Avoid using Aodeh as a guide in Wadi Rum

Thorn Tree forumCountry forumsMiddle EastJordan
Enter custom title (optional)
This topic is locked
Last reply was
4.1k
…
Send as an e-mail
Send as an e-mail
sh1977
sh1977

I used Aodeh (www.aodeh.de) for my Wadi Rum jeep tour and overnight stay. It was the worst mistake in Jordan and really made my Wadi Rum trip a disappointment. Here are my reason why:

  • He was totally uninterested in explaining anything when I asked him - he just pointed out things (canyon, sand dune, etc) and would not give any explantions about anything. All I got was one word answers, eg, I asked him what animals live in the dester and he said hyenas did but not in Wadi Rum. What a stupid answer!!!!
  • His general attitude was that he was totally uninterested and I felt like a burden on him.
  • He never gave me a clear structure for the day and seemed irritated whenever I asked him where we were going next.
  • He told me not to buy much food for lunch (this was at 11am) as he would prepare the evening meal. He saw that I bought only a packet from the local shop and did not bother to sugget that it may not be enough. He didn't start cooking until 8pm and I was starving the whole afternoon. He never offered any food or drink.
  • He took a 2 hour nap without informing me because he said he didn't sleep the night before because of a wedding. Hardly my problem.
  • Whenever we stopped, he read my Lonely Planet guide and said that all the other guides were rubbish!!
  • At the camp in the evening, he said that he wanted to leave me whilst he visited his friends for a few hours. This was my first time in the desert and I was nervous about staying alone. He said that him staying overnight was not included in the price. He kept saying it was safe but I didn't feel safe enough to be left alone, especiallly since he insited on carrying a dagger!!!! In the end, I told him I didn't want to stay with him and asked him to drop me off in the village. He really stressed me out for the whole day.
  • Food consisted of the blandest fried chicken ever - no spices, no taste. Chicked had been fried in oil without anything ie any coating. Got upset stomache next day.
  • When he dropped me off to the village, I confronted him about his bad attitude and he said that he did not like to talk "bullshit" all day. I really wanted to learn about the desert and Bedouin life but he saw this as "bullshit".

  • I asked if we would visit a Bedouin family (many tour guides do this) and he said nobody does this in the desert. I said that I read that people do this and that Bedouins play music for the visitors and he said that no Bedouin plays music. This was totally untru as when he stopped at his friend's tent, I heard his friend play music.

  • the only 2 positives were that he spoke good English and he had a covered jeep, which helped with the hot weather.

PLEASE AVOID THIS MAN AS HE WILL RIP YOU OFF AND IS THOROUGHLY UNPLEASANT AND LAZY. THERE ARE MUCH BETTER GUIDES OUT THERE.

View last reply
Report
1
vaniacroccia
vaniacroccia

I also had a bad experience with an ultra hight recommend guide by all Jordan guides book as LP, Rought Guide and Jordan Jubilee.

Reading your story I start to think they are good guides and do their job with professionalism only when customers are guides book writers.

I am also very boring . This was perhaps the only opportunity of my life to visit Wadi Rum and was spoiled by a stupid who does not understand that for many of us a trip to the Middle East is a dream not so easy to achieve.

Copy and paste the url below to share the link.
Permalink to this post
Report
2
thefizz
thefizz

Sorry to hear of your bad experience. My wife and I did an over-night trip with Aodeh last year and thought he was very good. The food was also good and there was plenty of it.

Copy and paste the url below to share the link.
Permalink to this post
Report
3
sh1977
sh1977

There are quite a few negative reviews about Aodeh online. This one closely mirrors my experience but goes into more detail about why one should not have Aodeh as a guide.

http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jacontheroad/jordan_dec_2007/1198576980/tpod.html

Copy and paste the url below to share the link.
Permalink to this post
Report
4
thefizz
thefizz

I think visiting a desert with a young family is always going to be problematic. I actually found the story amusing. This lady should have found out exactly what was involved from her guide beforehand, I'm not sure if she did that. Did she expect a luxury bus to pick them up at the hotel? Remember this is Jordan, not a western European country.

I was at all the places she mentioned. The small canyon is a comfortable walk, not even a hike. The rock bridge may be a little dangerous to climb, so don't climb it then. The sunset hill at the camp site is not hard to climb and only takes ten minutes. And how could you hurt yourself on a hill of sand? (ref to the red sand dune).

I emailed Aodeh many times before going to Jordan and we agreed on exactly what we wanted to do and see. I paid a little extra for Aodeh to provide a guided hike up two mountains which he did. We would not have been able to do so on our own. We had Bedouin tea and a nice lunch at the top of each mountain. We finished our trip with lunch in Aodeh's home while playing with his son. I'm not trying to defend him but just giving my experience.

The moral of this story may be to "not go to the desert with a young family", rather than simply "avoid this guide". I agree there may be some bad reviews about Aodeh but I have read many more good reviews. He may not be very chatty but that didn't bother me as I was there for an adventure, not a history lesson.

Again I am sorry to hear you didn't enjoy the trip in Wadi Rum and I do agree that not getting any lunch during the day was bad and leaving you on your own at night isn't good either.

