With adventure touring an increasingly popular way to gain an authentic insight to a destination, I felt it was about time that I had some first-hand experience. I just needed to find the right time, opportunity and ideally a destination I hadn’t previously been to.
Enter the good folk at Explore, one of my expert suppliers, and an invitation on a five-day educational adventure to discover the rugged beauty, delicious food and rich heritage of Jordan.
What an opportunity!
The 11 other UK travel agents, and our host Nick, had all been part of a pre-trip WhatsApp Group, so we had already broken the ice by the time we met at Heathrow for the flight to Amman.
This exclusive tour was based on Explore's Jordan Discovery adventure holiday, using the same hotels and routes, so we could experience it exactly as our clients would.
We arrived late evening and were transferred by minibus to our hotel. In the morning, we had a welcome meeting and the tour officially started.
Our journey began with a 30-mile drive north of the capital to the ancient city of Jerash, widely acknowledged as one of the best-preserved Roman provincial towns in the world.
The colonnaded streets, hilltop temples, theatres and chariot-racing stadium make it easy to imagine Roman life.
Continuing south, we stopped for coffee and to see the fantastic salt on the shoreline of the Dead Sea before arriving for sunset pictures and our overnight stay in the port city of Aqaba on the Red Sea's Gulf of Aqaba.
Day three was going to be all about embracing the Wadi Rum desert experience as we had the opportunity to live the lifestyle of the nomadic Bedouin people.
However, before that, a private snorkelling trip had been organised and we headed down to the marina to be given wetsuits and dive gear. Aqaba is a snorkelling paradise, with vibrant coral reefs, diverse marine life and intriguing shipwrecks.
Continuing our journey along the Desert Highway for a little over an hour, we reached the Wadi Rum desert, where we transferred into 4WD vehicles for an exhilarating two-hour jeep drive to see the most spectacular and untouched parts of this special place.
Monolithic outcrops of granite rock and sandstone rise out of the desert with a drifting blanket of sand between them.
It is at its most impressive at the beginning and end of the day when the soft light and blue sky create a coppery effect on the sand.
The Bedouins learnt to live with this hostile environment 3,000 years ago, choosing a partnership with the camel for their survival. They understood the importance of keeping on the move to find food and water.
After sunset, we enjoyed the Bedouin hospitality around the camp under a blanket of stars; a great setting to share stories while sipping mint and sage tea whilst a traditional zarb, consisting of chicken or goat meat (vegetarian options available) was cooked and served with a delicious selection of mezze.
The campsite provided the opportunity to experience traditional Bedouin living arrangements in a large communal style goat hair tent, which gives the best protection against the extremes of hot and cold weather.
The tent is laid out with rugs, mattresses, pillows and blankets, and is where the tribe would commune to eat, sleep and socialise. Far away from roads, and within a protected area, the camp is intimate and provides stunning views.
Following our night in the desert, it was off to soak up the mysterious city of Petra, one of the new wonders of the world.
This ancient city carved in the rocks has retained its grandeur throughout the centuries and although well documented, nothing prepares you for the impact of this incredible place.
The entrance is reached either by foot or horseback, and for some daft reason, having not sat on a horse since I was a very young child, I opted for the latter. My guide promised to look after me like he would his own mother, though I wasn't so sure of that by the time I reached the entrance!
Petra's spectacular setting deep inside a narrow desert gorge is then accessed by walking through a kilometre-long chasm (known as the Siq), the walls of which soar to a height of 200m.
Its most famous monument, the Treasury, appears dramatically at the end of the Siq, carved out of the sheer, dusky-pink rock face. Miraculously well preserved, the 43-metre-high facade dwarfs everything around it and perfectly represents the engineering genius of the Nabataean people - an industrious Arab community who settled here more than 2,500 years ago.
The existence of this site had been kept secret for centuries, only being revealed to the West by Swiss explorer, Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, in 1812.
The hundreds of tombs and temples are best photographed either early to mid-morning or late afternoon, when the angled sun enhances the natural red, pink and orange colours of the rocks.
Our final day included a visit to the magnificent Crusader Castle of Kerak, imposingly sited on a hilltop, before we headed to the saline waters of the Dead Sea, nearly 400m below sea level.
It was a whirlwind first experience of adventure touring and it has undoubtedly whet my appetite for more.
The sights and culture of this mesmerising destination were showcased beautifully, and I strongly recommend that stunning Petra should be on everyone's must-see travel list.
Nick was the perfect host, ensuring the smooth running of the schedule; he, our splendid Jordanian hosts and a delightful group made for a magical trip.
