Middle East: Round-the-World Travel Destinations

Budget Scale: 1-5

1-least expensive; 5-most expensive
2– If you are a budget-traveling backpacker, you can get by in Jordan for about $15US/day. But if you want to eat more than street-side falafel and actually see sites like Petra, budget closer to $25-30US/day. Either way, it’s pretty cheap to travel around this country.

Indie Travel Scale: 1-5

1-not a good Indie Travel destination; 5-a great Indie Travel destination
3.5– Jordan and the Middle East in general are great indie travel destinations. There’s a stigma to traveling here, even though Jordan is about as safe as any place you’ll travel in the world, and the people here are among the friendliest in the world. Amman is a modern Arab city with plenty of diversity and western amenities, so it may not provide as much culture shock as you think.
Indie Travel Tips
Amman itself is a great base for exploring the surrounding areas, and even though some travelers will tell you to move on as soon as you arrive, there are still things worth seeing here.

• Wander around Rainbow Street, an interesting place to explore.
• If you find yourself in Amman during early September, you can take part in the Jordan Short Film Festival.
• Make sure you check out the sunset from the view point near the Citadel.
• If you want to get an idea of what the Old Amman is all about, explore the central area of downtown, called Balad.
• Spend some time hanging out in a hookah bar

Why you should add Amman to your RTW travel list

• Experience the Islamic Ramadan in December
• A starting point for travel to the amazing lost city of Petra
• Take a day trip out to the ancient ruins of Umm Al-Jimal
• Some of the world’s best diving can be found in the south near Aqaba
• Fancy yourself as Lawrence of Arabia: Wadi Rum in the south is known for dramatic desert scenery

Why you should not add Amman to your RTW travel list

• Amman can seem underwhelming and too modern if you’ve come from other Middle Eastern cities.
• There are lots of modern shopping malls and western restaurants.

Are you heading to Amman? What do you need to do?

• Buy a plane ticket to/from the Middle East
• Book an Amman hostel
• Book a hotel in the Middle East
• Talk to travelers on the Middle East message boards
• Read travel articles on the Middle East

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