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 climate for pleasurable year-round travel. Amman is sunny and cloudless from May to October, with average temperatures around 23°C (73°F). Springtime brings optimal weather, lush with greenery, and autumn is equally mild and pleasant. July and August are hot and dry but not oppressive. Because of the capital city's elevation, evenings are cool. Aqaba and the Jordan Valley are ideal winter resorts, with temperatures averaging l6-22°C (6l-72°F) between November and April. There is very little rain in the Aqaba area and in the desert.

FLORA & FAUNA

In springtime, when the desert is turning green, the Black Iris, Jordan's national flower, is blooming among hundreds of other species of wild flowers. But throughout the year, due to the four different vegetation zones of the country, an unexpectedly high number of species of plants are thriving here: some 2,000 species have been identified until now, as many as for instance in Germany.

Much of the rugged desert terrain is an ideal habitat for wildlife. Sinai rosefinches, desert larks and redstarts can be sighted in Wadi Rum, and sapphire-blue kingfishers in Hammamat Ma'in. The mountain gazelle, hyena, fox and ibex are still common in the Wadi Araba, while the Shaumari Reserve is breeding and releasing into the wild the once plentiful Arabian Oryx, the ostrich and the Persian Wild Ass.

In order to preserve this rich array of plant and animal species, as well as to facilitate an ecologically sustainable form of tourism, the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) has created nature and wildlife reserves, and in the Gulf of Aqaba the most beautiful corral reefs have been set under the protection of the Red Sea Marine Peace Park.

CLOTHING
Even in summer, evenings can be cool, so a sweater or a shawl is advisable. Winters can be cold, especially in Amman and the east; you will need an overcoat or a raincoat.

CULTURAL CONSIDERATION

PUBLIC APPEARANCE
Jordan is primarily a Muslim country, although the freedom of all religions is protected. Muslim women's clothing often covers their arms, legs and hair. Western women are not subject to these customs, but very revealing clothing is never appropriate, and conservative dress is advisable for both men and women in the old part of Amman ('Downtown'), and outside the cities. Shorts are rarely worn by either sex, and would be out of place in the downtown Amman area. Topless sunbathing is prohibited and one-piece swimsuits are preferred, although two-piece swimsuits are acceptable at hotel pools.

Public displays of affection are rare; however, it is not considered unusual for friends to hold hands, regardless of their gender.

SMOKING

Smoking is much more common in Jordan than in Europe or the USA, and smoke-free accommodation is relatively unusual, except in the larger hotels.

Smoking a nargileh, the traditional water pipe or hubble-bubble, is an interesting experience, which can be tried in any coffeehouse and many restaurants. The tobacco flavour is mild and often heavily perfumed.

TIPPING

Tipping is never required but always appreciated. In hotels and restaurants, 10% may be added to the bill, but a small tip for the waiters is appropriate. For hotel bellmen and porters, 500 fils or 1 JD, or US$ 2 is customary; in taxis, add about 200 fils to the price of the meter.

MONEY

CURRENCY & MONEY EXCHANGE
The local currency is the Jordanian Dinar, symbol JD, which is often called "jaydee". There are 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 JD notes. The dinar is divided into 100 piasters (pronounced "pee-aster") or 1000 fils ("fills"). The fils is the unit most commonly used, and you will usually see prices written as 4.750, that is 4 JD and 750 fils. Coins come in the following denominations: 10, 25, 50 and 100 fils, 250 fils, 500 fils and 1 JD. It is useful to carry some coins and low denomination 1 JD and 5 JD notes, since Jordanians rarely carry change with them.

Currency can be exchanged at major banks, exchange booths and at most hotels. Street moneychangers are best avoided. Exchange rates are set daily by the Jordanian Central Bank.

CREDIT CARDS

Credit cards are accepted at hotels, restaurants and larger shops, including American Express, Visa, Diners Club and MasterCard. American Express has an office in Amman, tel. (06) 5607075, and an agent in Aqaba, tel. (03) 2013757. Many small shops still prefer cash payment in Jordanian currency. Automated teller machines (ATMs) are increasing in Jordan, but at present only some accept foreign cards. Credit cards can be used for cash advances at banks that are linked with a credit card network.

