Buying Jordanian Dinars
Discussion
Off to Jordan in just under a month.
What is it best to do regarding currency? Take GBP? Take USD? Or go to M&S and just get some JD?
Also, how widely used are credit cards?
We are doing Amman-Dead Sea-Petra-Wadi Rum (clearly not here)-Amman
Any other tips? We are in Amman for 3 nights, I have read that the place can be exhausted for sights in a day, so any other useful daytrips out that won't have an eye watering taxi fare (like Petra)?
What is it best to do regarding currency? Take GBP? Take USD? Or go to M&S and just get some JD?
Also, how widely used are credit cards?
We are doing Amman-Dead Sea-Petra-Wadi Rum (clearly not here)-Amman
Any other tips? We are in Amman for 3 nights, I have read that the place can be exhausted for sights in a day, so any other useful daytrips out that won't have an eye watering taxi fare (like Petra)?
We had 3 nights in Amman back in April last year. Fantastic place.
We bought the JOD before we went and shopped around for the best rate to leave plenty of time to get the best price (in the end, collected from Travelex at LHR having booked online). No point in taking any other currency really, unless perhaps you can get a better rate out there?
We didn't bother using a credit card for anything other than paying for our hotel stay (Marriot). I didn't feel uncomfortable at any point in Jordan so no issue in carrying enough cash about to last you a day.
As for general tips, I don't think you'll run out of things to do in Amman. We did the Dead Sea & Baptism site from Amman, and that's a full day.
We also went to see the Citadel which was a morning's worth and very interesting (make sure you pay one of the guides to take you around it, we found it made the whole experience a lot more insightful and fun that had we just stuck to reading signs).
You can see the Amphitheatre after/before the Citadel if this interests you. We had planned to do that but ended up getting a great view of it from near the Citadel on the way up and down, so didn't feel the need to see it any closer.
We also did some shopping. I would recommend staying away from the big malls as they are almost carbon copies of the UK even down to Debenhams and other chain places, but more expensive. Ask a yellow taxi driver to take you to the market/traditional shopping area to buy souvenirs. Far better - Lively streets, great to get talking to people who stop you on the street to say hi, and a chance to barter!
That brings me to the people themselves. In our experience Jordanians are welcoming, warm and kind people. The service in every restaurant we went to was brilliant, and typical of the famous Middle Eastern hospitality. On our last day in Amman we got stopped outside a coffee bar by the owner who invited us in for coffees and cakes on the house (we had ran out of money at this point!). I'd normally be suspicious but in Amman I got the feeling that people are genuinely kind and sociable.
As for getting around, we used a driver+car to go out to the Dead Sea/Baptisim Site, which was cost effective even including a tip and was good to get the local knowledge of the driver for photo opps (in our case stopping 2 young lads by the roadside and asking for a camel ride!). I think it worked out at about £10 an hour. The driver will usually drop you off and you can tell him to wait/come back for you (he will be on the meter) or you can pay him and get a cab back instead.
Yellow cabs are even cheaper and a good laugh, we struck up a relationship with one guy who took us all around the local shopping areas to find what we wanted and then also to the airport, turned out he had lived in Chicago for 5 years and spoke English with an American accent.
High recommend visiting the Baptism site by the way. Even if you are not religious fascinating to see the old buildings and if you are, where John the Baptist practiced. You also get right up close to the Jordan river and can shout across to people on the Israeli side (don't ask the soldiers for a photo though).
Anyway sorry for rambling, but as you can tell, can't say enough good things about the place & people. Enjoy your trip!!
We bought the JOD before we went and shopped around for the best rate to leave plenty of time to get the best price (in the end, collected from Travelex at LHR having booked online). No point in taking any other currency really, unless perhaps you can get a better rate out there?
We didn't bother using a credit card for anything other than paying for our hotel stay (Marriot). I didn't feel uncomfortable at any point in Jordan so no issue in carrying enough cash about to last you a day.
As for general tips, I don't think you'll run out of things to do in Amman. We did the Dead Sea & Baptism site from Amman, and that's a full day.
We also went to see the Citadel which was a morning's worth and very interesting (make sure you pay one of the guides to take you around it, we found it made the whole experience a lot more insightful and fun that had we just stuck to reading signs).
You can see the Amphitheatre after/before the Citadel if this interests you. We had planned to do that but ended up getting a great view of it from near the Citadel on the way up and down, so didn't feel the need to see it any closer.
We also did some shopping. I would recommend staying away from the big malls as they are almost carbon copies of the UK even down to Debenhams and other chain places, but more expensive. Ask a yellow taxi driver to take you to the market/traditional shopping area to buy souvenirs. Far better - Lively streets, great to get talking to people who stop you on the street to say hi, and a chance to barter!
That brings me to the people themselves. In our experience Jordanians are welcoming, warm and kind people. The service in every restaurant we went to was brilliant, and typical of the famous Middle Eastern hospitality. On our last day in Amman we got stopped outside a coffee bar by the owner who invited us in for coffees and cakes on the house (we had ran out of money at this point!). I'd normally be suspicious but in Amman I got the feeling that people are genuinely kind and sociable.
As for getting around, we used a driver+car to go out to the Dead Sea/Baptisim Site, which was cost effective even including a tip and was good to get the local knowledge of the driver for photo opps (in our case stopping 2 young lads by the roadside and asking for a camel ride!). I think it worked out at about £10 an hour. The driver will usually drop you off and you can tell him to wait/come back for you (he will be on the meter) or you can pay him and get a cab back instead.
Yellow cabs are even cheaper and a good laugh, we struck up a relationship with one guy who took us all around the local shopping areas to find what we wanted and then also to the airport, turned out he had lived in Chicago for 5 years and spoke English with an American accent.
High recommend visiting the Baptism site by the way. Even if you are not religious fascinating to see the old buildings and if you are, where John the Baptist practiced. You also get right up close to the Jordan river and can shout across to people on the Israeli side (don't ask the soldiers for a photo though).
Anyway sorry for rambling, but as you can tell, can't say enough good things about the place & people. Enjoy your trip!!
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