KINGDOM OF JORDAN (continued)
14. Frequently asked questions and tips for success (continued)
MONEY
How much cash should I take?
Cash is awfully nice wherever you travel, especially U.S. dollars in $100 denominations. Cash is essential when traveling in places that lack ATMs and don't readily accept major credit cards.
Fortunately, ATMs are available in Amman, and credit cards are accepted in most major hotels, restaurants, and shops in Amman and other major places frequented by tourists.
However, you'll need to carry sufficient cash for taxis, tips, and purchases in small shops, souks, and restaurants.
Since Jordan is a relatively safe and secure country, your cash should be safe as long you observe normal cash-carrying precautions. Be sure to secure your cash - men should carry their wallet in their front pocket, and women need to keep a firm grip on a sturdy handbag. Everyone might benefit from wearing a money belt or pouch.
Use hotel safes if you are carrying large amounts of cash.
Which credit card or cards should I carry?
We recommend taking at least two different credit cards - Visa, MasterCard, and/or American Express.
TIP: Be sure to contact your credit card companies before you leave on your trip. Let them know when and where you will be traveling. If you fail to do this, you may be shocked when you are told in a hotel, restaurant, or shop that your card has been “declined.”
Indeed, for security purposes, credit card companies routinely check your “spending patterns” to see if anything is out of the ordinary. Traveling abroad and using your credit card frequently raises red flags with credit card companies.
They often assume your credit card may have been stolen, and thus they put a temporary hold on it. You can easily avoid embarrassment and the inconvenience of having to make international phone calls to get the hold taken off of your credit card by making these pre-trip arrangements.
In the meantime, a second back-up credit card will help you get through such situations.
Keep in mind that many places around the world prefer Visa or MasterCard, or they do not accept American Express, for two reasons:- First, merchants pay a lower commission rate to these companies than to American Express.
- Second, merchants get paid faster from Visa and MasterCard than from American Express.
Consequently, at least one of your credit cards should be Visa or MasterCard.
But we always travel with an American Express card because of certain advantages tied to our Gold Card, such as cash advances, evacuation insurance, and cashing American Express traveler's checks without charging commissions.
Some shops will add a 3-5% service fee if you insist on using a credit card for payment. This is the fee they usually have to pay the credit card company, so they pass it on to the customer.
Unlike shops back home, many shops in Jordan do not view the acceptance of credit cards as a cost of doing business. Instead, credit cards are viewed as a financial burden on small businesses.
You can avoid this service fee by using cash. In many places, traveler's checks will be accepted in lieu of cash, and a shop will not charge extra for using such checks.
Should I take traveler's checks?
That's up to you. Smart shopper still "don't leave home without them!" For some travelers, who are used to using ATMs and credit cards, traveler's checks may seem inconvenient. However, traveler's checks often come in handy when shopping.
Indeed, we always take some traveler's checks with us since they are our "security blanket" for quickly getting cash, and we're not ATM users. Traveler's checks also help us avoid the 3-5% service fees small shops invariably add for the privilege of using a credit card.
What's nice about traveler's checks is that we get them free through our bank (we qualify for this special service), and we can always cash the unused checks once we return home.
We follow an 80/20 rule - 80 percent of our cash is in traveler's checks and 20 percent is in U.S. dollars (usually $20 and $100 notes).
We invariably return home with 50 percent of our traveler's check unused, but on some occasions we have used them for making special purchases where credit cards were not to our advantage - merchants either didn’t accept them or would add 3-5% to the cost - and ATMs are inconvenient.
Traveler's checks saved us money, and we were able to use them immediately without having to find an ATM machine, which is by no means free when traveling abroad with your pin number. The cost of such automated money will become apparent once you return home and get your bank statement!
LENGTH OF STAY
How long should I plan to stay in Jordan?
A minimum of five days (Amman, Petra, Jerash) but preferably a week to 10 days (include Wadi Rum, Aqaba, the Dead Sea area, religious sites, desert castles, and the nature reserves).
Christian visitors sometimes forgot that Jordan is the center of the Holy Land - more so than Israel, which primarily has Jerusalem.
History buffs and biblical scholars and enthusiasts can easily spend a week just visiting Jordan's many religious sites, such as the River Jordan, Mount Nebo, Madaba, Bethany, and the Dead Sea, where they retrace events in the lives of Jesus, Abraham, Lot, Moses, Joshua, Jacob, David, Solomon, Elijah, Elisha, Gideon, Saul, and other great figures (apostles, prophets, disciplines, kings) in the Bible.
Muslims visiting Jordan also can retrace important events and figures in the history of Islam at various sites throughout the country.
Active or adventure travelers have lots to see and do in Jordan, especially at Wadi Rum and various nature reserves: rock-climbing (up to 1,800 meters), trekking, sky diving, ballooning, camping, sandboarding, mountain biking, bird watching, camel and horseback riding, and 4WD desert adventures.
Aqaba is home to water sport enthusiasts who enjoy scuba diving, snorkeling, sailing, jet-skiing, para-sailing, waterskiing, and windsurfing on the Red Sea.
Shoppers are in for some special treats as they uncover many wonder hand-crafted treasures and art objects in Amman, Petra, and Aqaba. Plan to spend at least two full days for shopping in Jordan, with most of this time centered in the best shops and galleries of Amman. See our shopping section for recommended products and shops.
If you really get into the country's fine art and handcraft scenes, you can easily spend a week discovering Jordan's unique shopping culture with its many talented artists and craftspeople.
MAPS
Where can I get a good map of Jordan?
To start with, check out this website, which includes several maps on Jordan: http://www.kinghussein.gov.jo/maps.html
One of the best sources for maps is the Royal Geographic Centre in Amman: www.rjgc.gov.jo.
Also, check out the Jordan Tourism Board’s website for an interactive map: www.visitjordan.com/visitjordan_cms/InteractiveMap/tabid/98/Default.aspx.
When you're in Amman, visit the following bookstore, which should have maps: Books@Cafe
Mango Street
(off of Rainbow Street at 1st Circle)
Jebel Amman
The Rough Guide to Jordan and Lonely Planet Jordan guidebooks also have many detailed maps of various destinations throughout Jordan.
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