GENERAL INFORMATION

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE

VISA & DEPARTURE TAX
Visitors with a valid passport may obtain a visa at any Jordanian embassy, consulate, or legation abroad. You can also obtain a visa upon arrival at Amman's Queen Alia International Airport or at any other border crossing except King Hussein Bridge and the ferryboat from Egypt; payment must be in local currency (you can change money at the bank next to the visa office in the Arrivals Hall). Visas are valid for two weeks, but can be extended at any police station.

No inoculations are required for entry into Jordan, although preventive shots for hepatitis, polio, tetanus and typhoid are recommended.

Few formalities need to be observed when departing Jordan. A departure tax of 10 JD is payable at the airport or 5 JD at other border crossings.

BY ROAD
Coming to Jordan by road from Syria, cross from Nasib into Jaber.
There are three border crossings between Jordan and Israel. The Allenby/King Hussein Bridge, located in the southern Jordan Valley, is open Sun.-Thurs. 08:00h-15:00h and Fri. 08:00h-12:30h. NOTE: Prior visas must be arranged and cannot be obtained at the border. Private cars and tour buses cannot cross - travellers must change vehicles upon crossing or use the other two border crossings. Those are the Sheikh Hussein crossing, located in the north close to Lake Tiberias (Sea of Galilee); and the Wadi Araba crossing, located in the south, connecting the two Red Sea resorts of Eilat and Aqaba. These are open Sun.-Thurs. 08:30h-22:00h and Fri.-Sat. 08:00h-17:00h. At these crossings, visas for most nationalities can be obtained at the border; prior permits are not needed. NOTE: These hours and regulations are subject to change. For up-to-date details and information on which nationalities cannot obtain visas, contact a travel agent in Jordan.

BY SEA
From Egypt, a car ferry service operates from Nuwayba to Aqaba. Visas should be obtained in advance.

BY AIR
After passport control, collect your baggage and proceed to customs. Baggage carts are available from the attendant for a ½ JD fee. Porters are available to assist if necessary.

The airport is 32 km south of Amman. A bus service leaves the airport every half an hour to Amman's Abdali bus station, but the easiest way to get to the city is by taxi. The journey should take about half an hour.

AIRLINE OFFICES
Royal Jordanian in Amman:
Sales, tel. (06) 5678168, (06) 4644266
Reservations, tel. (06) 5678321
Flight Information, tel. (06) 4453200

GETTING AROUND
Amman and other cities are relatively small, and most places of interest, hotels and restaurants are well known. Street addresses are rarely used (mail is delivered only to post office boxes located at neighbourhood post office centres) and only the larger street names are well known. When giving directions, therefore, people will usually tell you the area or a nearby landmark (a large hotel, ministry building or supermarket, for example) and instructions from there. This works more efficiently than it sounds.

Amman itself is built on seven hills, or jabals, each of which more or less defines a neighbourhood. Many jabals once had a traffic circle (roundabout) at their peak, and although most of the circles have now been replaced by traffic lights, the junctions are still known as 1st Circle, 2nd Circle... 8th Circle. Other Amman neighbourhoods were once separate villages, now swallowed up by the expanding city.

One final word... if you're having trouble finding your way, don't hesitate to ask a passer-by, most people will be delighted to help, and in some cases, they'll even jump in your car and direct you to your destination!

TOUR OPERATORS IN JORDAN
JTB MEMBERS:

AFFILIATE MEMBERS AT JTB

TAXIS
Taxis are inexpensive and often the most convenient form of transportation in Jordan, even over substantial distances, such as the trip between Amman and Aqaba. The white-painted "service taxis" ride fixed routes and are shared. Private taxis are painted yellow; they can be taken from ranks outside larger hotels, or hailed in the street. Taxis have meters, but these are not always used at night, so it is advisable to agree the cost beforehand. The same applies on long journeys. Taxi drivers are friendly, know the city well, and usually speak English.

It is considered appropriate for a woman to sit in the back of the taxi, even when the only passenger; a man, on the other hand, should sit in the front. Tipping is not required, but it is customary to add about 200 fils to the price of the meter.

CAR RENTAL
Jordan has an excellent and expanding road network, and renting a car can be a good way to see the country. A driving license valid in your country of origin is acceptable, provided you have held it for at least one year. Driving is right-sided. Road signs on the highways are in Arabic and English. Brown signs are designed for tourists. There are plenty of petrol stations in Amman and other cities, and on most highways (except the Dead Sea/Aqaba road), but it makes sense to fill up before embarking on any long journey. Lead-free petrol is available in some petrol stations in Amman.

There are many car rental offices; the following is a selection. Many hotels have car rental offices on their premises.

AMMAN

QUEEN ALIA AIRPORT

KING HUSSEIN BRIDGE

SHEIKH HUSSEIN BRIDGE

BUSES

Several companies offer charter bus and regular tours in a fleet of modern, air-conditioned coaches. For destinations and schedules please call:
Alpha, JETT and Petra, tel. (06) 5621217/6
Rum, tel. (06) 5826135
Trust International, tel. (06) 5813422
Hijazi, tel. (06) 4651341

RAIL ROAD

There are no passenger trains in Jordan, with the exception of the Hijaz Railway, which runs twice a week between Amman and Damascus on the same track that was built by the Ottomans at the beginning of the 20th century. The train departs Amman every Monday and Thursday at 08:00h, for more details please contact tel. (06) 4895413.

