Travel Tips for Amman, Jordan

I have been meaning to do a little "Amman Tips" post ever since I returned from my hectic one-week business trip to the ancient city for the "Rebuild Iraq" conference. First of all, Jordan is great. Not only does it have fantastic sites to visit (Petra for one, which I have not had the pleasure of visiting), but the people are great, food is wonderful and hospitality is sky high.

Food:
Get out of the hotels. While there are some good restaurants in some of the five star hotels, chances are you will find comparable and much cheaper outside, every time.
**May I suggest Ren Chai (Third Circle, Tel. +962 4 625 777) for Chinese food (where I recently saw the late King Hussein's brother). Located in an architectural house in a neighborhood (hence the lack of directions, trust me, this city is a maze).
**For lamb-lovers, you simply have to venture out to the street corner opposite the Four Seasons Hotel (same side of the road as the Sheraton) to this indoor-outdoor dining facility, recognizable for its red awning. Here you will roll out for no more than a few US dollars per person. Note: low fat is not an option. Marvel in the kebabs, tawook and best lamb chops this side of the equator.
**For a steak though, I suggest the "Library" cigar lounge and steak house in the Marriott Hotel. They serve Australian Grade A beef, and may I say that my fillet mignon was "like buttah". Order the South Africa KWV Cabarnet to round off the experience.
**I had fabulous Lebanese food at the place opposite Caraffa, but cannot recall it's name, I can however pass on information about it's more famous brother: Deir El Qamar (Abdoun, Tel. +962 5 934 666).
**There is rumored to be good Sushi at the Howard Johnson Hotel, I will report back after my next trip.

Haircut:
As most every female who work in Iraq, I decided to get a haircut on my last day in Amman for fear of a "high and tight" at the barber in the palace. I enquired about my options from guest relations where I was told that the Hyatt's hairdresser relocated to the La Royale Hotel across the street. I called them up, JD30 for a haircut. Okay, so about $45, not cheap, but not ridiculous. Downstairs I thought I would just ask about "non-hotel" affiliated institutions, the girl pointed me to a salon around the corner where I was bound to pay about JD10-15. I thought "half price", worth checking out. The salon was on a busy shopping street, with two friendly non-English speaking attendants in the front. I enquired about the price and was surprised to find it was JD3 (including a great scalp-massaging wash)!! Heck, cut it twice! So for about $5 I got a decent haircut and splurged on a blow dry for another $5. Whoohoo, nothing like a bargain.

Taxis
Taxis in Amman are abundant. If you plan on only visiting the city the need for a car is small, particularly if you are not an accomplished bumper car driver, nor speak fluent "Arabic sign language". Use the cabs, they are all yellow, everywhere, and will know how to get your places you will never be able to find in this hilltop city.

Be aware: "If you have to ask, you're going to get ripped off". Do not, I repeat, do NOT ask the taxi driver "how much". Just reach over and hand him a couple Dinars. And if you pay him JD2, you've already double-paid. Most every ride in the city (with the exception of the airports and longer trips like to the US Embassy) will be JD1.
NOTE: The meter (if there even is one) is in cents or the Jordanian equivalent. So if you see 9.80, please, don't give the guy JD10 (about $16), rather just hand him a dinar and be on your way. For this very reason a friend told me to get JD50 in one JD bills. While you feel a bit like one of the Hoffa's with this wad of cash, it comes in very handy.

Security
Like adding time for traffic in NY and LA, add extra time for security in Amman. You will have to be searched before entering any of the five star hotels. I commented that it will be a shock to my system to go somewhere again without having to "spread 'em" and open my bag for the lady to search through my random purse accoutrements.
NOTE: Do not take pictures of the La Royale Hotel, the monstrously large hotel on the hill opposite the Hyatt. Rumored to be partially owned by the Husseins (yes, those Husseins) complete with 4th floor offices, the gentlemen in the old black Mercedes' vehicles frown upon tourists snapping shots of this prized "food for oil" institution. (Hint, go up to your room and snap the picture from the comfort of your own picture window).

Hotels
Four Seasons: Best service, rooms are over-rated perhaps but very spacious, great bar, good lounge for meeting purposes, wonderful breakfast, fabulous spa, BEST little conditioners ever.
Hyatt: Nice and new (*sic*), nice rooms, great gym and spa, indoor outdoor pools, great breakfast, downside: only a sports bar, so nowhere to have a quite one after work. Also, there is a lot of continued construction, so don't expect to sleep in or nap on your day off.
Sheraton: A bit gaudy at the entrance (lots of green and gold), haven't seen spa or gym, great art gallery but will close soon, the room I saw didn't impress me, particularly the bathroom - looked like a Holiday Inn bathroom, again, nice bar for after-work drink
Intercontinental: All about the business traveler and conference facility. Large lounge with free WiFi, so great for staying in touch with HQ, great established art gallery and a wonderful jewelry shop outside. Best business center I found.
Marriott: It's all about the steak. Haven't seen anything but the entrance.

There are others, but these are the ones I have been in. Oh well, just a few hints in case you ever have to go through Amman enroute somewhere. I look forward to visit some of the city and the country's treasures including the monuments, ruins, dead sea (I've only done it from the other side many years ago). I also met a great driver, Abdullah, who I plan to use again when I transit through there in a few weeks. He was so sweet and even text'd me to make sure I made it back to Baghdad safely.