Insight Guides Jordan

Insight Guides

• Publisher: Insight Guides
• ISBN:
  9781786713964
• Edition: 7
• Topic: Personal Development
• Subtopic: Travel

Insight Guides: all you need to inspire every step of your journey.
An in-depth book, now with free app and eBook.

Jordan combines the best qualities of the region - legendary hospitality, breathtaking landscapes - with unique attractions of its own, from unspoilt Red Sea reefs to stunning monuments of ancient civilisations. Be inspired to visit this beautiful country with our updated edition of IG Jordan.

Over 330 pages of insider knowledge from local experts
In-depth on history and culture, from Bedouin life to Jordanian food, wildlife and crafts
Enjoy special features on topics such as the royal family, the Dead Sea and Johann Ludwig Burckhardt
Includes innovative extras that are unique in the market - all Insight Guidesto countries and regions come with a free eBook and app that's regularly updated with new hotel, bar, restaurant, shop and local event listings
Invaluable maps, travel tips and practical information ensure effortless planning
Inspirational colour photography throughout
Inventive design makes for an engaging reading experience

About Insight Guides: Insight Guides has over 40 years' experience of publishing high-quality, visual travel guides. We produce around 400 full-colour print guide books and maps aswell as picture-packed eBooks and apps to meet different travellers' needs. Insight Guides' unique combination of beautiful travel photography and focus on history and culture together create a unique visual reference and planning tool to inspire your next adventure.

A–Z

A

Accommodation

Choosing a hotel

There is a good range of hotels in Jordan’s capital, Amman, and at the main tourist sites such as Petra, where options range from family-run hostels or guesthouses to five-star luxury resorts. Outside these places, options can be more limited, though there is usually at least one two- or three-star hotel to be found.

Non-graded hotels (those without stars) are best avoided in Jordan. Rooms are very basic and grubby; sheets and pillowcases are not provided and any “extras”, including showers in the communal bathrooms or air conditioning in summer (or heaters in winter), usually cost extra. One- to two-star establishments usually provide sheets, breakfast, a fan or sometimes a/c, and a certain level of cleanliness plus free access to communal showers. Three-star places usually offer rooms with better furnishings, including TV, a/c (or heater – a must in winter), minibar, phone and private bathrooms. Four-star hotels are often older five stars, and five-star ones generally want for nothing and also have their own pools and or beaches, gardens, spas, sport facilities, car hire offices, bookshops, craft shops, several restaurants and bars.

For those on a budget, some one- and two-star hotels offer dorm rooms, or triples or quads. In summer, many also allow travellers to sleep in beds lining the roof.

A speciality of Jordan’s wildlife reserves are the RSCN-run (for more information, click here) lodges or resthouses, often eco-designed and attractively set in protected habitats. Accommodation varies from simple cabins to tents or tented bungalows, and though they seem expensive for their simplicity, a very high percentage of proceeds go back to the community they support. For an escape from the cities or ruin trails, a night in one is unmissable.

Almost all hotels are open to some negotiation over prices, especially during the low season (October–March) and for longer occupancies; smaller hotels are particularly flexible. It is always worth asking. All hotels charge an additional 16 percent sales tax so check if this is included in the price quoted. The busiest (and most expensive) seasons are from September to October, Christmas and New Year, and from March to mid-May. It is essential to make reservations during this time.

If you are a foreign resident in Jordan, enquire about rates for residents. Many hotels offer two different rates: one for Jordanians and one for foreigners, but might consider charging foreign residents the same rate as Jordanian residents (as occurs in entrance fees to some museums).

Prices quoted below may vary according to season. The resthouses listed below provide adequate and clean accommodation for the budget traveller, and tend to be very popular, so book ahead.

Campsites

The only site that could qualify as a fully serviced campsite is the beautiful Rummana campsite, located in the Dana Nature Reserve. It has 20 large, well-maintained tents (each equipped with mattresses and blankets), two bathrooms (with four showers in each), and a communal, Bedouin-style tent. Gas cookers are available to rent. It is open for visitors from March to October. See www.rscn.org.jo for rates/booking. A single/double/triple/quadruple tent costs from 60JD (plus 8 percent tax); this includes breakfast.

Camping is also possible in the grounds of some of the other reserves. Some have permanent installations such as the “tented bungalows” (canvas bungalows on wooden platforms) at ‘Ajlun Forest Reserve.

