Oman or Jordan?
The practical differences, drawn from our own write-ups rather than from a brochure. We are not going to tell you which is better - they are different trips. What follows is what actually changes between them.
Places written up here 20 18
UNESCO listings among them 3 5
Cost level Mid-range Mid-range
Busiest month in our write-ups January April
Currency Omani rial (OMR) Jordanian dinar (JOD)
Plugs and voltage G - 240 V C, D, F, G - 230 V
Everyday languages Arabic Arabic
Driving side right hand side right hand side
Region Western Asia Western Asia
Capital Muscat Amman
Oman
The Gulf's gentlest welcome; mountains, wadis and dhows over malls and towers.
What we have written up
- Bahla Fort fortress
- Jebel Akhdar mountain
- Jebel Shams canyon
- Misfat Al Abriyeen old town
- Muscat and Mutrah old town
- Nizwa Fort and Souq fortress
Worth knowing before you go
- Cards work in cities; cash for villages and souqs
- Tipping is not traditional; rounding up is kind
- Wadi Shab and the Sharqiya sands are the classic circuit with Muscat
Jordan
Ahlan wa sahlan - welcome - is said constantly and meant; hospitality tea has no off switch.
What we have written up
- Ajloun Castle castle
- Amman old town
- Aqaba and the Red Sea beach
- As-Salt old town
- Azraq Wetland Reserve viewpoint
- Bethany Beyond the Jordan archaeological site
Worth knowing before you go
- The dinar is strong - Jordan costs more than its neighbours
- Tipping is expected in small amounts nearly everywhere - keep coins handy
- Wadi Rum overnight camps are the desert done right
Counts describe this site, not the countries: "places written up here" means how many pages we have finished, and it keeps growing. Currency, plugs and languages are practical facts and change rarely; check anything visa-related with the relevant official source before you book.