Wild Frontiers

Flight Information

Direct flights from London Heathrow to Jordan take around 5hrs with BMI or Royal Jordanian Airlines.

Useful Tips

• Arrive at Petra very early, like the crack of dawn to get away from crowds as much as possible

• Cover yourself in mud in the Dead Sea and feel the benefits

• Keep head and shoulders covered when in the Wadi Rum desert

• Visit the hot springs at Hammamat Ma'in

Recommended Reading

If you want to read up on your destination we recommend a variety of guidebooks such as Odyssey Guides, The Rough Guide and Footprint Guides. All these publications have good general information as well as more specific country information that will help orientate you in the areas you visit.

Good books and maps of Jordan are available at Stanfords in Covent Garden, London or online at http://www.stanfords.co.uk | www.stanfords.co.uk]

When To Go

Jordan has long dry, hot summers with chilly nights and during the winter you can still expect plenty of warm weather and sunshine. The best time to travel is during the autumn and winter, September to March. The most fertile part of Jordan is the hilly region in the northwest, which experiences high rainfall between November and March, when weather fronts blow in from the Mediterranean.

Packing List

Below is a list of general items you might take with you on a Wild Frontiers trip to Jordan. With your booking confirmation you will receive a packing list specific to your tour, so please treat this as a general guideline only.

Luggage:
It is best to use a soft bag - rucksack/hold-all/duffel bag - so it can be transported and stored more easily.
On all our trips a small daypack is practical for keeping general items (e.g. camera, books, wallets etc.) at hand when your main pack is out of reach. It is also handy for day trips and excursions.

Clothing:
In general you should bring clothes you feel comfortable with. However, you are travelling in an Islamic country so modesty is required.

Therefore as a guide we suggest a packing list like this:
• 4 x Light cotton shirts or T-shirts, short sleeved and long
• 2 x Lightweight jumpers or sweatshirts
• Good quality fleece or warm jumper
• 2/3 x Pairs of cotton trousers. If preferred, women can wear longer dresses and skirts.
• Sun hat or cap
• Swim suit or trunks
• Pair of sturdy shoes for walking
• Pair of adventure sandals, trainers or pumps

Equipment:
The following is useful extra equipment for your trip:
• Travel towel, travel soap and toiletries
• Torch (LED head-torch keeps your hands free)
• Pair of good quality sunglasses
• Water bottle
• Plug adapter (see ‘Electricity’ section)

Personal First Aid Kit:
While we do carry a large medical kit we would advise that you take some of the basics with you. This should include:
• Any prescription medication required (please inform the tour leader at your pre-departure meeting about these)
• Antibacterial dry hand wash
• Painkillers: paracetamol & ibuprofen
• Rehydration salts (Gastrolyte)
• Malaria Tablets (if necessary)
• Travel motion-sickness tablets if required (e.g. natural ginger tablets)
• Diarrhoea remedies
• Antihistamines
• Cold/flu decongestants
• Mosquito Repellent
• Insect bite cream
• Laxatives
• Plasters/Bandage/Steri-Strips/Blister pads
• Sunscreen (30+ factor)
• Moisturiser/after sun cream/lip balm
• Contact lenses and solution if required
• Tweezers
(A kit with most of this in is available at www.nomadtravel.co.uk)

Optional Extras:
• Ear plugs (if sharing a room / camping)
• Alarm clock
• 3-4 plastic carrier bags are very useful for dirty washing, dirty shoes and rubbish
• Flip flops/sandals for bathrooms
• Sleeping bag liner (cotton or silk)
• Binoculars
• Small packs of tissues
• Money belt or secure pouch for money and passport etc.
• Eye patches if light affects your sleep
• Sewing kit/scissors
• Writing materials
• Spare batteries/camera memory cards
• Swiss Army knife
• Universal bath plug
NB: If you wear glasses, it is advisable to bring a spare pair since opticians are rare. If you wear contact lenses you may find that climatic changes and dust can create visual irritation, therefore, it is advisable to bring a pair of glasses. You might be tempted to buy a few souvenirs here and there, so leave a little room for those extra purchases!!

Hand Luggage:
Although it is very rare that luggage goes missing on flights, it has been known to happen and so it’s a good idea to carry a spare top, toothbrush, wash kit, underwear and any other essentials in your hand luggage so that you can at least freshen up while waiting for your bags to catch you up. If you wear your sturdy shoes/boots it will also reduce weight in your luggage and keep them safe.

Practical Information

Time:
Jordan is 2hrs ahead of GMT (+3hrs from April " September).
A useful website to check the time zone differences is www.worldtimezone.com

Food and Alcohol:
The capital city offers the most variety but you can be assured of eating well throughout Jordan. Cooking shares similarities with Lebanese and Turkish food and is based primarily on rice and breads, fresh salads and fruits, vegetables, yogurt, lamb and chicken, all fragrant with the spices of the east. Many restaurants offer traditional national dishes like “mensaf” (lamb stewed in a yogurt sauce atop rice and bread) or home-cooking like “maqloubeh” (an “upside down” rice casserole turned over to serve chicken or meat with vegetables on top).
Alcohol is widely available at bars and hotels across Jordan. During Ramadan, drinks are only available to visitors in their hotels. Alcohol can also be bought from supermarkets.

Electricity:
If using a camera with film we suggest photographers bring plenty of rolls. Those bringing video & digital cameras that require battery chargers should bring both 2 and 3 pin plug adapters. The supply is 230V.

Money:
In Jordan the unit of currency is the Jordanian Dinar.
To check out the latest exchange rate for the places that you are visiting you can go to www.oanda.com

A few points to help you plan:
• Payments are mainly made in cash.
• Increasingly more shops and hotels will accept credit card payments, though a cash advance is unlikely.
• You can easily exchange Euros, US Dollars and UK Sterling cash.
• ATM machines are available in the larger towns but best not to be relied upon.
• If using ATM machines, be sure to notify your bank before you travel.

Language & Religion:
The official language of Jordan is Arabic. Most people working in the tourist industry speak English.

More than 92% of Jordanians are Sunni Muslims and approximately 6% are Christians. The majority of Christians belong to the Greek Orthodox Church, but there are also Greek Catholics, a small Roman Catholic community, Syrian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, and a few Protestant denominations. Several small Shi'a and Druze populations can also be found in Jordan.

Cultural Sensitivity:
At Wild Frontiers we are very aware of the ethical impact tourism can have on ancient cultures. We realise that taking a group of tourists through such a region can have a negative impact on the lives of those who live there and on all our tours we therefore go to great lengths to minimise the negative and accentuate the positive…after all, there are also many good things that the tourist can bring.

To help this process we ask that our clients do not hand out pens or sweets to children. As one sign in Egypt emphatically put it, ‘Please don't make beggars out of our children!' No matter how well intentioned, in our opinion the dolling out of free gifts fosters a ‘beggar mentality' that is ultimately extremely destructive to a society. In addition we do not condone giving out money to beggars or ‘students'.

However, we also realise that we are exceptionally privileged to be travelling in areas where most of the people have far less than us and that the desire to ‘help' can be very powerful. As a result we ask that you refer to your trip dossier for information on the Wild Frontiers Foundation which supports specific projects in the areas where we travel.

Photography:
Please remember, we are guests in the countries through which we travel and we may sometimes inadvertently cause offence by taking photographs without first asking permission.

Also many countries have very strict rules about taking photos of army, police or any official personnel; restrictions apply at borders, bridges and any government building. Please exercise care in this regard as the penalty may be to have your film and/or camera confiscated.