BANKS
Banks are open Sun.-Thurs. 08:30h-15:00h. The following is a list of commercial banks in Amman; where there is more than one branch of the bank, only one is listed. The larger banks have branches in cities and towns throughout the country. Currency can also be exchanged at exchange booths and at most hotels.

CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE & BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS

POSTAL & COURIER SERVICES

POST

Postal services are available at post offices, and at most four and five-star hotels. Post office opening hours are Sat.-Thurs. 07:00-19:00 in summer, 07:00-17:00 in winter, Fri. 07:00-13:00. In Amman, the Central Post Office is in downtown, tel. 4639755. This is the only post office where packages can be sent. Another useful post office is at the Inter-Continental Hotel, Jabal Amman.

Poste restante service is available at the Amman Central Post office (and some others, but enquire beforehand).

The following post offices are available outside the capital:

COURIER
The following companies provide international courier services. In most cases, these companies will come and pick up your package too.

Within Amman, City Express, tel. 46l5510, offers overnight, same day and express service delivery..

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

TELEPHONE
Telephone services in Jordan are efficient and reliable. Directories in Arabic and English are widely available. International calls can be made from any public or private telephones. Cardphones are available in big cities and major tourist sites, and phone cards can be purchased in numerous shops. At hotels and post offices, calls can be made through an operator service with a three-minute minimum charge. Most small shops and supermarkets will allow you to use their phones for local calls, which cost 50 fils.

TELEPHONE AREA CODES
02 Ajloun, Jarash, Irbid, Mafraq, Umm Qays, North Shuna
03 Karak, Wadi Musa (Petra), Ma'an, Wadi Rum, Aqaba
05 Azraq, Salt, Fuheis, Pella, Jordan Valley, Madaba, Hammamat Ma'in, Dead Sea
06 Amman
The international country code for Jordan is 962.
To call a number outside Jordan, dial 00, followed by the country code, area code and the number required.

DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE
121 in Amman, 131 for the rest of Jordan and 0132 for international numbers. Operators generally speak English.

FAX & TELEGRAMS
Fax service is available at Amman Central Post Office and in most major hotels. Telegrams can be sent from post offices.

INTERNET
Internet access is widely available at the numerous Internet cafes and in large hotels.
Here is a selection of Internet providers:

MEDIA

TELEVISION & RADIO
Jordan television broadcasts in English and French on Channel 2; programmes are listed daily in The Jordan Times. CNN and other satellite channels are available at all hotels.

Radio Jordan English service is broadcast on FM 96.3 MHz, 24 hours and the French service is broadcast on FM 90.0 MHz, daily at 07:00-20:00, both with news bulletins on the hour. The BBC World Service broadcasts to Jordan in English on FM 103.1 MHz, 24 hours. Radio Sawa broadcasts from Washington D.C. at FM 98.1 MHz, 24 hours.

NEWSPAPERS
The main English-language daily paper is The Jordan Times. A weekly English-language paper, The Star, is published on Thursdays and has a French-language supplement. Foreign newspapers are available at hotels and some shops.

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS & RAMADAN
Banks, businesses, government offices and many shops are closed all day on public holidays.
New Year's Day - 1st January
King Abdullah II's Birthday - 30th January
Labour Day - 1st May
Independence Day - 25th May
The late King Hussein's Birthday Anniversary - 14th November
Christmas Day - 25th December

There are also several public holidays whose dates are not fixed. These include Easter (celebrated in the Spring) and the following Islamic holidays, which are based on the lunar calendar:
Eid al-Fitr a 4 or 5-day holiday marking the end of Ramadan
Eid al-Adha a feast at the end of the Hajj, or month of pilgrimage to Mecca
First of Muharam Islamic New Year
Eid al-Isra' wal Mi'raj celebrating the visit of the Prophet Mohammed to heaven
The Birthday of Prophet Mohammad

RAMADAN
Ramadan is a holy month of fasting, the date of which varies according to the Islamic lunar calendar. During Ramadan, alcohol is not sold, except to non-Muslims in larger hotels. Smoking, eating and drinking in public is prohibited during the hours of daylight. Many stores, banks and offices open late at 09:00h, and close early at 14:00h.

