Jordan Holidays

Jordan for families...

2011-09-16T03:50:00.000-07:00

Jordan? - No way - The children would be bored with all those historical sites surely?? – this for many people is how Jordan is perceived but how wrong can they be. Certainly it’s packed full of historical sites and yet there is so much more to see and so many attractions that children would love. Fantastic places to explore including the amazing Roman city of Jerash which is the only place in the world where Roman army, gladiators and chariot racing performances can be experienced in a genuine Roman setting.

Where else can they go ? Well how about the incredible ‘lost city’of Petra and the chance to sample a camel ride through some amazing scenery and even visit it at night when part of it is lit by candles – a magical experience for young and old. They can try floating in the Dead Sea an experience not to be missed or go snorkelling in the Red Sea amid the coral reefs.

Is that all there is for them to do ? -Well no its not ! They can experience the desert in Wadi Rum, even camp out under thousands of stars. Explore the ruins of Crusader Castles, visit nature reserves, so much to see and so much to do

Boring Jordan? Think again it really is a country that offers something for everyone.

For more details on holidays to Jordan visit: www.jordanholidays.co.uk or email dave@robertbroadtravel.co.uk or call Robert Broad Travel on 01543 258631

Why is Jordan a famous destination to explore?

2011-06-28T04:40:00.000-07:00

Our Jordan Holidays and Tours specialist Dave gives us the lowdown on where to learn more about the wonderful destination of Jordan; from books to the big screen - there is no wonder that Jordan is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World...

Want to find out more about Jordan? Then the following books are well worth considering :

Jordan – Images from the Air by Jane Taylor – a superb collection of aerial photos

Married to a Bedouin – the story of New Zealander Marguerite van Geldermasen who visited Petra and ended up staying there

Rough Guide to Jordan by Matthew Teller – a wonderful look at Jordan in detail

If you are more interested in films then did you know that the following three films feature Jordan

Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade

Lawrence of Arabia

Transformers 2 ; Revenge of the Fallen !!

If you think Jordan is all about historic sites then think again. Walking on gentle trails in the northern highlands or through fantastic canyons there are walks for all ages and abilities through one of the many nature reserves such as Dana (including a full day ramble to Feynan and a stay perhaps at the Ecolodge).

If its snorkelling or diving then head to Aqaba on the Red Sea in the south of the country or if it’s the chance to sample one of the best authentic spas’s in the world then head to the Dead Sea and experience such treatments as a Dead Sea Body Salt Scrub and try floating in the amazing waters .

Young or old there really is something for everyone in this amazing country.

For more details on holidays and tours to Jordan visit http://www.jordanholidays.co.uk/. To plan your holiday contact Dave at the award-winning Robert Broad Travel on 01543 258631 or email dave@robertbroadtravel.co.uk

Prince William and Kate Middleton plan Middle-Eastern honeymoon - Telegraph

2011-04-19T13:57:00.000-07:00

Fit for a Prince and his Bride! We are not surprised at all that Price William is rumoured to have chosen Jordan as the destination for the royal honeymoon. It has so much to offer and is the perfect place to spend a romantic escape.

Here is a link to the article from today's Telegraph...

Prince William and Kate Middleton plan Middle-Eastern honeymoon - Telegraph

For more details on holidays to Jordan visit: www.jordanholidays.co.uk or call our Jordan Specialist Dave now on 01543 258631, or email dave@robertbroadtravel.co.uk.

Excellent Jordan Tour Review...

2011-04-14T02:29:00.000-07:00

This feedback was emailed into our Jordan Holidays & Tours expert Dave today, lovely to see another satisfied customer...

Dear Dave,

It's been a few weeks since I got back from Petra but better late than

never. I just wanted to email you to thank you for your help with my

holiday. It was a fantastic trip and a great experience for my mother

of 82! She even found the inspiration to climb up to the monastery.

I would say firstly that your help and advice during the booking was key

to me making the trip. I thought you dealt with my numerous calls and

queries very professionally and I could sense you had a personal insight

on the destination, something that gave me confidence when it came to

making the booking. Your help with the hotel and the upgrade to the

bigger rooms at the Movenpick were appreciated as well.

Once in Jordan, we both felt that Cox and King's representatives UTA did

a great job as well. Being met off the plane and helped through

passport control and helped to our car was greatly valued at 12.30 at

night. The driver that UTA gave us, Nasser, we both felt did a great

job. He was knowledgeable, informative, well presented, polite and

drove carefully even when we got caught in some heavy showers. The

itinerary that you recommended and helped us put together gave us a

great insight on Jordan.

