Jordan totally surprised me. I never expected to fall in love with this country so fast. Its nature looks extraterrestrial with all the massive rock formations in different colors and its neverending horizons. The Jordanian people are one of the nicest, warmest people I have ever met and the food wasn’t bad either (which I feared because I don’t like red meat)! Here are some things you need to know before visiting Jordan! Because there is one thing for sure; you really should go there!

Need to know before visiting Jordan

Jordan is totally safe

The first reaction I got from most people after telling them I was going to Jordan was “Is it safe to go there?” The answer is simple: Yes, it is totally safe to travel to Jordan. Even though it is surrounded by conflicted countries like Syria, Israël/Palestina and Irak, Jordan itself isn’t at war and is totally safe. In fact, I felt safer in the Jordanian streets, than in the streets of Antwerp, my hometown. In Jordan, guys don’t shout at you or act as if you’re a cat.

Dress code

96% of the Jordanians is muslim, but that doesn’t mean women need to wear a headscarf. In Jordan you see everything. Women that are totally covered (burqas, niqabs) and women that wear very western clothing. Never did local people look at me in disapproval because I wasn’t wearing a headscarf. The only time I had to wear one, was when I went to visit a mosque (which is totally normal).
You need to show some respect towards the country and its people though; I always wore loose pants and long dresses, never showed my legs. A decolleté isn’t appropriate either, so I chose my tops carefully. When I was out of the touristic areas, I always covered my arms as well. Everyone was very friendly and respectful, not judgemental at all.

The nicest people

I don’t think I ever met such nice people as the Jordanians. They were sincerely kind and friendly. They always welcome you to their country and are ready to help. Even the ones who didn’t speak English, took the time to open a translate app, so they were able to talk to us and help us!
You also get offered tea everywhere as a sign of their hospitality. I’m not a tea drinker, but the Jordanian tea I really love!

The magical words

As I wrote, the Jordanians are the nicest. But if you truly want to make them smile and appreciate you even more, you should always great them with “As-salāmu ʿalaykum“. I swear those words were like magic! Everytime I said them to a stranger, his face brightened, a big smile appeared and he answered “waʿalaykumu as-salām”. It’s a standard salutation among Muslims and it means “peace be upon you” answered by “and upon you, peace”. They really appreciated this! Another word you shall use a lot (if you are a polite person) is “shokran” meaning “thank you”.

Traffic

Driving through Jordan is a real challenge! There is only one rule: there are no rules! At least it seems like that when you’re driving there. Jordanians drive like crazy! They rather drive on the road markings, then between them. They never use their turn signals. At night only 50% put on their lights. They drive in opposite direction on the highway (on the emergency lane, if there is one, but still…). They cross the highway on foot. Petrol station on the other side of the highway? Not a problem! Just step on the brake instantly, drive through the berm and cross the highway to the petrol station! I don’t think there are priority rules either. It’s just the one with the most guts who gets to go first. Jordanians park their car where they please, preferably as crooked as possible at places where it isn’t allowed or convenient… These are just a few things I noticed, but I’m sure I forgot a lot more! So my advice: be careful when driving through Jordan. You’ll need at least 3 extra pair of eyes!

Trash

Jordan is a gorgeous country, but there is one thing that really bothered me. There is trash everywhere! You’ll see great amounts of litter beside the roads, but also at places where you least expect it; in canyons, beautiful parts of remote nature and right next to trash containers and rubbish bins. Apparently they are just too lazy to throw their trash in the rubbish bins… I was shocked to see little kids walking around in the towns with a little plastic bag and then see them throwing their bag with a big swing onto the street. “Taking the trash out” has a very different meaning here… Only at touristic sites such as Petra it was a bit cleaner.

Jordan Pass

The best way to save both money and time is to buy a Jordan Pass. It gives you entrance to over 40 attractions and museums all over Jordan. You can buy it online and the price depends on how many days you choose to visit Petra. I chose the Jordan Expert Pass for 80 JD (113 $). If you know a ticket to Petra costs 60 JD and a visum at the airport 40 JD (which is also included), you know the Jordan Pass is very profitable. The only activity that isn’t included is Petra by night. But I wouldn’t recommend this activity (beside the beautiful view of the candles in the canyon and in front of the Treasury, nothing happens).

Bad roads & missing signs

The condition of the roads isn’t always great. A lot of holes and cracks will prevent you from driving at a normal speed. Jordan also loves speed bumps, but doesn’t do an effort to really indicate them. There are even speed bumps on the highway! Which is very scary when you need to step on the brakes while driving at 100 km / hour! So you’re warned!

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