BUSINESS HOURS & WORKING WEEK
Friday is the weekly holiday. Banks and government offices and most businesses are closed on Saturdays as well. Many businesses including airlines, travel agencies and some shops are also closed on Thursday afternoon, although department stores and supermarkets remain open. A few businesses and shops are closed for part of the day on Sunday.

Banks open from 08:30h-15:00h, and some reopen in the afternoon from 15:30h-17:30h. Business offices are open from 08:30h-13:00h and 15:30h-18:30h. Government offices are open from 08:00h-15:00h. Shopping hours are flexible; some shops are open from 09:30-13:30 and 15:30-18:00. Others may be open long hours, from 08:00-20:00. Earlier closings are in effect during the month of Ramadan.

TIME
From October through March, Jordan is two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time; the rest of the year, it is three hours ahead of GMT. Jordan is seven hours ahead of US Eastern Time.

ELECTRICITY
The electrical system is based on 220 AC volts, 50 cycles, and requires rounded two-pronged wall plugs. Visitors from the USA will need a transformer; most hotels can provide one.

SAFETY
Jordan is an unusually safe and friendly place to travel. People are always helpful whether in an emergency or otherwise. It is generally safe to walk around at any time of day or night. However, it is sensible to take obvious precautions: look after your belongings and keep valuables in the hotel safe. Lost belongings should be reported to the police. If you lose your passport, contact your embassy. (See the section 'Important Telephone Numbers' in this brochure).

SHOPPING
Shopping in Jordan can be a lot of fun, and may turn into something of a social occasion. In small shops particularly, it is not unusual to be offered a cup of coffee or tea before getting down to business.
Shopping hours are flexible. Some shops are open from 09:30-13:30 and 15:30-18:00. Others may be open long hours, from 08:00-20:00. Many shops close on Fri, but the Suq does not. Earlier closings are in effect during most of the month of Ramadan.
A selection of shops is to be found in the sections related to Salt, Madaba, Petra and foremost Amman.

EXPORT PROCEDURES
There are no export restrictions for most items, though items more than 100 years old are not permitted to be taken out of the country. Shopkeepers can often mail your purchases to the United States, Europe and other destinations.

GOLD & SILVER
Jordan is famous for its dazzling variety of handmade gold and silver items, much of them 24-karat and generally sold by weight at prices much lower than in Europe or the USA. Look for bargains in more than 50 shops in Amman's Gold Suq, downtown just off King Faisal Street. Silver and amber are good buys, too. A nice souvenir is a tiny gold coffee pot (dalleh), a symbol of Jordan worn on a chain.

The Suq is also one of the remaining places where the tradition of bargaining or haggling over the price is still observed. So practise your negotiating skills and pick up a bargain!

CRAFTS

The traditional crafts of Jordan are enjoying a vigorous revival, thanks to the Noor Al-Hussein Foundation and the Queen Alia Fund for their efforts and work to promote local artisans. The Jordan Design and Trade Centre was established in 1990 to improve the Kingdom's handcrafted products and bring its creations to international markets.

Traditional crafts are also making inroads in the world of high fashion. Starting in the 1970s a handful of enterprising women began to match traditional Jordanian and Palestinian needlework with rich Middle Eastern fabrics, creating elegant gowns and jackets with a modern flair. Today you can find well-tailored vests, shirts and handbags trimmed in delicate needlework.

Weaving
Jordan has a fine selection of colourful weavings, both the old and the new. Traditional weavers express their lifestyle in their art, weaving room dividers for tents, pillows, cushions, saddle bags, coffee bags and many other items. Today, nearly 2,000 Bedouin and Palestinian women are successfully exporting their handiwork, combining ancient patterns and contemporary hues.

