Is Jordan suitable for children? Part 2

I was excited for our day at Wadi Rum. It was an easy 90-minute drive and as we drew closer, the desert landscape started to resemble what I remembered from the film The Martian with Matt Damon.

When we arrived at the visitor centre, we showed our Jordan Passes which we had bought in the UK (this combines the tourist visa with entrance to many of the attractions and can save you a lot of money) and drove on to the village which is like something out of the wild west.

We had booked the Desert Colored Camp, but we could have just turned up as there was plenty of availability in February. Our guide, Sultan, arrived in a well-worn jeep and we set off sitting on the back of the jeep. We only took what we needed for the night, as well as our valuables, and left everything else in the car.

It was really windy, and we were glad we had our layers on. We made a quick stop for a packed lunch Jordanian style, which was comprised of a tin of tuna, a cheese triangle, a flat bread, some fruit and a chocolate bar. It was washed down with our first taste of Bedouin tea, spiced with cinnamon and other spices, which was sweet and delicious.

After lunch, we had our camel ride, which was surreal but great fun. Then Sultan drove us to all the main sites, including the sand dunes, Lawrence House and the rock bridge. It was all magnificent and fascinating and a little bit dangerous at times. We ended the afternoon watching the sunset before making our way to our camp to spend the night in the desert.

I wasn't sure about doing this in February but wanted the full experience. It was freezing but it was great fun. We all enjoyed the traditional Bedouin food cooked under the sand and the baklava served afterwards and we drank loads of Bedouin tea. The hospitality was faultless.

Because of the lack of light pollution in the desert, as soon as it was dark, we had the most spectacular view of the stars we had ever seen. We were warm enough under loads of thick blankets and we all slept well.

Day 4

Breakfast was at 7am and again it was delicious. By 8am we had said our goodbyes. Our next stop was Petra.

The drive to Petra was along steep, narrow and potholed roads and we were glad to arrive at 10.30am. We only had four hours there as we didn't want to drive in the dark later on, so the plan was just to do the Siq, the Treasury and a few more sites. But the satnav took us to the wrong entrance where we met a man who told us we could see the Monastery as well if we went in the back way. I had heard about this during my research, but we told him we only had four hours. He said it was plenty of time and that he would take us to where the Monastery was an easy 45-minute walk which would avoid all the steps.

By the time we got our tickets and were dropped at the back gate it was 11.30am. I can't really describe the walk. The scenery was spectacular as we hiked through the mountain but at times we thought we were lost. The children were more relieved than awed when we finally saw a glimpse of the Monastery 2 hours later!

The monastery is magnificent and well worth the journey. After a stop at the cafe, we walked on. Walking down 850 steps was hard so we were glad we hadn’t walked up. I would recommend you wear walking boots or similar as it’s very slippery. We didn't take any detours to see anything off the main path but had to stop several times for a drink and a rest as it was warm. We were all very thankful to see the Treasury but didn’t realise it would take another 30 minutes to walk the length of the Siq and come out at the visitors’ centre.

The whole of Petra is fascinating, and I would have loved to explore it in more depth. But in hindsight we should have stuck to our original plan as it was too much for our youngest who had to be carried by the end.

We were two hours later than planned leaving Petra for Ma'in and my husband was not looking forward to driving in the dark. The drive up and over the mountain to get back onto the highway which was amazing as we passed groups of people having parties watching the sunset. At one point we passed a pack of about a hundred wild dogs. By the time we turned off the highway it was dark and we had to drive up a winding, unlit mountain road. My husband was incredibly stressed by the time we arrived at the Ma’in Hot Springs Hotel.

The journey was worth it though as this hotel is beautiful. We had a 2-bedroom suite, and the buffet dinner and breakfast were delicious. The hot springs pool was so hot it was like swimming in a hot bath and the boys loved it. We weren't there long enough unfortunately.

Day 5

We swam, had breakfast, packed up and drove back to the airport. Trying to get to a petrol station was fun! And we went through the airport checkpoint twice and round the roundabout looking for car rental returns several times! But we made it eventually.

What can I say about driving in Jordan? There appear to be no rules! There are few road markings and people overtake, undertake (often at the same time) double overtake into oncoming traffic, drive on the hard shoulder (sometimes the wrong way), down the middle of lanes and have full beams on at night. And there are speedbumps everywhere. They are rarely signposted and just appear on 100km/hour roads! We shared the road with people, dogs, goats, sheep, donkeys and camels! Oh and people park their cars wherever they like - on roundabouts, junctions, 2 abreast on dual carriageways etc.

You really need your wits about you but we managed it without getting into any accidents. The many checkpoints were a bit scary but as soon as they saw we were foreigners they mainly waved us on saying “welcome to Jordan”.

So, is Jordan suitable for children? Most definitely! There is so much to see and do and my boys loved it all, although I would perhaps hire a donkey or a horse drawn carriage to save little legs when exploring Petra.

The boys’ holiday favourites

Riley aged 12 “My favourite part of the holiday was scrambling up rocks and climbing over the big rock bridge in Wadi Rum. I also loved swimming in the hot pool at the Ma’in Hot Springs hotel. My favourite food was the all you can eat buffet at the Ma'in Hot Springs Hotel.”

Oscar aged 7 “My favourite part of the holiday was the camel ride. I thought it was funny that mummy had a naughty camel that didn’t do as it was told. My favourite food was the pancakes for breakfast at the Ma’in Hot Springs Hotel.”