Treks and Trails of Jordan: Dead Sea

"Our trip to Wadi Zarka Ma'in was a sort of surprise..."

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 16:42:00 GMT

Would you like to write a testimonial to be published on our blog for other travellers to read?

"Our trip to Wadi Zarka Ma'in was a sort of surprise present to my kids especially Rania who had just finished a gruelling boring year of Tawjihi a week before. I didn't give them any details exept that were going to leave early and what to take with them. I can tell you it was a great success. Both talked about this adventure for days later and this means something (You know how hard it is to surprise and please teenagers these days!)

Here is why:

- Your trips are well organized, you are punctual and accurate.
- You have a great team, they work very hard and are so professional, everybody has an excellent attitude.
- The food was perfectly calculated and balanced even for hungry teenagers.
- Your emphasis on safety made the trip even more enjoyable.
- The area is so beautiful you simply have to fall in love with it.

My recommendation: Physically, this trip is an excellent exercise but for counting it part of ecotourism it could be more informative on our nature. The more you know about something the more you learn to respect and cherish it. By pointing out important plants and animals (like the birds, fish and frogs we saw) or even sorts of rocks by name you can inspire especially young people to learn more and care more about our environment.

I noticed the english lady asking about the rose flowering bushes in the wadi and someone told her that they were Rododendrons, which is of course wrong. These bushes are Nerium Oleander which decorate our wadis by blooming all summer. They are very poisonous though, so care should be taken that no one picks up leaves or flowers without washing their hands thouroughly afterwards.

There are excellent books on Jordanian flora and fauna in the royal society for the conservation of nature and the Jordan University.s Old people and locals are even better sources of information if you have access to them.

I congratulate you on you excellent work and wonderful team and wish you all the best Rakan.

I will send you some pics of the trip and special pics for Layali as soon as I can.

Best regards
Reem Bdour"

Wadi Zarqa Ma'in canyoning adventure, 11 July 2008.

more pictures

A testimonial: Wadi Zarqa Ma'in

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 14:23:00 GMT

Would you like to write a testimonial to be published on our blog for other travellers to read?

Maali Qasem:
"I have done many hiking trips but very few were as well managed and handled by the guide as this one making it a very enjoyable and stress free trip. Thank you so much for putting in so much effort to ensure our safety and enjoyment ;) "

Wadi Zarqa Ma'in canyoning adventure, 25 July 2008.

Experiencing Wadi Al Karak

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 15:07:00 GMT

by Batoul and Talal

Hi there at Terhaal,

We've been on several hikes around Jordan, and Wadi Al Karak is definitely one of the most wonderful we've seen. It offers a wide variety of scenery, greenery, colorful rock formations, and waterfalls. And believe it or not, even on a hot summer day, this Wadi was most enjoyable; the shaded Siqs, the accompanying stream and multiple waterfalls provided us with just the right cooling we needed.

Although this Wadi can be hiked in one day, Terhaal programmed it over two days instead with an overnight camp, which we though was a great idea. This gave us more time to enjoy what this Wadi has to offer, and the overnight camp provided an even more authentic experience. Not only was the evening around the campfire fun and enjoyable, but seeping in the arms of nature, under the glittery skies, by the sound of the waterfall right next to us, and the even louder sound of the frogs that kept welcoming us throughout the night; wow, that was a most relaxing night! The singing birds all over were trying hard to wake us up as early as they did the next morning, and for those of us who insisted on sleeping anyway, Rakan's wake up call -although soft and nature like- ensured that we didn't! Well, he wanted us all to start early to enjoy the day the longest possible, and he was right. The Wadi had still so much more to offer.

The abseils which we did were amazing; over the cliffs and under the waterfalls. We are in nature safety conscious; but Terhaal's safety measures throughout the hike were up to standards. Moreover, their pleasant and enjoyable company, and their profound passion for nature made it a real joy for us.

This trip was definitely worth it, and we would do this and others with Terhaal over and over again.

Thank you Rakan, Oudai, Mohammad, Oxana, and Ra'ad for a most memorable hike.

Batoul and Talal

Thanks for the wonderful hike

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 18:37:00 GMT

by Michael Vonk
If you have ever wanted to see the natural beauty of Jordan, this is the company to speak with. Terhaal Eco Adventures has some of the friendliest and the most knowledgeable guides I have ever met and can take you to some incredible places. The hike I chose was Wadi Zarqa Ma'in, a beautiful Oasis in the middle of the wilderness where you can come across a wide range of wild flora and fauna as well as numerous Bedouins watering their goats and donkeys. Beyond being friendly and knowledgeable (and being full of stories about Jordan), the guides clearly had safety in the forefront of their minds in whatever we did including in the selection and care of the rappelling (abseiling) equipment. I know for certain that if I am able to return to Jordan I will ensure I take the time to go on another excursion with them and highly recommend them to anyone who is planning a trip to Jordan - or if you aren't sure where to go, going to Jordan on an eco-adventure with Terhaal would be an excellent plan. Michael Vonk

wadi al karak adventure

Sun, 18 May 2008 17:13:00 GMT

Click here to view the set of selected photos from our last canyoning adventure to Wadi Al Karak on May 16, 2008.

To all the guests we had: we have really enjoyed your pleasant company. We'd love to read your feedback- by commenting on this post. Your positive notes gives us the motivation to do what we're doing, while the negative ones is what help us evaluate our service and operation, improve, and keep going forward.
Looking forward to see you again.