Embroidery
Jordanian embroidery is beautifully inventive as well as distinctive. Designs vary from village to village, as they are passed down from mother to daughter. Many women still embroider dresses in traditional patterns, but women living near Amman also produce stylish dresses for today's women, as well as intricately worked jackets, cushions, tablecloths and pillows.

Jewellery

Many silver ornaments are Bedouin in origin and come in a wide variety of shapes and functionsbracelets, chokers, rings, amulets, chains and cosmetic bottles. Articles are often hammered or embossed into raised patterns. Arabic calligraphy may be engraved on flat surfaces, or items may be crafted from ancient coins.

Amman also has small boutiques where you can buy original designs of sterling silver hand-dipped in 24-carat gold and adorned with semi-precious stones. The pieces blend Bedouin designs with a chic, modest look.

Ceramics
A popular form of ceramic ware is "Jerusalem Pottery", highly decorated with geometric patterns, or fish, peacocks, pomegranates and grapes. The colours are a rich combination of clear blue, aqua, red, green, gold, yellow and purple. There is an attractive selection of tableware: plates, serving dishes, bowls, mugs, egg cups and candle sticks. Jordan also has many talented potters who are creating modern adaptations and reproductions of ancient designs.

Handmade glass
Named "Hebron glass" after the West Bank city, it was once made from sand, but is now environmentally correct and made from recycled bottles. It comes in simple shapes and brilliant jewel tones of cobalt blue, bottle green, turquoise, amber and rose.

Sand bottles
For decades, bottles filled with brightly coloured sand have been made by artisans in Petra and Aqaba. The bottles are inexpensive, and their playful patterns unique to Jordan. It is said that a Petra native, Mohammed Abdullah Othman, taught himself the craft as a child, collecting his material from nearby mountains and caves. Since there are more than 20 naturally occurring shades of sandstone, Othman and his imitators have no need for dyes.

DEAD SEA PRODUCTS
You can find them at the Dead Sea hotels, or in pharmacies and boutiques in Amman. (see Shopping section on Dead Sea products).

ACTIVITIES
The English-language newspaper, The Jordan Times, carries daily listings of cultural, sporting and recreational events in Amman and other cities. For the list of Art Galleries, Museums and Cultural Centres of the capital, see Amman section. For information about the Jarash Festival, see Jarash section. For information about museums of Madaba, Karak and Aqaba, see respective sections.

SPORT
For sport clubs and fitness centres, see Amman Page.

Horse-riding

Archaeology
Jordan is rich in sites of archaeological importance and home to numerous archaeology societies. If you are interested in participating in a dig, please call the American Center of Oriental Research (ACOR)..

HEALTH

Health Resorts & Spas

WATER
Hotels rated three-star or better have their own water filtering systems and their water is considered safe to drink. For travellers with delicate stomachs, bottled water is cheap and readily available. Water is a precious resource in Jordan, and visitors are asked not to waste it unnecessarily.

MEDICAL CARE
Medical services are excellent in Jordan's larger cities and towns. Most doctors are bilingual in Arabic and English, since medical science is taught in English. The larger hotels have a doctor on call, and embassies will also suggest a doctor or hospital. Amman has many large, well-equipped hospitals, a few of which are listed here. In other cities, the hotel concierge or a taxi driver will be able to direct you to a doctor or hospital.

PHARMACIES
Pharmacies can provide medication for minor ailments, but travellers should bring any special medication they normally take, in case it is not available. There are a number of all-night pharmacies in Amman listed daily in The Jordan Times.

SPECIAL NEEDS
Few specific facilities for the physically handicapped exist in Jordan, although local people are as helpful as one could wish for and will do their best to assist. Nevertheless, the accessibility of some tourist sites is very limited, and it is advisable to call ahead and establish what is possible. In Petra, horse-drawn carriages provide access to the main sites.

The Jordanian parliament passed a law requiring all new public construction to provide wheelchair access, and many other improvements are also being made. The major intersections at the Circles in Amman now have sidewalk ramps, for example.

IMPORTANT TELEPHONE NUMBERS

EMERGENCY NUMBERS
In emergency cases call the Civil Defence, it is responsible for ambulances, fire brigade, etc.