable walk, which, although not particularly difficult, is still relatively unknown to the public. Continue on
to Petra, where you will stay for two nights in a fully restored 19th-century village that has been completely renovated to welcome travellers passing through. The old houses have been updated to suit modern tastes, yet their original style remains unchanged. Traditional materials have been used to preserve the character of the place. As for relaxation, there is a beautiful indoor swimming pool, as well as an outdoor pool, around which guests can enjoy barbecues and mezze, served at just the right time in the evening.
Already arranged: Your tickets for a visit to Petra. Carved into the sandstone of Edom, the caravan city of Petra is a multi-layered site: it combines the history of architecture and urban planning, irrigation, international trade, the biblical world, the Arab world (the famous Nabataeans, to whom most of the site's architecture can be attributed), Roman, Byzantine, exploration and archaeology (Jean Louis Burckhardt, 1784-1817), and tourism. To say the least! The troglodyte city and the necropolises live up to all the promises imagined and dreamed of by travellers. You walk through the Siq. You will visit Khazneh and Deir, both dating from the 1st century BC; Qasr al-Bint and the Roman theatre date from the 1st century AD; the Byzantine church and its mosaics date from the 5th century; etc. The water supply system is astonishing. You stroll along streets lined with monumental tombs, across squares where civil or religious ceremonies were held, and through those where merchants used to tether their camels. Images of colours come to mind, then sounds, voices. At the foot of these magnificent ruins, you set up the stage for your little mental theatre.
Things to see and do - The main trail and the monastery trail. These two popular routes lead from the visitor centre to the monastery (actually a hypogeum), which offers fantastic views of the entire site. The hike - 16km (10 miles) round trip, 800 steps - requires a reasonable level of fitness, but generously rewards the effort.
Drive to Wadi Rum, where you settle in for a memorable night in a Bedouin camp. The necessary improvements do not dispel this impression. The tents made of woven goat hair - both waterproof and breathable - still display the traditional black and white colours. They are very welcoming, even providing you with your own bathroom.
On your agenda - Moonlight camel trek. At the end of the day, the whole group leaves the camp on camels to enjoy a memorable moment in one of the most beautiful deserts in the world. Amid the dunes and rock formations, the Bedouins have laid out carpets and cushions on the sand and are already preparing traditional tea and a few snacks. Now is the perfect time to contemplate the fading light. After sunset and evening prayers, return to camp on the back of a camel to enjoy a delicious barbecue (‘zarb’), usually goat cooked over charcoal under the sand.
Optional - Stargazing in the heart of the desert.
On the agenda - The Wadi Rum desert by pickup truck. Water and wind have carved out gigantic arches and towers here, described by an inspired Lawrence of Arabia as "vast, resonant, in the image of God." Add to this the imposing calm of rock formations stretching as far as the eye can see, canyons, and gueltas, where the water flows and humans have decorated the walls... Cross this beautiful desert, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in a pick-up truck with a private Bedouin guide. After this astonishing and particularly photogenic geological spectacle, head towards Aqaba and the Red Sea. Two-night stay on the edge of a lagoon offering peace and serenity. The hotel is one of the newest additions to Aqaba. Inside, an Arabic style and beautiful materials. On site: two restaurants - one Mediterranean and one Middle Eastern - as well as an infinity pool surrounded by sofas and a lovely beach below; everything here invites you to relax. The rental vehicle can be left at reception, which will take care of returning it.
Already planned - Snorkelling in the Red Sea. The Red Sea’s reputation as a conservatory of the seabed is well established. Some spots rank among the most famous in the world. For the variety of its marine life, its vibrant health - which should not make us forget its fragility - and its colours. You don't even need to be an experienced diver to enjoy it: often, a mask, snorkel and flippers are enough. A sense of wonder lies just beneath the surface. So we head out with a private instructor to a few select sites in the Aqaba Marine Park, a protected reserve located about 12km (7 miles) south of Aqaba. And splash! The sea rewards visitors who behave with respect and generously grants them dazzling memories. To ensure that a seaside getaway is a relaxing experience for everyone, the hotel has a kids club. While the children are happily engaged, parents can enjoy the first-class facilities and treatments at the large spa. They can also enjoy water sports or walks in the desert. The archaeological site of Ayla, an ancient Muslim city founded in the 7th century, is very close. You can also choose to do nothing and enjoy the loungers at the hotel. Or settle on the beach with the family. In fact, you can do whatever you want.
Private transfer to the airport, then a return flight via Amman.
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