Full Name
Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
Capital City
Amman
Area
89,206 sq km
34,442 sq miles
Population
5,460,000
Time Zone
GMT/UTC +2 ()
Daylight Saving Start
late March
Daylight Saving End
late October
Languages
Arabic (official)
English (other)
Religion
92% Sunni Muslim, 4% Shiite Muslim, 4% Christian
Currency
Jordanian Dinar (JD)
Electricity
230V 50HzHz
Electric Plug Details
European plug with two circular metal pins
British-style plug with two flat blades and one flat grounding blade
South African/Indian-style plug with two circular metal pins above a large circular grounding pin
Country Dialing Code
962

Outdoor 'Adventure Tourism' is expanding at a fast rate in Jordan, and promises to remain one of the most dynamic and innovative travel industry sectors for years to come. Several Jordanian companies have started to specialize in eco-tourism and action tourism, providing the combination of safety, adventure, and comfortable facilities that make action tourism such an exciting proposition today.

Jordan has great comparative advantage in this sector, based on several assets: guaranteed sunshine for eight months of the year; a base of powerful, unique cultural attractions such as Petra, Jerash, Bethany Beyond the Jordan, and the early Islamic Desert Castles; and, a wide range of very different, often stunning natural environments that are easily accessible and virtually undiscovered by the tourism industry. Quality hotels and restaurants throughout the country mean that thrill-seekers who want to pamper themselves in between adventure treks have a wide range of facilities to choose from.

Jordan already caters to the more traditional vacationer who likes to combine a visit to an ancient site in the morning with a swim, a round of golf, or a game of tennis or bowling in the afternoon. The exciting new horizons in adventure tourism allow visitors to push themselves to new levels of adventure and endurance while soaking up natural marvels and dramatic cultural attractions from the ancient world.

For example, a small group of people in 4-wheel-drive vehicles can retrace the journey of the Emperor Hadrian from north to south Jordan, taking in biblical cities and legionary fortresses. Or, more ambitiously, a caravan of 25 people on camels or donkeys can set off to retrace the journeys of Lawrence of Arabia in the central highlands and eastern deserts of Jordan, spending a week en route and camping in a different place every night. Parts of these itineraries can be done along the edge of the desert in steam-powered World War One vintage trains, the same as those that were attacked by the forces of the Great Arab Revolt and Lawrence nearly a century ago.

In the commercial heart of the city, ultra-modern buildings, hotels, smart restaurants, art galleries and boutiques rub shoulders comfortably with traditional coffee shops and tiny artisans' workshops. Everywhere there is evidence of the city's much older past.

Due to the city's modern-day prosperity and temperate climate, almost half of Jordan'spopulation is concentrated in the Amman area. The residential suburbs consist of mainly tree-lined street and avenues flanked by elegant, almost uniformly white houses, in accordance with a municipal law, which states that all buildings must be faced with local stone. The downtown area is much older and more traditional with smaller businesses producing and selling everything from fabulous jewellery to everyday household items.

The people of Amman are multi-cultural, multi-denominational, well educated and extremely hospitable. They welcome visitors and take pride in showing them around their fascinating and vibrant city.

Situated on the Dead Sea main road, two kilometers after the hotels area . Amman Touristic Beach offers swimming pools, changing rooms for low budget travelers and locals for minimal fees. Amaman Touristic Beach is an ideal location for beach parties and events.

With its wealth of other attractions, Jordan’s splendid Red Sea resort is often overlooked by modern-day visitors. But apart from being a delightful place for discerning holidaymakers, this is actually a great base from which to explore various places of interest in southern Jordan.

Aqaba is a fun place. It is a microcosm of all the good things Jordan has to offer, including a fascinating history with some outstanding sites, excellent hotels and activities, superb visitor facilities, good shopping, and welcoming, friendly people, who enjoy nothing more than making sure their visitors have a good time.
But perhaps Aqaba’s greatest asset is the Red Sea itself. Here you can experience some of the best snorkelling and diving in the world. The temperate climate and gentle water currents have created a perfect environment for the growth of corals and a teeming plethora of marine life. Here you can swim with friendly sea turtles and dolphins as they dart amongst the schools of multicoloured fish. Night dives reveal the nocturnal sea creatures, crabs, lobsters and shrimp, as they search for a midnight snack.

