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Entry Visas and Passports Validity
Whether for business or tourism, needs an entry visa. The required fee for a visa in addition to the granted stay duration depends on the visitors nationality. Although entrance visas are obtainable at the airport for visitors arriving by airplane, those arriving by land must get a visa prior to arrival. These are obtainable from any Jordanian diplomatic mission abroad, where they generally take a day to be received. Visas cannot be obtained at Jordan's land border crossings. Visas obtained in Jordanian consulates are valid for 3-4 months from the date of issue, and can be issued for multiple entries. Tourist visas allow a stay of up to one month initially. However, this period can easily be extended for up to another two months. After that date you must exit and re-enter the country, or undergo immigration procedures. If your visa has not been renewed properly by the time you leave Jordan you will have to pay a fine at the border. If you plan to stay for more than two weeks in Jordan, you will need to register at the nearest police station.
Money
The currency is the 'JD' - JORDANIAN DINAR.
The basic unit is the 'fils'.
One JD: 1000 fils.
1JD = 1.5 USD or USD=0.70 JD (this subject to change)
Credit cards
Credit cards are accepted at most large hotels, restaurants, car rental companies and tourist shops. The most widely accepted cards are American Express, Visa, Diners Club and Master Card. You can also use your cards to draw cash (up to 500 JD's) at any bank linked with your credit card network. Only Jordanian bank account holders can use the automatic cash machines outside some banks in Amman and you should not attempt to use them.
Weather worries:
The weather in Jordan is pleasurable for travel throughout the year. Amman is sunny and cloudless from May to October, with temperatures averaging approximately 25C (75 F). During the spring, the most beautiful season in Jordan, fields and mountains are coated with rich greenery and exquisite wildflowers. In autumn, the weather is mild and pleasant. July and August are hot and dry, but not restrictive of tourist activities. The valleys and Aqaba are ideal winter resorts, with temperatures averaging 16-22 C (66-72 F) between November and April. Rainfall is a rare occurrence in Aqaba as well as in the desert areas of Jordan.
Clock conscious:
Jordan local time is seven hours ahead of American Eastern Standard Time. From October through March, Jordan is two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. The rest of the year, Jordan is three hours ahead of GMT.
Business hours:
Most Jordanians work five days a week with Friday and Saturday off, but business and shopping hours are flexible. Some establishments are open from 9:30 - 13:30 and again from 15:30 to 18:00. Others may be open straight through the day; from 08:00 to 20:00
Government offices are open from 08:30 - 15:00. All businesses and most shops, other than those in the souqs, are closed on Fridays. During the Holy Month of Ramadan, working hours are more flexible and generally shorter.
Medical care:
Modern medical services are readily available in Jordan's larger cities and towns and the bigger hotels normally have a doctor on call. Most doctors speak English fluently.
Pharmacies can provide medication for minor aliments, but travelers should carry their own prescription medication.
Tours in Jordan
Petra Tour: 2 Hours Sightseeing tour in Petra: The visit of the ancient Nabatean Capital starts on horseback, followed by a walk through the Siq, a long narrow fissure between two overhanging cliffs. The tour then proceeds to gradually unfold the mysteries of the Red Rose City with its spectacular Treasury, Royal Tombs, burial chambers and Side High Places of Sacrifice. Lunch inside Petra. (At your account) Return to Petra hotel, and overnight.
Rum Tour:
Prepare for you a Jeep safari in the desert for 2hours. A tour
inside the spectacular desert, made famous by Lawrence of
Arabia, a moonscape terrain of ancient riverbeds, towering
cliffs and smooth, pastel colored sands. A Nabataen temple lies a few hundred meters from the Beau Geste arrive the camp, then back to the camp for dinner with traditional Bedouin music, overnight Wadi rum in private tent for each one well organized and closed.
Toilet in Rum : its a building toilet within steps walking of the camp , clean and organized with showers , hot and cold water .and private for the camp it self.
Amman Tour :
for approximately 2 hours tour : you will visit 2 Faces of Amman the
capital : new city of Amman which you may find in the west of Amman
rich houses , big complexes , wide streets , shopping centers..etc , then you will move to old city of Amman which you may find in the east of Amman ( old buildings , old houses , old shops , then we drive to downtown visit ( Amman Amphitheater , citadel , museums) , and you may walk in the streets of the down town and have look at the old shops.
Religion
96% of the people are Muslims and 4% are Christians. Both Muslims and Christians live together in the same sites enjoying true religious freedom in an atmosphere of love and peace. In the same places you find a mosque you may also find a church.
Customs
Customs regulations exempt from duty most items carried by tourists, including cameras, radios, hair-dryers, video equipment, etc. So far as duty allowances are concerned, you may carry up to 200 cigarettes or 200 grams of tobacco, and either one-liter of spirits or two liters of wine. Modest gifts and other effects are exempt from customs duty. Cars and electrical appliances, from household goods to personal computers and video cameras, are subject to duty, which may be very high. If you intend to take taxable goods with you when you leave, you should ask the customs officials to enter details of these goods in your passport to avoid paying tax. Upon exit you will be asked to show that your goods were tax exempted.
