095 Jordan Travel

There is so much more to see in Jordan than just Petra. This week, Keri from Our Globetrotters shares her sample itinerary for visiting Jordan with kids. ON THE PODCAST 00:32 - Talking with Kim about her Caribbean cruise on Celebrity 05:12 - Different ports 16:15 - The upside of choosing a cruise 19:09 - Talking with Keri 21:36 - Keri’s experiences in Jordan 22:41 - Driving in Jordan 23:36 - Sample itinerary/route 24:51 - Petra 26:27 - Tour companies vs. on your own 28:37 - Where to stop 29:27 - Wadi Rum Desert 32:16 - The drive to Petra and exploring the site 38:54 - Petra at night 41:27 - Shobak castles 44:10 - Sights on your drive 45:08 - Dead Sea 47:58 - Smaller villages to make day trips 51:05 - Syrian border 52:30 - Best time to visit 54:38 - Where to stay 55:18 - Prepare for your first visit 58:35 - Jordan pass 59:47 - Place to take a family photo 1:02:13 - Favorite travel gear ABOUT KERI HEDRICK Keri is a British/Australian mum of three currently based in the United Arab Emirates. Leaving her full time job in London to follow her husband’s job, Keri started blogging about both their expat experience and overseas adventures on her blog Our Globetrotters. As a family they have now visited 5 continents but Keri’s specialty is Middle East and South East Asian travel with kids. Follow on Keri Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. New site coming soon: https://www.familytravel-middleeast.com VISITING JORDAN WITH KIDS Keep in mind that the Middle Eastern weekend starts on a Thursday evening and can go into Saturday. So things will be a bit busier on Thursday and Friday nights, due to the day trippers from Amman. If you are looking to visit Petra, plan on also visiting for Petra at Night, but this only takes place on three nights; Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. This is one of the most popular places for tourist to visit. Keep in mind that this is a seperate ticket from the day ticket. Visiting the Wadi Rum Desert is one of the most famous places in Jordan. The desert has some amazing rock formations, ancient inscriptions on rocks, and even canyons you can climb through. Only bedouin’s who are native to Wadi Rum can give tours through the desert. Getting a tour is well worth the day trip and they speak English. Visiting Shobak castles it may be a good idea to pick up a guide at the entrance. They don’t ask for anything upfront but they will expect a tip at the end. Tipping 5 or 10 Jordanian dinar is a good amount to tip. It is best to visit Jordan in the spring months, specifically March and April. Also October and November are good weather months to visit. When planning your trip be sure to look into what days Ramadan lands on. At that time, Muslim fast during the day so a lot of the restaurants will be closed during this time except maybe resort restaurants. BEST PLACE TO TAKE FAMILY PHOTO Wadi Rum at the golden hour makes for a great family photo. Petra is a popular place to take a family photo but it may be hard to get a photo crowd free. Floating in the Dead Sea may also make for a great photo! FAVORITE TRAVEL GEAR Keri likes to wear cargo pants and comfortable cotton t-shirt as well as walking sneakers. MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST Jordan Road Trip Movenpick Resort FOLLOW US AND SPREAD THE WORD! If you liked this show, please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, orGoogle Playand leave us a review! Have a question or comment? Send us an email or leave us a voicemail at +1.641.715.3900, ext. 926035# You can also follow our travels on Stuffed Suitcaseand We3Travel, or follow the Vacation Mavens on Instagram, Facebookor Twitter. Thanks for listening!