There are several dive centres in Aqaba. All offer well-maintained diving equipment, professional instructors, and transport by boat to a variety of dive sites.

For those who prefer to keep their feet dry, all the deep sea wonders can be viewed through a glass-bottomed boat or by submarine, or you can just relax under the sun on the resort’s sandy beaches. Plus, of course, there are plenty of other water-sport activities available, as well as an extensive and interesting Marine Park.

From as far back as five and half thousand years ago Aqaba has played an important role in the economy of the region. It was a prime junction for land and sea routes from Asia, Africa and Europe, a role it still plays today. Because of this vital function, there are many historic sites to be explored within the area, including what is believed to be the oldest purpose-built church in the world.

Aqaba International Airport is situated just a 20-minute drive from the town centre and services regular flights from Amman as well as from several European cities. From the town centre, the borders of Israel, Egypt’s Sinai and Saudi Arabia are no more than a 30-minute drive.

Azraq is a unique wetland oasis located in the heart of the semi-arid Jordanian eastern desert, one of several beautiful nature reserves managed by the RSCN. Its attractions include several natural and ancient built pools, a seasonally flooded marshland, and a large mudflat known as Qa'a Al-Azraq. A wide variety of birds stop at the reserve each year to rest during their arduous migration routes between Asia and Africa. Some stay for the winter or breed within the protected areas of the wetland.
The best time to visit Azraq is late Autumn, Winter or Spring. Winter rains often create pools and marshes over the reserve, which continue to attract many seasonal species of birds. The success of bird-watching visits depends largely on the amount of water that has accumulated in the reserve.

Geology:
Azraq has an interesting geological history. It was once a vast oasis, its pools filled by a complex network of aquifers fed mainly from the Jebel Druze area of southern Syria • the waters taking up to 50 years en route. Surrounding the oasis is about 60 square kilometers of silt, beneath which is a vast concentration of salt.

The Bible claims that John preached and baptised in a place called Bethany Beyond the Jordan, which Byzantine and Medieval texts, as well as modern archaeology identify as the site called Tell a-Kharrar and Elijah’s Hill. Stunning archaeological discoveries since 1996 reveal pottery, coins and architectural remains from a 5th century Byzantine monastery.

They also reveal an earlier 3rd century building with fine mosaics and what is known as a Christian ‘prayer hall’. If this is correct, it might be one of the earliest Christian prayer facilities anywhere in the world. Also identified is the cave where John the Baptist lived, according to numerous Byzantine pilgrims’ texts. The cave was turned into a church and a freshwater channel running from the cave, purportedly used by John for baptising, can still be visited today.

The Jordan Archeological Museum boasts an excellent collection of antiquities ranging from prehistoric times to the 15th century, including an exhibit of the Dead Sea Scrolls and four Iron Age anthropo-morphic coffins. 
     
 In Graeco-Roman times, Amman was known as Philadelphia, it was named after the Roman emperor Philadelphus. Prior to that it was known as Rabbath-Ammon.
       
 Amman consists of an old and more traditional part called "City Centre" or "Downtown" (in Arabic 'Balad'), and a modern more vibrant western style "West Amman".
     
 Amman is one of the oldest continuously occupied cities in the world.

The Mujib Nature Reserve is the lowest-altitude nature reserve in the world, with its spectacular array of scenery near the East coast of the Dead Sea. The reserve is located within the deep Wadi Mujib gorge which enters the Dead Sea at 410m below sea level. The reserve extends to the Karak and Madaba mountains to the North and South, reaching 900m above sea level in some places. This 1,300m variation in elevation, combined with the valley's year-round water flow from seven tributaries, means that the Wadi Mujib enjoys a magnificent biodiversity that is still being explored and documented today.

Over 420 species of plants, 102 species of permanent and migratory birds and10 species of carnivore including the Red Fox, Blandford Fox, Hyena, Jackal, Wild Cat, Caracal, Badger, Mongoose, Wolf and Arabian Leopard have been recorded to date. Some of the remote mountain and valley areas are difficult to reach, offering a safe haven to various species of cats, goats and other mountain animals.

