Jordan

Quick Facts

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Local name

Al-Urdunn (Arabic: الأردنّ‎)

Capital

Amman

Government

Constitutional Monarchy

Nationality

Jordanian

Population

5,460,000

Languages

Arabic, English

Religions

Islam (Sunni), Christianity

Currency

Jordanian Dinar (JOD)

Calling Code

+962

Time Zone

UTC+2

Daylight Saving

UTC+3

Contributors

• Utrecht (63%)
  from http://utrecht.travellerspoint.com

as well as itenerant (11%), Hien (11%), dr.pepper (7%), Peter (7%), t_maia (1%), Lavafalls (1%)

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Introduction

'Little' Petra at sunset

© All Rights Reserved Mikey B

The Middle East doesn't exactly come across as the most stable area on earth these days, but Jordan has managed to remain a reasonably safe nation. Moreover, Jordan's progressive leadership is playing an important role in encouraging peaceful Middle Eastern relations, as it moves internally towards greater female equality, freedom of press and democratic governance.

But tourists, they don't really come to a nation because of its great leadership do they? It's a good thing, then, that Jordan packs a variety of fantastic attractions into its borders. Best known is Petra, an ancient Arab city which was rediscovered in the 19th century, given airtime in "Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade" and is now the most impressive ruins site in all of the Middle East, with visitor numbers proving it. In Jordan's far southwest corner is Aqaba, which lies along the Gulf of Aqaba and provides what is said to be some of the best diving in the world.

Jordan shares international borders with Israel, Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia.

Brief History

Geography

Regions

Jordan is divided into 12 governorates. From north to south these are:

• Irbid
• Ajloun
• Jarash
• Mafraq
• Balqa
• Zarqa
• Amman
• Madaba
• Karak
• Tafilah
• Ma'an
• Aqaba

Cities

• Amman
• Irbid
• Jerash features ancient Roman ruins, about an hour's drive from Amman.
• Aqaba is a Red Sea resort town offering some excellent snorkeling and diving.
• Karak is a fortified town with a castle dating back to the 12th century.
• Madaba is known as the “City of Mosaics". It is home to a 6th century Mosaic Map of Jerusalem and the Holy Land.
• Maan

Sights and Activities

Petra

The Monastery

© All Rights Reserved krissy

Petra is Jordan's most famous tourist attraction. A city hewn by the Nabateans into the rose-coloured rock hidden behind the surrounding mountains the site became famous after reports by the Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt in 1812. It probably is one of the most Famous Ruins in the world and therefore is on the Unesco World Heritage List. For more detailed information about visiting this fantastic highlight of Jordan, read the Petra article. The village of Wadi Musa, about 2 kilometres uphill from the main site, is the base for visiting Petra.

Wadi Rum

Wadi Rum is a valley in the Jordanian desert known for its sand dunes. Parts of the Lawrence of Arabia movie were recorded here. The area is very isolated but can easily be visited as it is not to far from the main Amman to Aqaba road. The only permanent inhabitants are several thousand Bedouin nomads who sometimes function as guides in the area.

Dead Sea

The Dead Sea is located in the west of the country and shares part of it with its neighbouring country Israel. This is the lowest point in the world at almost 400 meters below sea level and the water is the most salty in the world as well. In summer it can get very hot here and it is best avoided during this time. The Dead Sea is easily visited in a day or so but some more time deserves to be spent here, as nearby attractions like Madaba (known for its Madaba Mosaic Map, a 6th century mosaic depiction of Jerusalem and parts of the Holy Land on the floor of St. George's church), Bethany-beyond-the-Jordan (Jesus' baptism site) and Mount Nebo are highlights of the country as well. Madaba, a relaxed small town about 45 minutes drive from Amman, can be a good base for exploring the sites around the Dead Sea. Alternatively, backpacker hotels in Amman organise day trips, and you can also rent a car.

Diving and snorkeling

The Red Sea borders a small portion of southern Jordan at and near the city of Aqaba and the waters are known amongst divers all over the world for its tremendous variety of marine life. Aqaba itself has some fine hotels to stay at, both upmarket as more modest places, several of which offer snorkeling and diving just offshore.

Ancient Ruins

Roman Ruins

© All Rights Reserved Ilyas

Jordan has several magnificent ancient ruins other then Petra, especially in the northwest of the country including the ones at Jerash (famous for its roman ruins) and at Umm Qais in the far northwest with great views offered towards Lake Tiberias in Israel and the Golan Heights in Syria. Another one is at Kerak, located on the King's Highway with its magnificently-situated Crusader castle. Amman itself has some fine roman ruins as well, including the ones at citadell hill. Finally, Ajlun in the north of Jordan is famous for its impressive ruins of the 12th century Ajlun castle.

