Your observation about guides and shop owners in Jordan also squares with our experience.  I suppose we were expecting something a little more intense (say like we’ve heard about Egypt), but the Jordanian sales pitch is not intense at all.  Even at a place like Petra, camel guides and shopkeepers might make an offer once, but they were very low key and let go as soon as it was clear there was no interest.  It was refreshing, and probably also better for business.

Regarding hitchhiking, our host told us it was safe and we trust his judgement. But, I wouldn’t do it as a single solo female traveler due to cultural norms –  we met a young German woman recently who had some uncomfortable situations hitchhiking by herself in Jordan. She never felt threatened, but there were misunderstandings as to why she was traveling by herself. Some thought she was looking for male companionship, if you get my drift. But, if you are a couple or several people then it would be a great way to engage with locals and see some places off the bus routes. I would definitely hitchhike with Dan.

Here are all our posts on Jordan if you are interested: https://uncorneredmarket.com/travel/jordan/

I am new to following this blog, but it looks like I picked a great week to start! I spent 6 weeks working in Amman last year, and I got to visit just a few places in the rest of the country (limited by time and money). I loved my time there, and I’d love to go back and explore some more. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of your posts about Jordan to get a sense of what else I should see if I can make it back there.

I was definitely fascinated by the layers of history and overlapping cultures everywhere we went while in Jordan. Despite the possibility for conflict in a convergence like this, people seemed generally very tolerant and friendly, though one of my friends from Jordan always jokes that Jordanians never smile.

When we traveled to other cities, I rarely felt like I was being scammed by local guides or retailers, which is distinct from most other places I’ve traveled before–like Morocco (which I loved, but definitely felt like I was being scammed more often). A few travelers and I somewhat reluctantly accepted an offer from a guy driving an unmarked car at a bus station near the Dead Sea to take us there. As a local, we had no trouble where you had to show passports, and then he even drove us all the way back to Amman for a very reasonable price. I never would have done something like that in Morocco. I was nervous about hitchhiking, but after reading what you said about it being safe, I’d be way more willing to do it next time, since I hear that’s the only way you can visit the desert castles without private transportation.

Can’t wait to read the rest!

@Cam: Mezze is the way forward at the Jordanian table.

@Rebecca: May we always avoid food envy, inshallah! (“Food envy” — love that phrase, by the way.)

Example:

“You come to my shop later?”

“Inshallah!”

If everything under the sun is the will of God, you’re telling the truth here. Indeed, you really don’t have to take responsibility for anything!

Trying to imagine kunefe eaten between bread for breakfast!

@Neha: In Bedouin culture, there should always be a fire with hot tea and coffee to always be prepared to welcome (unannounced) visitors. Quite a nice thought as well.

@Fabio: Jordan was our first stop in the Middle East and we definitely are looking forward to returning. We’ve seen and done a lot here, but our interest is now piqued to learn more and go deeper. And yes, mezze eating is awesome.

@Naomi: Glad you enjoyed this and thanks for your continued support of our travels! Drinking tea really is a great feature of life in Jordan.

@Roxanne: We’re headed to Amman again tomorrow evening – hope we can fit another visit to Habiba’s for kunefe!

@Margaret: Dan does look pretty spiffy in his Jordanian outfit, doesn’t he? Afraid he’s sticking to his travel gear for now.

The pot I’m holding (and pretending to pour) is actually for Arabic coffee. We’ll be writing more on this later, but there is a whole ritual around serving and accepting coffee. Quite fascinating.

@Ahsan: Glad this post brought back good memories! We visited the Ajloun area, including the Nature Reserve. But, didn’t visit the Ajloun Palace – will need to add it to our “next visit” list.

@Connie: Most of our favorite and memorable meals were eating on the ground family style with our hands. Not only has the food been great, but you’re close to people and feel a sense of community as well.

@Richard: We agree! It’s funny that about 5 minutes after we published this I heard a woman at the breakfast buffet who said, “Hummous for breakfast?! I can’t imagine.” I was about to turn around and try and convince her otherwise, but she had already move on.

@Ed: We’ve really enjoyed our time in Jordan and the Jordanian people play a big role in this. Many tourism companies are feeling the pinch right now since so many people have cancelled tours to this area because of fear from other parts of the Middle East. Truly a shame as Jordan is such a safe place right now.

@Amy: You are so right that the sweet tea is good, if you’re expecting it. Now, when we get tea without sugar (i.e, we have to add our own) it just tastes a bit flat. We’ve become quite used to the Bedouin style of tea!

@Ayngelina: Mezze is such a fun way to eat. Not only do you get to try many different dishes, but there’s also a feeling of community as well.

@Kathy: We’re glad to hear that Jordan has entered your mind as a place to visit! It really does have a lot to offer travelers – history, people, trekking, and more. Our visit more than exceeded our expectations of Jordan.

The Jordan Tourism Board has organized our transport (car with driver) and guides. We have a host who has been with us the whole time who knows the country well, but we use local guides along the way as they have more detailed and local information about that area. This also helps support local people.

We’ve been asking lots of questions along the way about independent travel options. Public transport can get you to most places. Rental cars are also quite reasonable. Hitchhiking is also common and safe. All major sights offer local guides – these are people from the area who have gone through a one year training program to be a guide. Both local guides we had were excellent.

We plan to post our entire itinerary with information and options for independent travel (transport, accommodation, guides, treks, etc.). If you have any specific questions related to this, please let us know!

Logistically, how are you getting around from place to place–taxi, private driver, bus? Also, did the tourism board provide you with a guide for some places, or are you exploring everything independently?

Wonderful article, as always!