Mujib's sandstone cliffs are an ideal habitat for one of the most beautiful mountain goats in the world, the Nubian Ibex. The natural Ibex herds have declined over the years due to over hunting, prompting Jordan's Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature to establish a captive-breeding programme for the Ibex within the Mujib Nature Reserve.

Mujib is also home to carnivorous species such as the Caracal; a medium-sized cat distinguished by its black and white ear tufts. An agile and powerful hunter, the Caracal can be spotted in action in the rocky valley of Mujib, using its amazing jumping power to catch airborne prey.

Pella is a favourite of archaeologists as it is exceptionally rich in antiquities, some of which are exceedingly old. Besides the excavated ruins from the Graeco-Roman period, including an Odeon (theatre), Pella offers visitors the opportunity to see the remains of a Chalcolithic settlement from the 4th millennium BC, the remains of Bronze and Iron Age walled cities, Byzantine churches and houses, an Early Islamic residential quarter, and a small medieval mosque.

The giant red mountains and vast mausoleums of a departed race have nothing in common with modern civilisation, and ask nothing of it except to be appreciated at their true value - as one of the greatest wonders ever wrought by Nature and Man.

Although much has been written about Petra, nothing really prepares you for this amazing place. It has to be seen to be believed.

Often described as the eighth wonder of the ancient world, it is without doubt Jordan’s most valuable treasure and greatest tourist attraction. It is a vast, unique city, carved into the sheer rock face by the Nabataeans, an industrious Arab people who settled here more than 2000 years ago, turning it into an important junction for the silk, spice and other trade routes that linked China, India and southern Arabia with Egypt, Syria, Greece and Rome.

Entrance to the city is through the Siq, a narrow gorge, over 1 kilometre in length, which is flanked on either side by soaring, 80 metres high cliffs. Just walking through the Siq is an experience in itself. The colours and formations of the rocks are dazzling. As you reach the end of the Siq you will catch your first glimpse of Al-Khazneh (Treasury).

This is an awe-inspiring experience. A massive façade, 30m wide and 43m high, carved out of the sheer, dusky pink, rock-face and dwarfing everything around it. It was carved in the early 1st century as the tomb of an important Nabataean king and represents the engineering genius of these ancient people.

**  Petra is sometimes called the ‘Lost City’. In spite of its being such an important city in antiquity, after the 14th century AD, Petra was completely lost to the western world. It was rediscovered in 1812 by the Swiss traveller, Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, who tricked his way into the fiercely guarded site by pretending to be an Arab from India wishing to make a sacrifice at the tomb of the Prophet Aaron. **

The Shawmari Reserve is a breeding centre for some of the most endangered and rare wildlife in the Middle East. In this small reserve there is a large herd of magnificent Arabian Oryx, a species that was once on the verge of extinction. There are also ostriches, onagers and graceful desert gazelles. These animals are all rebuilding their populations in this safe haven, where they are protected from the hunting and habitat destruction that once threatened their existence.

The Shawmari Reserve supports a rich variety of desert plants, mainly because the vegetation inside the reserve is protected from the heavy grazing of sheep and goats outside its perimeters. Shawmari contains a very large number of species of plants, including Atriplex, a natural food source for the Onager and Oryx.

Without doubt, the world's most amazing place, the Jordan Rift Valley is a dramatic, beautiful landscape, which at the Dead Sea, is over 400 metres (1,312 ft.) below sea level. The lowest point on the face of the earth, this vast, stretch of water receives a number of incoming rivers, including the River Jordan. Once the waters reach the Dead Sea they are land-locked and have nowhere to go, so they evaporate, leaving behind a dense, rich, cocktail of salts and minerals that supply industry, agriculture and medicine with some of its finest products.

The Dead Sea is flanked by mountains to the east and the rolling hills of Jerusalem to the west, giving it an almost other-worldly beauty. Although sparsely populated and serenely quiet now, the area is believed to have been home to five Biblical cities: Sodom, Gomorrah, Adman, Zebouin and Zoar.

One of the most spectacular natural and spiritual landscapes in the world, the Jordanian east coast of the Dead Sea has evolved into a major hub of both religious and health & wellness tourism in the region. A series of good roads, excellent hotels with spa and fitness facilities, as well as archaeological and spiritual discoveries make this region as enticing to today’s international visitors as it was to kings, emperors, traders, prophets and pilgrims in antiquity.

