Middle East - Anthony Ham [330]
Wild Jordan(Click here) Proceeds from RSCN gift shops in Amman, Azraq, Dana and Wadi Rum contribute to environmental programs and to local communities.
Other places that have an excellent range of ethically produced handicrafts include Haret Jdoudna(Click here) in Madaba and Made in Jordan(Click here) in Wadi Musa.
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Travellers Cheques
Travellers cheques are easily cashed by banks and some moneychangers, though commissions vary considerably so shop around. American Express travellers cheques seem to be the most widely accepted.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Digital accessories and memory cards are widely available for competitive prices (a 1GB memory card costs around JD20). Many camera shops can burn photos onto a CD and print digital pictures.
POST
Postcards cost 475 fils to send to the UK and Europe and 625 fils to the USA and Australia, and they can be posted in souvenir shops.
To send a 1kg parcel to the UK and Europe costs JD14.300 and JD4 for each subsequent 1kg; to the USA and Canada, it costs JD14.600, then JD8.100 per extra 1kg; to Australia, it costs JD13.600 and JD7.100 per extra 1kg. For detailed information, see Jordan Post(www.jordanpost.com.jo).
For typically reliable but expensive express mail services, try DHL(Amman Map; 06-5857136; info@amm-co.jo.dhl.com; behind C-Town Shopping Centre, 7th Circle, Amman; Aqaba Map; 03-2012039; Al-Petra St).
SHOPPING
Jordan is a great place to buy souvenirs. In Madaba, kilims make a great groundsheet for camping; in Wadi Musa, sand bottles have been elevated to an art form, and in Wadi Rum, you can find traditional Arab headcloths, or keffiyeh, and agal (the black cord used to keep it on your head) to keep the sand out of your hair.
For the ultimate portable souvenir, look for a piece of Bedouin silver jewellery in one of Aqaba’s bead shops or design your own from lapis lazuli (blue), coral (red) and turquoise beads (from JD5). Alternatively, go local with a Bedouin necklace of cloves from Petra – their medicinal aroma is a better companion than a sweaty neighbour.
Bargaining is essential, but shopkeepers are less likely than their Syrian and Egyptian counterparts to budge much on price.
SOLO TRAVELLERS
Jordan is a great destination for solo travellers. The country is friendly, safe, compact and easy to travel around, with plenty of opportunities to mix both with fellow travellers (particularly in Amman, Madaba and Wadi Musa) and to meet the locals. During any bus ride, local people extend the hand of friendship and often the journey will end in an invitation to meet the family. One traveller in Jordan, Nathalie Ollier, found that her planned itinerary of a morning trip to Mukawir turned into an all-day tea-tasting event as she was taken from one shop owner, bus driver or village resident to another.
The tours run by the budget hotels in Amman and Madaba are a good way to share travel expenses and meet other travellers if you’re short on time (Click here).
TELEPHONE
The local telephone system is reliable. For directory assistance, call 1212 (Amman) or 131 (elsewhere). Local calls cost around 150 fils. The easiest way to make a local call is from your hotel.
Overseas calls are cheapest at private telecommunication centres, which often consist of little more than a guy with a sign and a mobile phone! These international calls range from 350 fils to 700 fils per minute. Local phonecards are more expensive for international calls.
Mobile Phones
Mobile phones in Jordan use the GSM system. Two main service providers are Fastlink( 06-5823111; www.fastlink.com.jo; code 079) and Jordan Telecom Group( 06-4606666; http://jordantelecomgroup.com), both of which offer a full range of plans and prepaid SIM cards. Rates for signing up start at JD10 including 175 minutes of talk time.
Per minute mobile charges are around 350 fils to Europe and Australia and 700 fils to the USA.
Phone Codes
Jordan’s country code is 962, followed by the local area code (minus the zero), then the six- or seven-digit