Planning a Trip to Jordan

You will almost certainly be in Wadi Miusa to visit Petra. The town has many hotels and you can often get a very good deal for lunch as the hotels gear themselves to take advantage of the visiting tourist trade. The visiors centre has good facilities and clean toilets. If you take a horse to Petra, you still have to walk 1km. Make sure you haggle and nevere pay more than $5.

If you are looking for a change in meals, check out the "China" restaurant in Aqaba for delicious Chinese food. It is a little hard to find but use the post office as a reference and then look for a large blue awning across the street called "Aqaba Gallery". Immediately to the left of it is a small red awning with the China restaurant logo. Take the staircase up a few flights to the restaurant. Great meat and vegetarian options and full bar.

If you are looking to take the famous photo of the glimpse of the Treasury through the gorge, do it later in the afternoon when the sun is low and the rock takes on its pinky hues. If you take the photos at midday, the rock colour will be washed out by the sun into a bright yellow and your camera won't handle the contrast.

Food is really good and on the cheap side.
Make sure the place looks clean before ordering.
Avoid Shawarma stores that do not have customers, or ones with excessive customers to make sure the meat is fresh enough, and well cooked.

Not the best place for westerners to travel, but no problems if you use your head and respect local customs. Dress casual and in less colorful clothing. No shorts and with as little skin showing as possible.

Do your homework on Visas. Most nationalities can get a single-entry Jordan Visa on arrival at the Amman airport and some land border crossings. If you plan to visit a neighboring country (Syria, Israel, and Egypt are all nearby), you may want to take care all of your Visas prior to leaving on your trip.

There are always so many questions how to get to Petra and Wadi Rum. I went to Eilat and found some people to travel with. Together we took a cab to the border with Jordan - 5 minutes and ooh I forget how many shekels maybe 20 (5$) then you walk across the Israeli border then the Jordanian border. As an American you don't need to have a visa in advance and you get one free (although I paid $37 for min and fedex!!). Once on the other side taxis bargain with you. We paid 35 Jordanian - like 50 to be taken right to Wadi Rum. We learned we should have paid 25. Many people take a taxi to Aqaba - around 10 Jordanian (1.5 to dollar) then a bus to Wadi Rum - bout an hour. Petra is 3 hours from Aqaba. There is one local bus a day, maybe 2 that runs from Wadi Rum to Petra.
My friends needed to get from Petra back to Aqaba same day and while the taxi was supposed to be 50 or so Jordanian, they got a deal for 1/2 the price to the border.....the 8:30 am bus gets in like 11:00 or 11:30.

If you visit the Dead Sea, bring water shoes with as the beach is quite rocky. Your feet will thank you!

Jordan is a predominantly Muslim country so conservative dress is a must. For the city days, I opted for jeans, comfortable shoes, and long-sleeve shirts. Once we were in places like Petra and Wadi Rum, I opted for workout clothing and athletic shoes.

Amman is a surprisingly hilly city! Expect to climb some serious staircases to get between places. My Cole Haan ballet flats did the job. Style and comfort!

If you are super hungry at a meal, opt for the mezze (salad, bread, and assorted dips) course as well as an entree. If you’re looking for lighter fare, you can easily make a meal out of the mezze!

If you are looking for a change in meals, check out the "China" restaurant in Aqaba for delicious Chinese food. It is a little hard to find but use the post office as a reference and then look for a large blue awning across the street called "Aqaba Gallery". Immediately to the left of it is a small red awning with the China restaurant logo. Take the staircase up a few flights to the restaurant. Great meat and vegetarian options and full bar.