Banking hours
8:30am - 2pm Sunday to Thursday, closed Friday, Saturday and most public holidays.
Tips
Many of the best hotels and restaurants will add a gratuity of about 10% to your bill. However, smaller establishments usually expect you to leave a tip in line with the service you received. Taxi drivers are generally not tipped, but it is customary to pay the nearest round figure to the price on the meter. It may be difficult to get change for a large bill, so carry plenty of small denominations and coins for taxis.
Climate & Geography
Jordan has a combination of Mediterranean and arid desert climates, with Mediterranean prevailing in the North and West of the country, while the majority of the country is desert. Generally, the country has warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters, with annual average temperatures ranging from 12 to 25 C (54 to 77 F) and summertime highs reaching the 40 C (105-115 F) in the desert regions. Rainfall averages vary from 50 mm (1.97 inches) annually in the desert to 800 mm (31.5 inches) in the northern hills, some of which falls as snow in some years.
Jordan enjoys a range of geographical features, starting from the Jordan Rift Valley in the West ending at the desert plateau of the East, with a range of small hills running the length of the country in between.
Lowest Point: Dead Sea, -408 meters (-1338.6 feet)
Highest Point: Jebel Rum, 1734 meters (5689 feet)
Required clothing:
Lightweight cottons and linens are advised between May and September. Warmer clothes are necessary for winter and cool summer evenings. Rainwear is needed from November to April.
Health requirements & recommendations
Inoculations are not required unless you are traveling from an infected location. If you come from a country where diseases such as cholera and yellow fever are prevalent, you will have to show a certificate of inoculation at your point of entry into Jordan. Although not required, it is not a bad idea to have preventative shots for polio, tetanus and typhoid.
Jordan is one of the cleanest and safest countries, but it is nonetheless advisable to take some precautions until your digestive system adjusts. Hotels rated four-star and up have their own filtering systems, and their tap water is safe to drink. In other places, bottled water is recommended. All fruit and vegetables should be washed thoroughly, and salads and cold meats, which have been sitting out for a long time, should be avoided, especially during summer months. All Jordanian dairy products are pasteurized and safe.
Medical services are well developed throughout Jordan, with a medical center or clinic in every town and village. There are hospitals in Amman, Aqaba, Ma'an, Karak, Madaba, Zarqa, Irbid and Ramtha. In the larger towns and cities many of the doctors have been trained overseas and speak English. Antibiotics and other drugs normally sold on prescription in the West are often available over-the-counter in Jordan. You should carry prescriptions of any medicaments you may need, making sure you have the generic name, as your specific brand may not be available. If you wear glasses, bring a spare pair and a copy of the prescription as well.
Food
The pride of the Jordanian cuisine is 'Al-Mansaf', which is meat cooked in yogurt, arranged on a plate in a great mound, and decorated with pine nuts and parsley. Besides this, there are many other traditional meals, spiced with natural spices collected from the wilderness. The ever-constant drink is Bedouin coffee and tea. Coffee is served as a welcome drink on all occasions, and it always has a very bitter taste, highly concentrated with cardamom (hail).
Jordanian tea is very sweet. It comprises a lot of sugar, black tea, and water boiled together, spiced sometimes with mint or sage for refreshment
Water
Its preferable to use mineral water for drink, which easy can found in hotels, restaurants, shops... etc
Mobile Phones
Mobile phones with roaming possibilities "GSM" operate efficiently in most areas in Jordan. The networks have been expanded in most cities and beach resorts.
Internet Access
Access to the internet is readily available. The connection is possible, and most of the hotels has the service of Internet access in their business center
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Ajloun:
The Islamic castle Ajloun stands on top of the 1123 meter high Jabel Auf and is embedded in a nice environment. It was built in the 12th century by a general of the famous sultan Salah ad-Din to protect the country against the Crusader attacks and to secure the pilgrim routes.
Amman:
Situated on several hills the capital of Jordan houses almost half of the country's population. Worth seeing in the so-called white city is the Citadel hill, once an important military and religious site. Here you see for example the remains of the Temple of Hercules. Interesting place are the Roman Theater, the King Abdullah Mosque and the Abu Darweesh Mosque.
Aqaba at the Red Sea:
The small Red Sea port of Aqaba is famous for its unique coral reefs and so a paradise for diving and snorkeling in clear waters. Many other aquatic activities are possible like sailing, wind surfing or water skiing. The tourist city is also attractive due to its status as Special Economic Zone offering duty free shopping.
Azraq Oasis:
Azraq is located about 110 kilometers east of Amman. Once a large wetland area, nowadays only 12 square km of parklands and pools are left as a result of the growing water demand of cities like Amman. But still Azraq is the oasis in the eastern desert, home to some water buffalos and important for birds migrating between Africa and Europe.
Bethany Baptism Site:
On the east bank of the Jordan River not far away from Amman you find Bethany beyond the Jordan, the place where John the Baptist lived and baptized Jesus. Many Christians pilgrimage to this holy place, which is located in a nice surrounding. Besides the Baptism Site of Jesus you see a new golden-roofed church, the remains of Byzantine churches and baptism pools.