Other Sights and Activities

• Azraq Wetland Reserve
• Shawmari Reserve
• Dana Nature Reserve
• Wadi Mujib Nature Reserve

Events and Festivals

Weather

Jordan has a hot, dry and sunny climate, although winters in the north can be quite cold sometimes.
The east and south has the warmest weather, with average temperatures during the summermonths of May to September over 35 degrees Celcius, sometimes hitting 45 degrees or more! Nights are still warm.
The Dead Sea area can be extremely hot and as it is the lowest point in the world, temperatures can rise to over 50 degrees Celcius in the shade.
Winters here are pleasantly warm, around 20 degrees or a little more during the day, nights can be relatively chilly.
More inland, winter nights can be downright cold, with temperatures below zero being a real possibility.
The northwest is located at higher altitude and its proximity to the Mediterranean make this the wettest and most fertile part of Jordan. Here the annual rainfall can be as much as 800 mm in the highest parts. Temperatures are more pleasant but hot days in summer are possible, averaging around 32 degrees. Most of the rain falls in winter, from November to March, while summers are generally quite dry and sunny. Frost and snow in winter is possible in places like Amman.

Getting There

By Plane

Royal Jordanian Airlines is the national airline with many destinations served from Queen Alia International Airport (AMM), 32 km south of Amman. Destinations are as far away as New York, but most flights are to major Middle East and European cities. Asian destinations include Bangkok and Hong Kong. Dozens of other airlines (mostly regional) fly to the airport as well.

By Train

A twice weekly train travel between the capital of Syria, Damascus, and Amman. The train leaves both places on Mondays and Thursdays at 8 o'clock in the morning and take 9 hours to complete the schedule. Although slower than buses and shared taxis, this train ride comes as a welcome alternative for train fanatics.

By Car

From Syria there are plenty of shared taxis leaving Damascus for Amman, taking about 4 hours including time to clear immigrations. It costs around 15USD for a seat.
With your own car you can also cross the border without major hassles but when travelling to Syria be sure to have a visa before entering.

By Bus

Although buses and minibuses travel to Saudi Arabia and Iraq it is either almost impossible (SA) or not advisable (Iraq) to cross these borders. Instead, most travellers take overland routes to and from Israel and the Palestinian Territories or Syria. Buses travel between Amman and Tel Aviv, Nazareth and Haifa. Buses to Syria go to Damascus (daily) and Aleppo (weekly). There are also numerous minibuses that ply the route between the two capitals.
Minibuses between Amman and Damascus sometimes also stop in Jerash (Jordan) and Bosra (Syria).

By Boat

There are ferries between Aqaba, Jordan and Nuweiba on the Sinai peninsula in Egypt. There is a daily fast ferry (90USD) leaving at 11am from Jordan and 3pm from Egypt. It takes 1 to 2 hours travelling depending on sea conditions, but much longer in reality as a result of the time needed for everyone to clear customs and immigrations - up to 7 hours of mostly waiting. The slow ferry leaves daily as well but costs almost the same and is much less comfortable and much slower indeed! Citizens of most European countries, North America and Australia and New Zealand can get a visa for free when entering Aqaba.

Getting Around

By Plane

The country is small, so you don't really need a domestic flight although travelling between Amman and Aqaba could be an option with Royal Jordanian Airlines.

By Train

Although the train from Syria travels through Jordan to Amman, there are no other convenient points to break your journey.

By Car

Jordanian roads and roadsigns are of good quality and apart from the chaotic roads in and near Amman, it is also very easy to drive around this country. Just be careful of other local drivers. You can hire cars at the main airports, some resorts and bigger cities. Traffic drives on the right. It is best to bring an international driving permit, which is valid in all circumstances. Hiring a car with a driver is also popular and saves you the hassle on the road.

By Bus

There are many bus companies offering direct services to most major cities and towns, like Amman, Aqaba, Petra, Jerash and Irbid. Companies include Alphadt, JETT and Rum Tourist Transport. There are also minibuses.

Smaller service taxis ply the same routes and often are more expensive but also faster and more convenient.

By Boat

Other than taking a leisurely boat tour on the Red Sea (and occasionally the Dead Sea), there are no regular passenger services within Jordan.

Red Tape

Most citizens from western countries need a visa when entering Jordan. Usually, these are available upon arrival at airport, ports and land borders, and cost 10 Jordanian dinars (around 15USD) that must be paid in local currency - there are exchange counters around the immigration offices.

When entering through the port of Aqaba, there is no visa fee for travellers from most European countries, the US and Canada, Australia and New Zealand due to the special economic zone (ASEZA) status of the area. However, travellers with a free ASEZA visa will have to register at the ASEZA office in town if they plan to stay more than 2 weeks.

Money

See also: Money Matters

Work

Study

Language

Eat

Sleep

Drink

Health

See also: Travel Health

Safety

See also: Travel Safety

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