Time

There is the change of summer time for winter one in Jordan. The difference between local time and Moscow time is one hour and it is the same like in Kyiv, but because of difference between the dates of changing the time in Jordan and the states of CIS, it can be two hours. The time is changed on Thursday at night in Jordan and it is changed on Saturday at night in the states of CIS. From October till March the local time leaves behind Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). The difference is 2 hours. The rest of the year the difference between local and GMT is 3 hours.

Banks

Banks are open from Sunday till Thursday from 9.00 a.m. till 3.00 p.m. Interchanged stations are in all banks and at the most of hotels. Jordanian Central Bank sets rate of JOD to USD and other world currency every day.

Mass Media

The Russian channel РТР (RTR) and other satellite channels are broadcasted in all five-star hotels and several four-star hotels. The main daily newspaper in the English language issued in Jordan is “The Jordan Time”. The weekly newspaper in the English language “The Star” is issued every Thursday. It has an affixture in the Russian language. Besides, one can buy many foreign (French and English) newspapers at the hotels and magazines in the Russian language in supermarkets.

Telephone

The telephone service is very reliable in Jordan. It is possible to call abroad from Jordan using any public or private telephone. There are two mobile operators in Jordan – “Zain” (great covering zone) and “Orange”. The price of local calls is approximately 0,1 of JOD per minute, the price of the minute if you speak to Moscow is 0,7 of JOD. Incomings are free of charge. That is why we recommend you to buy SIM card of the national operator. Using mobile phone, you pay money as for a long-distance call. In several hotels you pay in accordance with the international tariff scale. Besides, in the majority of hotels you pay minimum for 3 minutes irrespective of real duration of the call.

If you are outside your hotel and need to make a call within Jordan you may use a telephone in any of the shops.
The international code of Jordan is 962.

Internet

The majority of hotels and internet cafés are ready to offer you the Internet. In some hotels you should pay for this service, so it is better to get such information beforehand (on the hotel site or at the travel agency).

Water

There is water filter equipment in all three-star, four-star and five-star hotels. In 5-star hotels you can get bottles with drinking water free of charge. The water is changed every day. At shops you can buy drinking water at lower prices than in hotels.

In Jordan water is priceless. The Jordan government asks everybody to save it.

Transport system

JETT interurban bus service is very comfortable and it connects nearly all populated areas of the country. You should reserve tickets by phone or book them in advance (anyway it is necessary to confirm your travel at the special booking-office at the bus station). The most convenient way of travel is a taxi. It is divided into two types: a fixed-route taxi (white colour) and ordinary one (yellow colour). The latter has a built-in counter.

Medical care

Amman and other cities are known for the high quality of their medical care. All doctors can speak English.
Some of them can speak Russian because of getting education in Russian Federation and the states of CIS. In big hotels when you are sick you can consult a hotel doctor.

In Jordan an electricity supply is 220 V, 50 H. Being in Jordan one can use a plug with two knife or cylindrical contacts.

If your electrical appliance voltage is different you need a transducer (it is available in any hotel).

 

Despite the well-known opinion, the national cuisine is not very pungent and spicy. Mint, greens and herbs, lemon, onion, olives and cedar nuts are used in it. The national cuisine consists of juicy snack (mezze), aromatic flat bread. Tremendous sweets in syrup, pistachio nuts, mansaf (traditional Jordan dish), lamb with rice and yoghurt creamy sauce – you can try all these dishes in all Jordanian restaurants cooking Arabic dishes.

Hummus is a tasty dip of chickpeas with tahini (sesame seed paste), garlic and lemon juice.

Baba ghanoush is a dip made of boiled or smoked eggplants and tahini.

Ful is made of boiled beans with garlic, lemon juice, caraway-seeds, and olive oil.

Kubbe is deep-fried meat balls with spices and bulgur (wheat), onion, cedar nuts.

Sambusek is a small pastry stuffed with meat, white cheese (sheep’s milk cheese), spinach or herbs.

Tabouleh is a salad that includes mint, bulgur, parsley, tomatoes, onion, and lemon juice.
 

Mansaf is a Jordanian national dish: lamb seasoned with aromatic herbs served with rice. It is cooked in original creamy sauce made of dried yoghurt. Mansaf is cooked and served nearly in all restaurants.

Kebab is an original dish divided into several types. It is cooked over a charcoal fire. The restaurants serve shish kebab (beef and lamb), shish taouk (chicken), kofta kebab (lamb with spices).

Jordanian sweets are the best Arabic sweets. They are pastry with sesame-seeds, baklawa with pistachio nuts, konafa with cheese, gataef, ice-cream, candied fruit and so on.

Baklawa (baklava) is made of delicate layers of dough with nuts and sweetened with honey.

Konafa is a shredded dough filled with goat cheese, then baked in syrup.

Ataif is cooked during Ramadan, it is a special dessert. The small, deep-fried pancakes are stuffed with nuts and cheese.

Mamul pastry is filled with nuts and dates. Rose water is added as flavoring.

Mohalabia is a milk pudding to which rose or orange water is added as flavoring.

Sahlab is a hot milk beverage. Pistachio nuts, salep (white flour like powder obtained from
 the dried tubers of a wild orchid, Orchis mascula), cinnamon and rose water are added to the beverage.
 

Alcoholic drinks

In Jordan several types of good wine and beer are produced. There are also a lot of foreign types of alcoholic drinks. They are sold in the majority of the restaurants, bars and specialized shops (except Ramadan). One of the most famous national alcoholic drinks is arak, aniseed-flavored distilled drink. Arak is usually not drunk straight, but is mixed with water, and ice is then added.

Restaurants

Amman restaurants serve a wide range of national and international cuisine dishes (Greek, French, Italian, Asiatic, Arabic). Usually dinner costs 20-25 USD or even more (from 45 USD). Restaurant “Kan Zaman” (“Ancient time”) is situated on the way to the International Airport. It looks like Arabic medieval castle and it serves Swedish table. Recently new restaurants

“Rim Al-Bavadi” (“Abraham the Sultan”), “Havara”. All of them are famous for the perfect national cuisine and high level service.

Those who have a rest in Jordan are advised to drop in the restaurants “Captain” (it is made in the form of the head of the ship and situated not far from the hotel “Aquamarine-2”) or “Ali-Baba”.

Tipping

It is not obligatory to leave a tip but if you do it pay attention to the tip amount.

In the restaurants and hotels simply add 10 % to the whole price of your dinner; you should tip a waiter.

The hotel servant’s tip is usually 1/ 2 or 1 JOD (2 USD). In the taxi simply add 0,2 of JOD to the counter readings.