Edited by: thefizz

Edited by: thefizz

Copy and paste the url below to share the link.
Permalink to this post
Report
5
roprtro
roprtro

hello .
am sorry to hear this (but I don't understand) .
we visit wadi rum 2 time on 2008 and we Always go with the Aodeh by 4x4 drive Around with over nights camping each time we stay 2 nights 1 nights in his camp and one night Out side in the desert with out tent . so we now Aodeh and we meet tourist the have been with hem so we had the best time and we found hem the best and we sent hem 2 time friends and the had very good time . We trust hem for every thing. He have very new jeep and thing it's very good for the tours to have new jeep. And he speaks very good English..

so because know Aodeh and trust hem and know that he do good job 1 really recommended hem to Any one want to visit wadi rum .

Roprtro:
France

Copy and paste the url below to share the link.
Permalink to this post
Report
6
sh1977
sh1977

Dear "roprtro" or should I say Aodeh,

I find it rather pathetic that you disguise yourself as a traveller on this forum when you know full well that you are just trying to promote your rubbish service. How about being honest and responding to each of my points about my tour with you rather than continuing to deceive travellers. I understand that Ruth spoke to you about my post and so this is your attempt to counter my comment. Please don't assume that the users on this forum are stupid. It is odd that your only 3 posts on the entire forum are to to say how wonderful you are (albeit under a differnt name) and to promote your website.

I tried to say whatever was positive about you, i.e., your jeep and good spoken English (which you reiterate in your posts). However, a good, honest and sincere guide should provide a lot more than that. I understand that other clients may have had a good service from you but the service you gave me was nothing short of appalling. This forum is to allow travllers to learn about each others' experiences and dishonesty does not allow that.

I have also posted my review of you on Virtualtourist and other sites and so perhaps you wish to promote yourself there also.

Copy and paste the url below to share the link.
Permalink to this post
Report
7
skulikd
skulikd

My wife and I have a totally different experience. We travelled Jordan in September 2009 (it was the second time). Wadi Rum with Aodeh and Awad (a relative) was the best. We stayed three days and nights. Aodeh manages our trip excellent. We got a plan months ago by e-mail. He manages what we want. Awad was our guide.
The food in the camp (two nights) was excellent. Aodeh and Awad cooked chicken in a special oven - with rice and salad. They provided tea as sweet as you want. During the day and one evening (we stayed the night with Awad anywhere in Wadi Rum) Awad prepared lunch/dinner and tea - delicious again. When we arrived in the village (about 1 p.m.) Aodeh prepared lunch and tea. And of course we always got water. We never starved!!
With Awad we had many, many interesting discussions about Bedouin life and we visited a Bedouin family. We had never problems with our stomachs.
We always rember: desert Wadi Rum - blue sky, sleeping under amazing stars, wonderful landscape, many different colours, sand, mountains ... Wonderful people!! It was an extraordinary experience!!
You should know: the toilets and showers in the camps are sandy and simple. Water is precious and must be saved.
We suppose "sh1977" had a special problem. Maybe he never get a feeling for Wadi Rum and Aodeh. He was in Wadi Rum not a whole day but he knows there are better guides ...
sh1977 it is to simple to blame Aodeh. Maybe you are responsible too or you are the problem. It is a crazy idea to visit a Bedouin family and to expect they play music for you. And it is strange to write to all websites your experience - not one (!!!) day in Wadi Rum. And it is very curious to feel unsave in Wadi Rum!! All people are very, very friendly. When we met Aodeh and Awad they never wear a dagger (but the man in the Bedouin family but it was not a threat). We are sure sh1977 is the problem or he had a problem with the desert ...
We can recommend to travel with Aodeh and Awad. Wadi Rum will become a great experience for you.
Claudia and Klaus, Germany, Hamburg
(sorry about my English)

Edited by: skulikd

Edited by: skulikd

Copy and paste the url below to share the link.
Permalink to this post
Report
8
sh1977
sh1977

Dear Skulikd

I am delighted you had such a wonderful experince with Aodeh. Perhaps there was merit in me (and many others) posting my (their) experience of his rubbish service as it sounds like he has taken the initiative to improve rather than continue to rob his clients' money.

Please do not be so arrogant as to conjecture that I had a "special problem". I don't recall you being present on my trip (were you?), therefore, stick to commenting about your own experience rather than imagining up what you believe to be mine. It is hilarious that you "are sure" I was the problem. Don't you think it is a possibility that Aodeh has improved as a result of many bad reviews? This may explain why you got a better service. Not too radical an idea. Clearly you have not read my post - where did I write that demanded a bedouin family to play music?? Your love of Aodeh (rather than your poor English) has clouded your ability to read it seems.

This forum is open to all to comment about THEIR OWN experiences. Please respect that rather than being so rude as to imagine up the experiences of others. I gave an open and honest account of my experience. I cannot understand why that offends your sensibilities. After all, this forum is for us to learn and share.

Please be a little open minded when you post.

SH1977

Copy and paste the url below to share the link.
Permalink to this post
Report
9
roprtro
roprtro

ITO 1977:

rite my post some times ago reply to your post , and don't now whey you Always ( you are the rite and the rest POSTS are wrong and it seems that you Knowledge of the unseen . so we rite our experience with this guide and we had the best time , and am sure that your have problem with your self a there ways you will not trying to Knowledge of the unseen. .

let me tell YOU some thing i now this guide ( Aodeh ) and am sure that you are complicated tourist , and your visit wadi rum just to make problems , did any one pay you to make rubbish post like this ? YOU It's like great revenge is not human.riting to all websites.

WE ALWAYS recommend THIS GUIDE TO ANY ONE WANT TO VIST JORDAN AND WADI RUM .

Roprtro:
France

Copy and paste the url below to share the link.
Permalink to this post
Report

This topic has been locked by a moderator.

Pro tip
Lonely Planet
trusted partner