All in all, we were very very pleased. There was not one aspect of the

experience from start to finish (apart from the rain) that I would have

any complaints about and it's not easy to say that about most holidays.

My mother has travelled a lot and has high expectations. She was not

disappointed either.

Thanks again and kind regards.

[received by email from client on 14th April 2011]

Head of Jordan tourist board dismisses fears of unrest

2011-04-14T02:21:00.001-07:00

Below is an article from todays Travel Weekly, one of the main travel trade papers in the UK...

Apr 14, 2011 07:00

The head of the Jordan Tourism Board has dismissed fears that the country could be sucked into the social unrest sweeping the Middle East and North Africa.

Speaking in London on Wednesday, tourism board managing director Nayef Al Fayez described recent protests as “a sign of a healthy process in Jordan”.

He said: “Protests have happened before. The maximum number of protestors was 5,000 to 10,000. There has been a revolution in Egypt, a revolution in Tunisia. But in Jordan the situation is normal - similar to London after the demonstration two weeks ago.”

London saw a protest against government spending cuts of between 250,000 and 400,000 people on March 26.

Al Fayaz hailed the start of easyJet flights from Gatwick to Amman this month as sending “a very positive message” on travel to the country.

EasyJet flies to Amman three times a week, BMI flies daily and British Airways announced yesterday it would code-share on Royal Jordanian Airlines’ daily flights from Heathrow.

Al Fayaz said the country saw a fall in UK package tourists in March, “maybe because Jordan is often combined with Egypt or Syria”. But he added: “We saw an increase in independent travellers.”

The UK is Jordan’s biggest European market, sending 73,000 visitors to the country last year.

Jordan’s neighbour Syria has seen violent repression of recent protests, with security forces firing at demonstrators in Latakia at the weekend and 37 people reported killed on protests last Friday - most in the southern city of Der’aa.

Why I love Jordan so much...

2011-03-22T08:28:00.000-07:00

(Mount Nebo, Jordan)

Following on from the troubles in the Middle East, the Jordan Tourism Board has issued a statement ‘criticizing media reports for stereotyping the protests in the Middle East Region and subsequently putting the destination in the same basket of turbulent countries’.

So why do I love Jordan? – well for such a small country (to drive from top to bottom takes only six hours) it is packed full of wonderful sights, amazing scenery and lovely people. A flying time of around 5 hours from Heathrow takes you direct to the capital Amman and from there you are within 40 minutes of floating in the Dead Sea and yes it is true you can float and read a newspaper at the same time!

One of the best preserved roman cities in the world, Jerash is also close to hand and is the only place in the world where Roman army, gladiators and chariot racing performances can be experienced in a genuine Roman setting.

The best time to visit Jordan is from late March to end of June and then September to the end of November, although we do have clients travelling throughout the year. April is the prettiest month as it is spring and all the wild flowers are out, October is also extremely popular. Some of the other main sights to see are Madaba, where the oldest mosaic map of the middle east is housed, Kerak the famous crusader castle and Mount Nebo where Moses first glimpsed the land of milk and honey.

No visit to Jordan however would be complete without a visit to Petra chosen by the BBC as one of the 40 places you must visit before you die! My advice would be to spend at least two nights there and most importantly book early as accommodation in peak periods does sell out
Jordan has so much more to offer from walking tours to nature reserves it really is a small country full of exciting, amazing adventures.

Use the expertese of Dave to plan your holiday to Jordan with us by calling him now on 01543 258631 or emailing: dave@robertbroadtravel.co.uk.

To view examples of holidays we can offer to Jordan visit http://www.jordanholidays.co.uk/

Picture of the week...

2011-02-15T14:10:00.000-08:00

This picture was taken by one of our clients who visited The Lost City of Petra in Jordan in 2010. It was enetered into our photograph of the year competition.

You can vote online by clicking here to view all of the entries.

Easyjet fly into Amman

2011-02-10T12:33:00.000-08:00

This spring Easyjet start their new service from London Gatwick to Amman, the capital of Jordan. This new service will depart 3 times a week and makes for a perfect long weekend (for example Thursday - Tuesday).

Why not package up your ideal trip with the Jordan Holidays experts to include flights from London Gatwick OR London Heathrow with bmi or Royal Jordanian, to stay at a hotel of your choice. Use the expertise of the Jordan Holidays and Tours experts to advise which is the best option for you.