WHERE TO STAY
See respective city section in this brochure.///remark

FOOD & BEVERAGE

Arabic cuisine is one of the most elaborate and sophisticated in the world. Food is also an important part of the culture and is used to express hospitality and generosity. Jordanians are exceptionally hospitable, even by comparison with other Arab cultures. Do not be surprised if you are invited to share a meal in someone's home... when Jordanians invite you, they mean it! The local cuisine includes a mouth-watering array of savoury appetizers, called mezze, aromatic breads, delicious sweets soaked in syrup, pistachios and other delicacies, and mansaf, Jordan's traditional dish of lamb, yogurt sauce and rice. All are served in Jordan's many fine Arabic restaurants.

LOCAL STARTERS

Most restaurant meals start with mezze, and only after you have eaten these appetizers will you be asked if you want to order a main dish. This is very sensible, as in many cases mezze is all one needs! Exactly what you get as mezze varies from place to place, but it usually includes the following:

Khobz or eish (literally, life), Arabic bread, round and flat, which is eaten with all the other mezze dishes.
Hummus, a puree of chickpeas (garbanzos) with tahina (sesame seed paste), garlic and lemon juice.
Baba ghanoush, a paste made from cooked, often smoked, egg-plant (aubergine) and tahina.
Foul medamess, boiled fava (brown) beans with garlic, lemon juice, cumin and lots of olive oil; a traditional Arab breakfast dish.
Kibbe maqliya, deep-fried balls made from a meat and burgul (cracked wheat) mixture with a spicy meat and onion filling.
Fattayer and sambusek, small pastries filled with minced meat, sharp white cheese or spinach/herb mixture.
Tabouleh, a salad of chopped parsley, tomato, onion and fresh mint, mixed with burgul wheat and lemon juice.

MAIN DISHES
Mansaf, Jordan's national dish is a Bedouin speciality of lamb served on a bed of rice and pine nuts, in a tangy yogurt sauce. Traditionally eaten from a communal dish using the right hand, mansaf is also available in restaurants.
Kebabs, cooked over a charcoal fire are another speciality, and you will find shish taouk (boneless chicken), shish kebab (boneless lamb or beef) and kofta kebab (spicy minced lamb) in most restaurants.
Farooj, spit-roasted chicken, is also popular and served with bread and salad.
Fish is relatively rare in Jordan, although specialities like sayadiya, fried fish cooked with rice, is well worth trying if you find it on the menu.

SWEETS
Jordanians have a sweet tooth and these pastries also make a great gift to take back home.
Baklawa, thin layers of phyllo pastry with chopped nuts in sweet honey syrup.
Kunafeh, shredded dough filled with nuts or goat cheese, baked in syrup.
Atayef, a Ramadan treat, are small deep-fried pancakes stuffed with nuts or cheese.
Ma'moul, pastries with nuts and dates, perfumed with rose water.
Mohallabiya, a milk pudding with rose or orange-flower water.
Sahlab, a hot milk drink flavoured with powdered sahlab root and served with chopped pistachio nuts, cinnamon and rose water.

TAKE-AWAY FOOD
There are plenty of delicious snacks to be found in restaurants and street stalls. Try these:
Shawarma, also called sandweech, thinly sliced beef or lamb cut from vertical spit and served in flat pita bread. Chicken shawarma or taouk is good too.
Falafel are small deep-fried balls of a paste made from chickpeas, onions, parsley and spices; it is usually served wrapped in pita bread with tahina and salad.

COFFEE & TEA

Jordanian Arabic coffee is strong and served in tiny cups; it is often flavoured with cardamom. Shake the cup to indicate that you do not want a refill. Turkish coffee is also common; don't try to drink the last mouthful, as it will be full of coffee grounds! American coffee is also available in the cities. Decaffeinated coffee is offered in the larger hotels.

Coffee is an important symbol of hospitality and it is very common to be offered coffee or tea in small shops, or to be invited to have coffee in someone's home. It is good etiquette to accept.

Tea is served in small glasses and is usually very sweet. Tea with fresh mint makes a refreshing variation.

ALCOHOL
Alcohol is served in most restaurants and bars in the cities, except during Ramadan (non-Muslims can still get a drink in larger hotels). Locally brewed Amstel beer is available, as are excellent wines from surrounding countries. Alcohol can also be purchased in supermarkets and some shops. Araq is a local liquor similar to Greek ouzo, usually mixed with water and ice.

WHERE TO GET INFORMATION
The Ministry of Tourism has several offices: in Amman, tel. (06) 4603360; Queen Alia International Airport, tel. (06) 4453200; Aqaba, tel. (03) 2013363; Jarash, tel. (02) 6351272; Petra, tel. (03) 2156020.

The Jordan Tourism Board can be reached in Amman tel. (06) 5678294, opens daily 08:00h-16:00h except Fridays.

The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) is administering nature and wildlife reserves in Azraq, Shaumari, Wadi Mujib, Dana, Wadi Rum and other locations, and is organising various outdoor activities under the title 'Ecotourism'. Tel. (06) 5337931 website www.rscn.org.jo.

CLIMATE
Jordan is blessed with a Mediterranean