Jordan particularly Amman - anyone been?

[cleanandclothed]

Thinking of a holiday in Jordan next spring when DS will be 2.5. Would like to base in Amman but be flexible to visit Petra and maybe Aqaba. Probably go for 2 weeks.

Any experience? Should we go for a big international hotel? I don't need 5 star, but I do want clean, safe, central and the option of Westernish food for DS.

Hi, I'm posted in syria with Dh's job and we do over night trips in Jordan.

My advice would be make sure you don't go when Ramadan is - as Jordan shuts up a lot during the day.

The malls have lots of western food- TGI fridays, McD, Chillis... so you'll be ok on that front.

Haven't done petra (yet) - but a friend was posted in Jordan and used to go to Petra for weekends - so def doable.

Jordan is a lovely clean country... but I have no experience of going with kids, as i'm only 17 weeks pg with first DC!

Hope that helps a bit?

Sorry - just realised you said spring, so you'll be fine for avoiding ramadan.

Jordan is a great county and very child friendly. My dh is Jordanian and I have been a few times to visit with our two dc's.

Petra and Aqaba are well worth a visit, as well as Wadi Rum.

The Jordanians on the whole are very friendly and hospitable. Most speak good English (most signs are translated into English too), which help us non arabic speakers!

Hope you have a great time, Jordan is fab!

Just wanted to add that the driving out there is Very Scary. I wouldn't want to hire a car in Amman, as I fear for my life every time we go out on the roads! They don't seem to have rules on the road! They have a good taxi service, which would be my preferred option as a tourist.

The four seasons is a good hotel. Usually they will accommodate western tastes. I think Jordanian food is delicious, but just my opinion!

Agree about Four Seasons - and the Shearton too. Also - my Dh went on a course recently, and stayed at the Century Park Hotel - and said it was nice, and reckons it was about £70 a night...

Thank you! Very helpful. I agree about the food - I hope to eat local food but don't want to be stranded with a toddler on a hunger strike!

Thanks for tip re car hire - if we do want to go father afield such as Petra etc, is driving OK between cities? DS is my PFB so I would worry about no car seat for a long taxi journey.

Also considering self-catering - any experience?

Thanks so much for the help

Hi clean,
We went last year when ds was also 2.5. It was one of the best and easiest trips ever.
If you are going for 2 weeks I would do a week in Amman and then one in aquba. Amman is very busy though a great base to do jeresh and castles etc. Can recommend the raddison sas.

It is about a 4 or 5 hour drive down to petra and dead sea and wadi rum so you are better off moving for your second week to aquba which is much closer to these sights.. It does get hot so you will need to get up early to see petra with your ds, though there are donkeys for them to ride wen they get tired. Aquba is great, v laid back and great beaches. The food is fab, healthy and fresh, loads of flatbreads, dips, rice with roasted meats, yogurts, fresh fruit. we had no tummy probes. They love kids and ds was always getting sweet pastries and fizzy drinks from the locals!

I would not drive myself there, seriously crazy and

either hire a cab to take you out each day or a driver for say 10 days. It is cheap to do this, we used Jordan direct for our driver and it was great as he knew all the local cages and rest stops.
fab country though, respectful, polite people who love kids make it especially easy,

Driving is better (quieter) between cities, but you would not catch me driving in central Amman!

Went to Jordan and Petra last year with DD (6) for 4 days as we were living in Cyprus and it was only a 1hr flight from there. Flew into Amman, stayed at Marriott for one night and then had a driver/guide to take us to Madabha, Mt Sinai and then on via the red sea to Petra where we stayed at the Crowne Plaza which is v convenient for seeing Petra but wished we stayed at the Movenpick which was smarter. Then back to Amman and the Marriott again via Jerash.

Great trip but wouldn;t want to do the driving myself as I'm sure we would have missed out on some lovely sights. DD found Petra hard going but coped well with 6 hrs walking

Thanks - sunnylabsmum how did you book your driver?

Also - would a booked driver provide a carseat for DS?

We have driven (in a hire car) all over Jordan and never had a problem. Great country!

Can you consider Jerash? It is a wonderful place, really atmospheric, felt as if the Romans only left last Tuesday.
Also Kerak is pretty amazing as well.

We booked our driver through Jordan direct for approximate £40 a day, then booked hotels direct.
The driver collected us at the airport and then took us to our hotel, after which he would collect us at an arranged time every morning.
We booked a car seat for ds without problems.
If you go, must see Jeresh and kerak, the baptism site is also pretty special, mount Nebo for views over Jericho.
The Dead sea is also worth a stop, and obviously petr a and wadi rum. Also found that staying in a hotel with a pool was a bonus in the heat..

Thank you all so much I am really starting to look forward to it! Am making a list of things to do - have a feeling I will wish it was longer than 2 weeks!