Packages staying at the 5* Evason Ma'In by Six Senses (just 30 minutes by road from the Dead Sea) for example for 4 nights with 1 night staying at the 5* Movenpick at Petra for a night in the middle, with a private guide, and all private car transfers throughout starts from £928 per person, based on 2 people sharing. This also comes with ABTA and ATOL protection for peace of mind.

For more details of holidays and tours to Jordan call Dave at Robert Broad Travel on 01543 258631 or email dave@robertbroadtravel.co.uk. For example packages visit www.jordanholidays.co.uk

Six Senses Spa Season at Evason Ma'In & Six Senses Spa, Jordan

2011-02-05T12:25:00.000-08:00

Feeling tired and sluggish? Mind cluttered with day-to-day issues? Experience skin breakouts, bloating or simply lack the energy to go about your daily tasks? ‘Detox and Cleansing’ is the great new focus for the Six Senses Spa Season 2011. From 1st January until 31st March 2011, you can experience a wide range of fantastic detox programmes and treatments that have been designed to assist with regeneration and cleansing of the body & mind.

Embracing the Six Senses philosophy of SLOW LIFE (Sustainable-Local-Organic-Wholesome Learning-Inspiring-Fun-Experiences),Six Senses Spa Season programmes of 1-7days provides the perfect solution to everyone wishing to detox and cleanse or just simply re-charge their batteries.

Click here for more details on the Evason Ma'In & Six Senses Spa, Jordan

Jordan continues to be a safe tourist destination

2011-02-03T12:14:00.000-08:00

Jordan’s tourism sector is keeping a close eye on regional political developments while assuring its international partners that the Kingdom remains to be a very safe destination. The sector’s vigilance was prompted by international news reports covering the turmoil in Tunisia and Egypt which seems to have created some fears amongst international travelers to the region.

Jordan’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said it was leading an effort to clarify such reports and show that the Kingdom, while part of the Middle East, remains to be a very safe destination. In a statement to the local media, the Ministry said it was working with the Jordan Tourism Board (JTB), the Jordan Hotel Association (JHA), and The Jordan Inbound Tour Operators Association (JITOA) to correct any misconceptions or wrong perceptions that might arise from the global media’s attention to the region.

The Jordan Tourism Board has issued a statement refusing linking Jordan to the current developments in Tunisia and Egypt, and stressing the Kingdom’s long and credible history of being “an oasis of stability” despite a “turbulent” region.

JTB Managing Director Nayef Al-Fayez criticized any linking of Jordan to regional developments and said the Kingdom remains to be a safe destination. He said “tourists from all over the world continue to enjoy Jordan’s countless and priceless treasures, as well as its unique and internationally renowned hospitality.”

Mr. Al-Fayez also criticized any attempt to link the progress of Jordan’s democratic reforms with the “political unrest” in Egypt and Tunisia. The JTB Managing Director said Jordan is a modern country that has been going through various stages of reform that was started by His Majesty King Abdullah II since he assumed his constitutional powers.

He said some international media reports included references to protests spilling over to Jordan and that Jordan was a “victim” of political unrest, which he said was absolutely false, and irresponsible. “Any such link or characterization is not objective, is certainly unfair, and does great injustice to everything that Jordan stands for”, he added.

The president of the Jordan Hotel Association (JHA) Michel Nazzal expressed concern that the stereotypes of the region could frighten off tourists and cause unwarranted cancellations. He said Jordan remains to be a safe tourist destination for all tourists, and that some of the tour operators have moved their trips to Jordan.

His remarks were echoed by the Jordan Inbound Tour Operators Association. JITOA spokesman Muhannad Malhas said some groups were evacuated to Jordan while others diverted their programs to the Kingdom which they said was safe for their tourists.

Press reports and statements have revealed that some scheduled Red Sea cruises have changed their itineraries and are concentrating on calls at Jordan’s Red Sea city of Aqaba, from where tourists can visit attractions like Wadi Rum and World Wonder Petra.

The Jordan Tourism Board has said the Kingdom is blessed with a strategic location that places it in the heart of the Middle East, and at the crossroads of civilizations. It said, sometimes, this can have an adverse effect when “stereotypes” place us in the heart of a “turbulent” region. It stressed that Jordan has always prevailed as a safe, secure, and hospitable destination.

Jordan’s tourism sector has shown impressive growth patterns. During 2010, total arrivals grew by almost 20% over 2009 to reach 4.6 million overnight visitors (8.2 million total arrivals including day visitors). Visitors from the Americas grew by 12.0%, Europe by 22.3%, Asia-Pacific by 25.4%, while Asia scored a 31.2% increase during 2010.

We look forward to another successful year, and welcome you all to Jordan.