Health, safety & society

Vaccines & medical coverage

No special care need be taken regarding vaccinations beyond routine immunizations. https://www.iamat.org/country/jordan/risk/routine-immunizations#

In fact, Jordan has an advanced medical system and is (perhaps surprisingly for westerners) the leading medical tourism destination in the region. A few more stats on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_in_Jordan

Safety issues

Though it is entrenched between countries during or just after some serious conflicts (Syria, Iraq, Palestine and Israel), it is, in fact, a country at peace. So much so that is one of the very few countries to actually have signed a peace treaty with Israel following historical conflicts.

In our experience, at no point was there any real safety issues and we felt safe. One needs to remember that Jordan is a country that has opened to tourism throughout the years and that in any touristic place things are fairly well protected. In fact, tourists from Israel were occasionally visible without causing any kind of reaction from the locals.

The above being said, safety clearly is an issue for Jordan itself. Inside the capital Amman there were military vehicles in strategic places (near the Blue Mosque for example) as well as some military personnel and during our drive we saw several border observation stations fully equipped with heavy grade guns.

It is furthermore, advisable to take the same precautions one would take in any major city. You probably wouldn’t walk into any less reputable neighbourhood in London so you might not want to do it in Amman either. While wandering around Amman, we had no clear plan or map and just decided to walk to what we thought were interesting places. Walking from our Airbnb place towards the Grand Husseini Mosque we passed through what is surely a less touristy area of the city and at times felt uneasy as there were no women walking around, mostly low-end shops, auto repairs and dirty streets. Ultimately we didn’t feel unsafe but it did remind us that we should pay attention before wandering off into adventure.

Finally, do remember to respect local customs. This is especially true in smaller cities outside the tourist track. People respect their privacy and highly value their honour and if you cross the line you are asking for trouble.

Social rules

This is a very social country (as in social interaction is highly valued) and there are a couple of things you should remember to do in order to be respectful. It is a common thing in most countries but do remember to stand up while shaking hands. It is a much appreciated common courtesy. That being said, do remember that more traditional Jordanian Muslims will not shake hands with women so do wait until the other part offers the hand before plunging in. My partner did not know this rule and had to politely apologize when being refused a handshake for religious reasons. 

Another extremely important thing in this country is to the art of haggling. Try to do it when purchasing as often as possible. For the locals it is a bit of a sport and it can actually be fun when done right so do give it a go but do remember that not everything is open to negotiation and that the best places to do so are bazaars and shops. In those places, try not to just pay the originally offered price as this can be considered arrogant.

One of the more important things you need to remember about Jordan is that it has serious water access issues. Because of this most of the drinking water is imported and none of the water from the tap is drinkable. Be particularly careful with this as brushing your teeth or having drinks with ice cubes from the local water may result in some pretty uncomfortable stomach issues.

Two other important fluids to be taken seriously are coffee and tea. Tea will tend to be offered by the nomads of Wadi Rum whereas coffee is part of the traditional Bedouin culture. In Jordan, coffee is much more than just the liquid itself and is a symbol of hospitality and goodwill. As such, do remember that it is particularly rude to refuse it. The institution of coffee has its rules and if you are a guest sharing this tradition you should remember these two main rules. If after you finish your coffee you do not wish to have more then you shake the cup. This is an accepted way to not have more. If on the other hand, you want more then you put your cup forward. Follow these rules and your hosts will be happy to see you respect their traditions. 

As for another fluid, namely alcohol, it is tolerated. You are welcome to grab a beer but be sure to not do it in public.

Jordanians are very hospitable and besides coffee, it is also traditional for them to show their hospitality through food. In this they tend to insist that you eat as much as you can and it is rude if you don’t openly show that you are eating a lot. If invited to someone’s house throw that diet away and make the most of the feast. Also, remember to bring something with you, a dessert would do just great.

As a tourist, you will probably want to take full advantage of the photogenic sights. Jordan will offer many picturesque places and situations but do remember to be respectful of the locals. If someone suddenly started taking pictures of you then you might not be too impressed so do remember to always ask. This is especially true when taking pictures of women as Jordanians may consider this to be a disrespect of their most valued prize: their honour. When driving from the Petra reception to the beginning of the trail to Ad-Deir, our guide told us of a story when a Dutch tourist decided to drive with him to Ma’an and then proceeded to take pictures of the locals without any regards for their privacy. Being a town outside the larger tourist trail, the people from Ma’an are not used to this kind of behaviour and started to show it in a very vocal and evident way. Long story short, they both had to leave the city as fast as possible while being chased by a pickup truck. Beware. 

While on the topic of Ma’an, it turns out that due to apparent lack of investment from the government and lack of opportunities for development it became somewhat of a marginalized town and for a certain period even a hotbed for Daesh recruitment. Take this into account when going there, especially if you’re doing it as a single female traveller.

Public life in the Hashemite Kingdom has particular rules of its own. For example, though men can dress quite freely, tank tops or naked torsos are definitely frowned upon. Public displays of affection are allowed when they happen between the same gender but you will not see men and women kissing or holding hands and it is not advised for you to do it either. Also, do pay attention when seating not to point the soles of your feet to anyone as that is considered a serious offence. Anecdotally, going outside with wet hair seems to be associated with recently having sex so try to have that in mind when running out of the shower.

Other serious offences include trying to convert someone from Islam, interrupting a Muslim while in prayer and criticizing the King which is actually an illegal thing. Homosexuality is not illegal but it is a big taboo so you’d be wise to not be too overt about it.