Dana:
The Dana Nature Reserve, composed of mountains and wadis, reaches a total height of more than 1600 meter ranging from the tops of the Rift Valley to desert lowlands. Here you find diversified landscape like green areas with trees, desert and rocks as well as various plants and animal species.
Dead Sea:
The salt lake between Israel and Jordan is the lowest point on earth with about 400 m below sea level. The Dead Sea is mainly supplied by water from the Jordan River. It is an experience to bath without being able to sink. But the mineral-rich Dead Sea offers more; it was one of the first spas in the world. Herod the Great, king of Judaea already used it in the 1st century BC as health treatment. The water and the special conditions of the area have positive effects on dermatological and rheumatic diseases.
Desert Castles:
The most remarkable buildings in the eastern Jordanian desert are
the palaces built by the Umayyad caliphs in the 7th and 8th century.
Most of the castles can be visited within one day in a loop from
Amman via Azraq: the originally Roman Qasr al-Hallabat and Qasr al-Kharanah
with its high walls and four corner towers. Besides are the large
black fortress Qasr al-Azraq and Qasr Amra, the most charming of the
desert castles due to its fresco paintings.
Jerash: The best example of a
Roman provincial city in the Middle East is Jerash, 50 km north of
Amman. It was initially built by Alexander the Great in 332 BC and
started to prosper after the Roman conquest in 63 BC. The Artemis
Temple, the theatres, the Colonnaded Street and many other ancient
buildings give you the feeling of the great civilization and the
history of the region.
Kerak: Situated on the King's
Highway the city was the ancient capital of the Moabites, but the
most visitors come to see the Crusader castle on the hilltop. The
castle was built in the 12th century and ruled by Payen le
Bouteiller, the Lord of Transjordan (Oultrejordain).
Madaba: The town Madaba is well
known for its Byzantine and Umayyad mosaics. Popular is especially
the 6th century mosaic map of Palestine in the floor of the orthodox
St. George's Church. Other magnificent mosaic masterpieces from the
Madaba area, mostly found in old churches, can be seen in the
Archaeological Park.
Mount Nebo:
Not far from Madaba Mt. Nebo is located, from where Prophet Moses
overlooked the Promised Land and died. In 1933 remains of a church
from the 4th century and a monastery with magnificent mosaics had
been discovered here. From the mountain you have a panorama of the
Holy Land; usually Jericho is visible and on clear days also
Jerusalem.
Pella:
Pella is located in the Jordan Valley and in nice surroundings
visitors see ancient ruins from Roman and Byzantine period. Pella
was like the city of Gadara a member of the Decapolis, a union of
cities in Palestine, Jordan and southern Syria which were centres of
Greco-Roman culture.
Petra:
In the south of Jordan, in the mountains of Edom, the famous rock
city Petra is located. 2000 years ago the Nabataeans, Arab nomads,
carved magnificent temples, tombs and houses in the red-rose
sandstone. Since 1985 Petra belongs to the World Heritage Sites and
since 2007 it is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
Salt: In the ex-capital of
Jordan you get a feeling for the architecture of the Ottoman period,
if you walk through picturesque narrow streets and watch the houses
with long-arched windows. In the town exists a Handicraft School
where you can see traditional skills of ceramics? Within Jordan Salt
is known for its quality of vegetable and fruit harvest.
Shaumari Wildlife Reserve:
Close to Azraq the Shaumari Wildlife Reserve, founded 1975, covers
22 square km and offers home for gazelles, wild donkeys and Arabian
oryx. The oryx is also Shaumari's great success story. This antelope
species was almost extinct and by means of breeding programs it
recovered again.
Shobak (Montreal):
The Crusader castle is perched on top of a small hill northeast of
the town of Shobak in southern Jordan. Like Kerak it was built by
Baldwin I. of Jerusalem. Inside the fortress are two churches, ruins
of baths, cisterns, archways, old Islamic inscriptions and brave
people can follow over 300 steps down in a well.
Umm
Quais (Gadara): From the ruined
Graeco-Roman city Gadara, today named Umm Quais, visitors have an
amazing view over the Sea of Galilee and the Golan Heights. Still to
see are the remains of theatres, temples, a colonnaded street, a
basilica and a museum.
Wadi al-Mujib:
The lowest nature reserve in the world is Wadi al-Mujib near the
Dead Sea. The area about 220 square km reaches the highest level in
900 meter, the lowest in 400 meter below sea level and offers a
variety in nature and wildlife. The so-called Grand Canyon of Jordan
is a good place for adventures. Visitors can hike, swim in pools and
rivers and abseil from rocks.
Wadi Rum:
In Jordan's south you find this dramatic desert landscape with its
beautiful rock formations. Visitors can enjoy a Jeep tour to visit
astonishing rock bridges or enjoy silence and pure nature during a
hike or on back of a camel. A wonderful experience is to spend a
night under the starry sky in the wadi. |
All
About Jordan 