Review – Terhaal 8 Day Jordan Adventure

With only one week vacation to discover the highlights of Jordan, I decided to book the organized tour 8 day Jordan Adventure with Terhaal. Below is my review of the tour regarding itinerary, transportation accomodation, food and guide. I hope you will find it useful to decide if you want to book with them.

REVIEW - GENERAL INFO

• I have selected myself this company and tour
• I paid entirely for the tour

Details

• Company: Terhaal
• Tour: 8 day Jordan Adventure
• Date: May 2013

ITINERARY

I was quite satisfied with Terhaal. I ended up alone on the tour as the couple booked on the tour cancelled. Terhaal had guaranteed my departure and they kept their word even if it was making them run the tour at loss. Plus, as I was alone, they were kind enough to make some small changes to the itinerary even at the last minutes. They were very efficient and I appreciated.

This tour was well balanced good mix of

• HISTORY - especially with the impressive Nabatean city of Petra and the huge roman site of Jerash
• NATURE - with the Dana Nature Reserve and the gorgeous desert of Wadi Rum

I completed this tour with a half day tour of the Desert Castles on my arrival day.

For all my posts retracing my itinerary with plenty of photos and planning tips, go to my Jordan Destination Guide

TRANSPORTATION

• As I was alone, the driver and I used a car for the tour.
• Car: in good condition and clean
• Driver:  always on time and very flexible to adapt to my early starts for better light

ACCOMODATIONS

• HOTELS - in Amman, Petra: correct. Nothing very impressive but clean and appropriate as I was only using my room to sleep, too much to see!
• Dead Sea Resort - Superb room and great facilities. Just sad to sea the beach guard colelct garbage and just throw it on the other side of the fence
• CAMPSITE - Dana Nature Reserve - The tour normally stays at a hotel in the Dana Village. However as I slightly changed the tour, I stayed at the Rummana campsite. I love camping. The tents and camp were great. I really loved it as well as the people working there.

• BEDOUIN CAMPSITE - Wadi Rum - great level of comfort, It is almost not camping at you get a bed. It was a really nice setting.

FOOD

• Most lunches and dinners are not included in the price of the tour (except at the campsites).

• If you decide to stay at the hotels, be aware that meals can be quite repetitive with the same things in buffets

• The dinner at the Bedouin camp in Wadi Rum was fantastic. Just sad I was sick and could not eat more…
• For lunch, you can ask the hotel the day before to prepare a picnic for you
• One day my driver stopped at a more local place for me to enjoy a typical lunch/brunch (see picture on the right)

GUIDE

• In Jordan, you cannot have a driver who is also a guide. So I had just a driver
• For the White Dome trail kike in the Dana Nature Reserve, a local guide had been assigned to me as it is mandatory. He was nice and very knowledgeable
• Terhaal has also included a local guide for the Madras trail, off the beaten path in Petra. He was very thoughtful and adapted to my fitness level and what I wanted to do
• The local local guide in Wadi Rum was also excellent and very thoughful. I was sick and he took care of me covering me with his huge goat skin coat and preparing herbs infusion (bedouin medicine) 
• You can also hire guides at the Citadel, at Jerash & at Petra 

Please leave a comment if you have a question