Camping is permitted elsewhere in Jordan, though the lack of seclusion or access to water and the often litter-strewn sites can limit options. One place that is popular with fully independent campers is the desert landscapes of Wadi Rum. Overnighting in one of the Bedouin campsites in Wadi Rum is a highlight for many travellers. Facilities are basic: usually shared showers, a campfire or stove-cooked meal and a mattress in a (hot) tent or under the stars, but a night in the desert is a memorable experience.

The odd Bedouin-style camp can be found elsewhere, such as on the outskirts of Wadi musa near Petra (for more information, click here).

Admission charges

In 2015, the government introduced the Jordan Pass (www.jordanpass.jo), which enables tourists to visit various archaeological sites and museums in the Kingdom at a price of JD70 (around $99). The pass is a sightseeing package that covers entries to over 40 of Jordan’s attractions, including Petra, Jarash and Wadi Rum. The pass also waves a tourist entry visa fee, if you purchase it before arriving in Jordan and stay a minimum three nights (four days). For children under 12, the admission is free to all sites covered by the Jordan Pass. Foreign students are usually not granted discounts (even with an international student card) unless studying in Jordan itself. Some museums are free.

B

Budgeting for your trip

Jordan is one of the most expensive Middle Eastern countries (though cheaper than Israel). In recent times, the cost of living has increased considerably and this has had a knock-on effect on the tourist industry. However, it’s still possible to get by on around JD40 a day if you are ready to survive on street food and stay in basic budget hotels. Very basic accommodation starts at about JD10 (or even JD5, but don’t expect sheets, let alone clean sheets, and access even to communal showers is sometimes charged as an extra). It is easy to eat cheaply and reasonably healthily for as little as JD5–10.

Mid-range to expensive accommodation starts at JD40 and can go up to as much as JD150 or more. Much more than that will get you into one of Jordan’s increasing number of luxury hotels.

Eating out is relatively inexpensive (at least by European standards); lunch or dinner in a basic restaurant costs around JD5, a more substantial meal in a more upmarket establishment between JD10 and 15, while JD20–30 and above will buy a meal in quite a smart restaurant. Tea, coffee, water and street food (falafel, for example) cost around JD0.5–1, and a local beer about JD4–5.

Transport within cities is cheap (especially public buses and service taxis). A journey around Amman should not cost more than JD2 or 3.

Business travellers

Avoid making appointments on Friday and Saturday (the Muslim weekend), and carry lots of business cards. After greetings, this is often the first thing that is exchanged. Dressing smartly is important since appearance (including the quality of clothes) is seen as a reflection of success. Men should wear a suit and tie for business meetings while women are best advised to show cultural awareness – such as by avoiding short, tight-fitting skirts, blouses buttoned down low and so on. In business circles, English is widely spoken.

Be sure to obtain a Business Visa from Jordanian Consulate in your country before travel; a letter from your employer stating the purpose of your trip will be requested.

Most of Jordan’s top hotels have fully equipped conference facilities. Large, world-class events are usually held in the King Hussein Bin Talal Conference Centre (http://www3.hilton.com/en/index.html) on the Dead Sea or the Zara Expo (www.zaraholding.com/zara-expo) in Amman.

Amman Chamber of Industry (ACI)

Tel: [phone]

www.aci.org.jo

Jordan Chamber of Commerce (JCC)

Tel: [phone]

www.jocc.org.jo; www.jordan-business.net

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Chil...

Table of contents

• Jordan’s Top 10 Attractions
• Editor’s Choice
• Introduction: Welcome to Jordan
• The Jordanians
• Decisive Dates
• An Ancient Land
• The Crusades
• Mamlukes and Ottomans
• The Arab Revolt
• Lawrence of Arabia
• Enter the Hashemites
• Modern Jordan
• The Bedouin Way of Life
• The Palestinians
• The Craft Tradition
• Insight: Building on the Past
• Jordanian Food
• Wildlife
• Outdoor Activities
• The Arabian Horse
• Artists’ Impressions
• Introduction: Places
• Amman
• Insight: Café Society in Amman
• Al-salt and Environs
• Jarash and the North
• The Jordan Valley
• The King’s Highway
• Petra
• Wadi Rum
• Insight: The Bedouin Inheritance
• Al-’aqabah
• Insight: The Red Sea – A World Apart
• East to the Badia
• Transport
• A–Z
• Language
• Further Reading