Middle East - Anthony Ham [294]
Cinemas
Programs for these modern cinemas are advertised in the two English-language newspapers, the Jordan Times and the Star. Tickets cost JD5.
Century Cinemas (Map ; 4613200; www.century-cinemas.com; 3rd Circle) In the Zara Centre behind the Grand Hyatt.
Cine Le Royal (Map ; 4603022; Le Royal Hotel, 3rd Circle)
Galleria Cinema (Map ; 5934793; Abdoun Circle)
SHOPPING
Amman is a good place to shop for souvenirs in Jordan, with everything from tourist kitsch to high-quality handicraft boutiques, many of which are run to benefit local communities.
The following are among the better places in Amman, and are generally open 9am to 6pm Saturday to Thursday. Prices are fixed.
Al-Alaydi Jordan Craft Centre (Map ; /fax 4644555; www.alaydijordan.1colony.com; off Al-Kulliyah al-Islamiyah St)
Al-Burgan (Map ; 4652585; www.alburgan.com) Behind Jordan InterContinental Hotel.
Artisana (Map ; /fax 4647858; Mansour Kraishan St; 9.30am-6pm Sat-Thu)
Jordan River Foundation (Map ; 4613081; www.jordanriver.jo; Bani Hamida House, Fawzi al-Malouf St; 8.30am-7pm Sat-Thu, 10am-6pm Fri) An emphasis on home design. Off Abu Bakr as-Siddiq St.
Wild Jordan Centre (Map ; 4633587; Othman bin Affan St; 9am-7pm) Nature-inspired arts, crafts and products (silver, painted ostrich eggs, organic jam) made by communities living near Jordan’s nature reserves. All profits go to the craftspeople and the nature reserve projects.
GETTING THERE & AWAY
Air
The only domestic air route is between Amman and Aqaba. For details, Click here. For a list of airlines serving Amman, Click here.
Bus
The three main bus stations in Amman are Abdali bus station (Map), for transport to the north and west; Wahadat bus station (Map) for the south; and Raghadan station (Map) for Amman and nearby towns.
Tickets for the following private buses should be booked at least one day in advance. The domestic JETT bus office (Map ; 5664146; Al-Malek al-Hussein St, Shmeisani), about 500m northwest of the Abdali bus station, is the best option for buses to Aqaba (JD4.300, four hours, five buses daily). There is also a service to Petra (JD6, three hours) leaving at 6.30am.
Trust International Transport (Map ; 5813427; Mataar al-Malekah Alya Rd) also has buses to Aqaba (JD7, five hours, seven daily) between 7.30am and 7pm. The location is inconvenient, near 7th Circle.
FROM ABDALI BUS STATION
From Abdali station, minibuses leave regularly for the following destinations with all routes costing less than JD1: Ajloun (2 hours), Deir Alla (for Pella, 1 hour), Fuheis (45 minutes), Irbid (2 hours), Jerash (1¼ hours), Madaba (¾ hours), Ramtha (2 hours), Salt (¾ hours) and Zarqa (30 minutes).
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AMMAN TRANSPORT DISRUPTION
At the time of writing, the entire transportation grid in Amman was in the midst of a massive overhaul due to the renovation of Raghadan Station as well as the gradual closing of Abdali Station. Tabarbour Station in the northern suburbs is handling the overflow during the transition. Additionally, at the time of writing, fuel prices in Jordan were soaring due to factors such as the Iraq War, greater Middle Eastern instability and rampant inflation. As a result, it is almost certain that published prices for bus routes will increase significantly during the shelf life of this book.
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FROM WAHADAT BUS STATION
From Wahadat station, minibuses depart regularly. For Petra (actually Wadi Musa), minibuses and service taxis (JD4, four hours) depart when full from the far corner of the lot between around 7am and 4pm. Buses to Aqaba (JD5, five hours) leave every hour or so until midnight. There are regular buses to Karak (JD1, two hours), Shobak (JD2, 2½ hours) and Ma’an (JD3, three hours). Most services dry up around 4pm.
For Dana, there is one bus a day at around 11am for Qadsiyya (JD3, three hours); otherwise take a bus to Tafila (JD2, 2½ hours) and change.