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Thinking of Amman

We're The Great Old Ones Now

16:24 / 04.01.04

So I'm thinking of taking a trip to Amman, in Jordan, and I wondered whether anyone had any views. It strikes me that this isn't the best time to go, but I'm also unable to judge how far my paranoia is clouding my assessment of the danger level. Anyone got any thoughts?

16:35 / 04.01.04

My folks went to Jordan a year or two ago and it was almost empty of tourists, but they had no trouble at all and people seemed to welcome the custom. However they were under armed guard on all the tours they went on, just one guy with a machine gun though.
If you get the chance go to Petra though, my folks went on the tour and it's one of the few sets og holiday photo's of their's I've ever looked at with avid interest, it's a beautiful place. And they had it almost all to themselves.
I say go for it, be as paranoid as you need but don't let it stop you from seeing the real Jordan and it's people.

pointless and uncalled for

16:51 / 04.01.04

Naturally you should consider speaking to the Embassy about this. They will give you the most rose tinted view as Jordans once thriving tourist industry is way down the pan and with one less tinpot dictator in the area they will probably try to build that up again this year.
There will be good reasons that they try to push you to going to certain areas and not others and you would probably be well advised to heed this.

Tours, although a often a little overcatered for the likes of the average self-inspecting intellectual, will be a good idea. Particularly if thing turn a little south. A colleague of mine who was evacuated from Indonesia a couple of years back told me that it was basically suntan tourists out first, then the teachers and so on before the individual backpackers etc.