Some travel tips

Clothing

Swimming attire should only be worn around swimming pools or beaches and not in public places.

Even summer evenings can be quite cool, so one should be prepared to wear a shawl or sweater.

Winters are cold, windy and rainy. Heavy snow is not unusual.

Alcoholic Beverages

They are widely available in hotels, restaurants, bars and some shops. Drinking is strictly prohibited on streets.

Photography

One hour developing is widely available. All sorts of films, cameras, disposable cameras, camcorders are available. Like in any country, it is advisable that one asks permission before photographing strangers.

Metric system

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.

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.

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 occurence in Aqaba as well as in the desert areas of Jordan.

National holidays

- New Year's Day : 1 January

- King Abdullah II's Birthday : 30 January

- Labor Day : 1 May

- Independence Day : 25 May

- The Late King Hussein's Birthday : 14 November

- Christmas Day : 25 December

The following Islamic holidays are based on the lunar calendar:

- Eid Al – Fitr: a 3-day feast marking the end of Ramadan.

- Eid Al- Adha: a 4-day holiday, which is the feast at the end of

Haj, or the month of Pilgrimage to Mecca.

- First of Muharam: Islamic New Year.

- Eid Al Isra Wal Mi'raj: The Prophet Mohammad's night Journey

from Mecca to Jerusalem and his ascension to heavens.

- The Birth of Prophet Mohammad.

Potable water is a precious resource in Jordan. However, hotels rated three-star or better have their own water filtering systems (their water is considered safe to drink) and bottled water is cheap and readily available. As for electricity, 200V; 50 cycles; rounded two-prong plugs are used.

Transformers and adapters are widely available.

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.

Few specific facilities for those with special physical requirements exist in Jordan, although local people will do their best to assist people in need. Nevertheless, the accessibility of some tourist sites is very limited; it is advisable to call ahead to establish if special needs can be met. At Petra, for example, horse-drawn carriages to the main sites can be arranged in special cases.