The leading attraction at the Dead Sea is the warm, soothing, super salty water itself • some ten times saltier than sea water, and rich in chloride salts of magnesium, sodium, potassium, bromine and several others. The unusually warm, incredibly buoyant and mineral-rich waters have attracted visitors since ancient times, including King Herod the Great and the beautiful Egyptian Queen, Cleopatra. All of whom have luxuriated in the Dead Sea’s rich, black, stimulating mud and floated effortlessly on their backs while soaking up the water's healthy minerals along with the gently diffused rays of the Jordanian sun.

Site of the famous miracle of the Gadarene swine, Gadara was renowned in its time as a cultural centre. It was the home of several classical poets and philosophers, including Theodorus, founder of a rhetorical school in Rome; one poet called the city "a new Athens". Perched on a splendid hilltop overlooking the Jordan Valley and the Sea of Galilee, Gadara is today known as Umm Qays and boasts an impressive colonnaded streets, vaulted terrace and the ruins of two theatres. You can take in the sights and then dine on the terrace of a fine restaurant with a breathtaking view of three countries.

The Al-Himma therapeutic hot springs are located around 10 km north of Umm Qays and were once highly regarded by the Romans. There are two bathing facilities: a privately run complex, and a public bath complex, with separate timetables for men and women.

Tourist Information Centre:
A reception point for visitors in which information and brochures about the Reserve are available. There is also a Tourist Shop selling locally-made souvenirs such as silverware, decorated ostrich eggs and reed products.

Visitors’ Centre:
Contains a small museum with a variety of interactive materials, slide shows, and videos on the history and wildlife of the Reserve. Outside the Centre is a picnic area and playground.

Observation Tower:
Spotting wildlife is an exciting activity for nature lovers. The Observation Tower is an ideal place from which to see the different animals in the Reserve, such as the Oryx, which is best seen in the early hours of the morning. This is also a good place for bird-watching, especially during the migration seasons.

Oryx Safari Trip:
Visitors are given the opportunity to take a safari trip to see first-hand the living results of the international rescue efforts undertaken to save these endangered animals. Safari tours through the Oryx enclosure are available aboard RSCN vehicles.

The Oryx, an elegant white antelope, is one of the few mammals indigenous to the Arabian Peninsula. It became extinct in Jordan around the 1920s. The last known wild Oryx in the world was killed by hunters in Oman in 1972.
In 1978, eleven Oryx were re-located in Shawmari. The number of Oryx has now increased to a phenomenal two hundred!

This is a stupendous, timeless place, virtually untouched by humanity and its destructive forces. Here, it is the weather and winds that have carved the imposing, towering skyscrapers, so elegantly described by T.E. Lawrence as “vast, echoing and god-like”.A maze of monolithic rockscapes rise up from the desert floor to heights of 1,750 metres creating a natural challenge for serious mountaineers. Hikers can enjoy the tranquility of the boundless empty spaces, explore the canyons and water holes to discover 4000 year old rock drawings and the many other spectacular treasures this vast wilderness holds in store.

Also known as ‘The Valley of the Moon’, this is the place where Prince Faisal Bin Hussein and T.E. Lawrence based their headquarters during the Arab Revolt against the Ottomans in World War 1, and their exploits are intrinsically woven into the history of this amazing area.

There are several options for exploring Wadi Rum. Visitors should head for the Visitors Centre where, apart from visitors’ facilities, they can hire a 4x4 vehicle, together with driver/guide, and then drive for two or three hours into the Wadi system to explore some of the best known sites. Alternatively they can hire a camel and guide. The duration of the trip can be arranged beforehand through the Visitors Centre, as can a stay under the stars in a Bedouin tent, where they can enjoy a traditional campfire meal accompanied by Arabic music.

Once transport has been arranged, there are various excursions available - for example, a trip to Burdah Rock Bridge, the highest in Wadi Rum, via the Seven Pillars of Wisdom and many other interesting sights, is a full day by car or an overnight trip by camel. There are many alternative routes and information on these is available from your tour operator or from the Visitors Centre on-site.

The Bedouin people that inhabit the area still maintain their semi-nomadic lifestyle. They are hospitable and offer a friendly welcome to visitors, often inviting them to sit and enjoy a coffee or even a meal.