Guides can make or break a shore excursion.
Our guide, Abdullah Amra, stepped onto the motorcoach in Aqaba, Jordan to welcome us in broken English. After a few minutes of listening to him stumble through words and point out the obvious (“Jordan very modern, we have traffic lights, red mean stop, green mean go.”) many of us resolved that we could be in for a challenging day on the full-day excursion to and from the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Petra.
For at least five minutes, Amra rambled on. He was certainly funny and his phrasing was even funnier. He told us, for example, that he loved his job and that it paid very well and that he needed the job to support his seven children. He pleaded with us not to tell his boss that his English was so bad.
Then, the young man exposed the joke, speaking in perfect English to much applause and heartfelt laughter. “Sometimes I actually start speaking Arabic, assuming the passengers speak Arabic,” Amra told me at a cafe in Petra. Other times, he is imitating “someone you would call a ‘stupid tour guide,’ someone who is working as a tour guide but this is the wrong job because he’s not qualified . . . ” Occasionally, Amra will break into a sweat and breathe heavily into the microphone, expressing anxiety about being in front of a crowd. He is anything but, however.
Amra’s approach and personality underscore the quality of Silversea’s guides. When we returned to Aqaba at the end of the day, it was clear that Amra had transformed what promised to be a good tour into what turned out to be a great tour. A handful of bills, which had been given by passengers in appreciation, was a good measure of his approval ratings for the day.
“I am very proud that I can do things like this,” Amra says of his technique. “It is not only giving the guest information but also entertaining them.”
21 Comments
Ah, no wonder it was such a quality excursion, an A&K program. You’re very welcome …
Wow! Abdullah is certainly popular today. And of course, he deserves it!
I can only say that everyone on our tour appreciated him and his sense of humor very much. He fooled no one. He simply entertained while informing. I can assure you of this: No one fell asleep on the bus, as so often happens on long tours.
Either you are jealous or he hasn’t been your tour guide…your language suggests some
sort of resentment???? Have you travelled to Jordan???? I’m sure your not from Jordan
they are gracious people and proud of their country…as they should be…. maybe the circus
is a better choice for you….
He was definitely one of the best ever in my book!
Petra the most magical place on earth.Our guide Abdullah was amazing,bright,articulate and
very easy on the eyes….all ages adored him and his beautiful smile and great knowledge of his
home.
Abdullah : ) He’s the best. Thanks for your comment!
ABDULLAH TARGETS WOMEN WHO HE SEES AS A NEXT MEAL TICKET THIS MAN IS NOT TO BE TRUSTED AT ALL HE SLEEPS WITH HIS CLIENTS AND THEN BEGS FOR MONEY ETC AFTERWARDS HE IS BEYOND VILE
this man is in fact a disgrace to the profession he targets rich nd wealthy foreign women to use for money sex etc please beaware of abddulah amra aka abdullah nawafleh
How do we get in touch with Abdullah?
Not sure. I know he was working with Abercrombie & Kent.
Thank you Mr. Ralph Grizzle for this great video. it was a pleasure to have met you in that tour to Petra.
if anyone wants to get in? touch with me you can always send an email to [email protected]
Dear Nare De Nostredamus,
Thank you so much for your great comment. I really have no words to say! I have enjoyed my time with you and I hope I get to see you again in Petra. God bless you 🙂
Abdullah speaks excellent English and has amazing knowledge of Petra. He has a fantastic sense of humour and this made our time all the more enjoyable. He went at our pace and was encouraging when we were finding the 860 steps to the monastery difficult! He was happy to suggest other activities or places of interest but didn’t force them on us. He arranged our drivers for us, recommended tickets to buy and generally made the whole trip relaxed and easy. This was especially good for us as we were only here for a short time. He made what would have been a great trip even better!
Dear Erin,
Thank you so much for your nice comment. It was a great pleasure to have met you and your friends in Petra. Your group was a great fun. I hope to see you again in Petra.