Amman Local Customs

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Is very common to drink tea coffee public places,Jordan is not like Europe you can just call your friends and say lets meet for a pint..when you visit a local you will offered coffee or tea.
people usually when They drink They meet at home and spend night togther drinkin mostly till they get drunk..

With anise smell is my fave drink it comes with snack as well.
It costs from 2 to 6 JD per glass .

Arak distillation is an ancient art and is considered in many parts of the Middle East a traditional art. The technique has been passed on, from father to son for many generations as 600 years stretch of time. The basic method that all traditional ways of Arak Distillation meet at, is the still pot method, which is similar to Brandy and Whisky stills but of different shapes of pot and cover designs.

Anise, alcohol and specially treated water are the basic ingredients. They boil in the still to a vapor that is collected externally by condensation into high degree of liquid Arak. The bulk is then brought down to bottling strength which is around 100 proof. After a period of aging, the Arak is filtered and bottled, to be consumed in a unique matter of adding water until the Arak in the glass is whitened and ice is added to it to make the best tasting drink. Served as an appetizer or with almost all kinds of food.

The difference between one Arak to another is the quality of the ingredients and the method and time of distillation

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Bear in mind that in Jordan They speak Arabic.
They have different letters They write and read from right to left,Here are some handy phrases and words (pronounciation) :

Hello : Marhaba

How are you : Ki fak

I am fine : al hamid lil lah

Thanks very much : shokran ktir

you are welcome : Afwan

Money : Masari

far : ba'eed

Near : Areeb

Nice : Hilo ,Jamil

Delicous : Laziz

How much : b'kam

Why : Lesh

Size : Qiyas

Taxi : taxi

Yes : Na'am

No : La

Please : min fadlak

what's your name? :Sho ismak ?

My name is Robin : Ismi Robin

where are you from? : min wen inta ?

I am from Holland: Ana min Hollanda,America,Britania etc

Conservative clothing is recommended for both men and women.

I as a female still found it difficult as I was covered but still got oogled at as a western female.

I did not see any men wearing shorts, even in 40 degree heat, so sorry guys pants is best.

Tipping is never required but always appreciated. In hotels and restaurants, 10 per cent may be added to the bill, but a small tip for waiters is appropriate.

For hotel bellmen and porters JOD 1-2, or $2 is customary. In taxis pay the nearest round fiqure to the price on the meter.

We arrived in Amman Jordan on the 15th July 2010 and had a problem with the hotel we were staying. They required that my boyfriend and I show a marriage certificate (bit of a problem we were not married) before they would give us a room. We went about 50metres up the road to another hotel where the hotel reception/owner did not have a problem.
We also encountered this problem when we were going to book a tour through a travel agency, only to go to another agency and there was no problem.

From what I can gather if you book hotels 5 star the staff do not seem to have an issue, our tour to eqypt was through a travel agency in Abdoun located near the American embassy which dealt with alot of foreigners.

I also wondered if they were in around about way trying to let my boyfriend (whom is Jordanian) know that he should not be travelling around with a girl that is not related to him.

In a nutshell just be wary of the above, you may or may not come across it -but as the old adeage goes "forewarned is forearmed"

Jordan has a rich religious history. Located between Mecca, the holiest place on earth for Muslims, and Jerusalem, which is sacred to Muslims, Jews and Christians, Jordan has played a central role in religious history of the Middle east.
It is important to know that more than 90% of Jordanians are Muslim. Do respect the local customs in this regard, although Jordan is quite liberal for a Middle Eastern Muslim country.

Coffee (Turkish coffee) is a strong boiled brew of cardamom flavoured coffee. It is usually served in small cups. You have to inform the waiter how you sweet you like your coffee, as it is prepared with sugar. Let it settle before drinking, and do not drink the thick, muddy ‘sediment’.
Tea (shy) is sweet, often flavoured with mint and usually served in a glass.
There are many coffee shops in Downtown Amman, and as in Turkey, you see waiters delivering tea and coffee to shops.