Best regards,
Terhaal Team

Hiking in wadi Mukheiris

Thu, 08 May 2008 18:49:00 GMT

by Kate Creswell

It was EXCELLENT in every way. Atef was very professional and inspired us with confidence. As we started the walk some soldiers on the hill said that we couldn't go up - but he very calmly and politely persuaded them. He knew the way through the boulders which was not always obvious to us. He was fantastic with the children - encouraging them but also safety conscious - telling them not to go ahead. He even carried my 7 year old over his shoulders like a fireman for the last few minutes because he seemed exhausted.

We loved Wadi Mukheiris - it was perfect for a family - especially that there was a wonderful destination to aim for - and also was uphill on the way (feeling fresh) and downhill on the way back (a bit tired). After the first part by the road (can you persuade the local government to remove the rubbish?) it was then clean which was nice. We saw crabs, frogs and tadpoles. No snakes. Our boys are 8, 7 and 4. It was perfect for our 8 and 7 year olds, and indeed our 4 year old managed completely fine (he loves walking and climbing) - but some 4 year olds might find it too hard. It took us 3 hours up, we spent about 45 mins at the waterfall, and 3 hours back down.

We would very much like to do more adventures like this.

Night trekkers I salute you

Sat, 19 Apr 2008 17:00:00 GMT

by Oudai Al Daoud

We headed to Madaba to meet with Rakan at a hall room where the theoretical part of the training would take place. We got there but the instructor has not come yet so I sat down with the rest of the trainees and got to know each other. You could see the eagerness and excitement in their eyes to learn this great sport of abseiling. Minutes later the instructor has arrived introduced himself and learned our names. The instructor starts talking about the history of the sport, physics, the systems and techniques used to get through canyons and cliffs, rescue, and most importantly the rope which is the heart of this sport. As time went by he gave each of us a short rope so he would teach us the knots -which were confusing to most of us-getting troubled when the knots went wrong made us try harder to get them right. The day was over so fast.

The second day brought new knowledge about the equipment and their weird names or was it the accent of the instructor that made them sound weird; anyhow each item used has several roles in the abseiling system, some of these super light weight items can hold up to 2500kg without failing or breaking! Made me respect them and trust them with my life.

Missing a day made it hard for me to catch up with the group; some of these guys were getting good real fast, but this made me try harder.

This day brought a bigger challenge the group headed to a cliff alongside the road to Ma'in; passing a knot on the rappelling rope while wearing a rope harness which was uncomfortable. The instructor made a fast demonstration on how to do it and it all seemed easy the way he performed it. But when you put it to practice you get confused with the steps of solving this problem due to a powerful mixture of burning sun, lack of sleep, missing out one day of vital info, adds up and leads to misjudgment and panic not to mention the numbness in your legs that makes you panic even more. Looking at Rakan and the instructor sitting in the shade of a palm tree at the end of the cliff smiling and giggle at times when a trainee gets stuck or just hangs on the rope clueless of what to do next!!

A hectic day has passed without passing the knot! This thing raised my anger and frustration to the point that the thought of quitting the course crossed my mind, but I insisted to go on.

The course was so intense that I lost track of time and date, starting early in the morning and finishing by sunset. Your energy gets drained away because of little time to rest and proper meals none the less you are boosted by the ambition to learn this great sport and the amazing adventures that you dream of in the outstanding wadis of Jordan along with dreams of the knots, problems and rescue procedures that never leaves your mind.

The two week course was over, although it was tough at times but it was a great new knowledge and an adventure that I will treasure and apply.

Now as guides we were taken to practice in Wadi 'Assal which we did not have any prior knowledge of.

The group consisted of eight persons including two instructors; we started trekking along a goat trail to begin the wadi. As we reached the first waterfall, two guides opened the first rappelling station, and the others acted as their clients, the instructors supervised their performance and the others who built the following three stations, we finished rappelling the four stations and we headed to the exit point, but "somehow failed to find it". It's almost dark now, the water is cold, and the radio's battery was running low, which made the communication impossible with Rakan who was waiting at the exit point, not to mention that there was no network to operate our cell phones. The instructor advised us to climb a hill hoping to get to the exit and a get in contact with Rakan, so we did but the hill was too steep and with the sun going down we had to climb down, and continue trekking along the water stream to the Dead Sea! The group was struck with the words of the instructor knowing that the trek would take six hours!

It's dark now; everyone lit their headlamps and proceeded with the night trek, along the way we rappelled on two 20m waterfalls and few small ones joining our headlamps for maximum light. Abseiling and canyoning at night who could think of it! The group did not mind it all and pulled together and worked as one. At this point the technicalities and knowledge learned during the training paid off together with our survival instincts that kicked in under this pressure. After a long trek to the Dead Sea we finally made it exhausted, Rakan was waiting and told us that the whole thing was a planned scenario or the "ultimate test" of every guide's abilities under extreme circumstances. This real adventure proved that without proper training and safety measures such as the course that we attended was impossible.

The instructors were pleased with our performance and congratulated us for passing the test as guides.

I’d like to thank my instructors for giving me the opportunity to learn abseiling. A special thanks to Tala and Rakan for their continuous support and advice throughout the course.

To my colleagues who showed great personalities and above all team spirit and selflessness, wish you all great success. Night trekkers I salute you.