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GENERAL ADVICE for Travellers to Jordan

Passports & Visas: To travel to Jordan you need a full British Passport with at least 6 months to run & a Jordanian entry visa. Aquatours offer a fast visa service [see price list for details] Visas are also available before you travel from the Jordanian Embassy UK, Visa Section, 6, Upper Phillimore Gardens, London W8 7HA. Tel: 020 7937 3685

Flights: These are direct Royal Jordanian flights to Amman. Sometimes there is a same day connecting flight to Aqaba, and sometime we transfer to Aqaba by road transfer (about 3 hours). Details will be with your confirmation invoice. If you have special needs, such as vegetarian meals, you must request these on your booking form. You should check in at the airport at least 2 hours before departure as airlines have been known to over book and late arrivals have been unable to fly.

Health: There are no compulsory inoculations if travelling from the UK but we advise you check with your GP for up to date recommendations. The British diet is usually compatible with Jordanian food, however we recommend you take your favourite tummy tablets just in case. We also recommend bottled water for drinking.

Currency: In Jordan the currency is the Jordanian Dinar (referred to as JD) which is divided into 100 fils. Approximately 1.100 JD = £1. It is easy to change £sterling or $US locally. There is a foreign exchange window at Amman Airport and many banks are represented in Amman and Aqaba. Although Jordan is still mainly a cash orientated society most hotels & some of the bigger shops and restaurants take credit cards. A service charge is often made for credit card payments you are advised to check with each transaction.

Tipping: Small tips are an accepted gesture of appreciation and anything up to 10% would be considered normal.

Electricity supply: The Voltage in Jordan is 220v with 2 pin sockets.

Telephones: International direct dial phones are available in all our hotels, though we suggest you check the cost before making the call as it can be expensive.

Food & Drink: The quality of food in the hotels used by Aquatours should not cause you any problems, though you should wash anything bought outside of the hotels in bottled water. The climate is hot compared to the UK and dehydration can be a problem. We recommend you drink plenty of bottled water and avoid alcohol as a thirst quencher in the daytime heat.

Caution: Excessive exposure to the sun should be avoided. In this region of the world the sun is strong and high in UV rays. Take plenty of sun screen creams and 'after sun' lotion, or better still stay avoid prolonged exposure.

DIVING Information for Jordan

We recommend that all diving is pre-booked. Dive packages include tank, air, weights, boat or land transport from the dive centre to the dive site, and a dive guide. Personal diving equipment is available for hire. Courses must be pre-booked.

Unused dives cannot be refunded nor can they be transferred to another diver. Do not purchase more diving than can normally be fitted into your holiday, but ask us if you are in doubt. Additional dives, equipment rental, courses etc, can be bought locally, but are likely to be at a higher price, we cannot be held responsible for any extra costs this may incur. Most dive centres will accept local currency, £sterling & $US.

All divers must prove an internationally accepted qualification of minimum Open Water certification or be under instruction. If you do not have this proof with you, or you have not dived in over 6 months, the dive centres reserve the right to charge you for a check out dive and may refuse diving at their discretion. No refund will be made in this event.

While we are happy to advise on training courses, we recommend that you should speak to the relevant governing body, either PADI head office based in Bristol or BS-AC in Birmingham.

The minimum age for diving in Jordan is 10 years old - the lower age limit for the PADI Junior Open Water Diver course. There is no upper limit but it is your responsibility to be medically fit to dive. If you are unsure, please obtain a medical certificate before departure from the UK.

Aqaba has a Marine Park area. It is forbidden to take anything out of the sea in this area and diving or snorkelling may be restricted in parts of the Marine Park. Aquatours actively support the excellent work of the Marine Park in researching and preserving the reef.

It is almost unheard of for diving to be cancelled in Aqaba, however itineraries may be effected by local weather or political conditions. The dive centre will do their best to make sure that divers get what they want, but specific dive sites cannot be guaranteed.

Diving equipment and the airlines: The normal free weight allowance is 20 kgs per person. There is no universal agreement for divers to have an extra weight allowance however we can request an allowance of 10kgs (total 30 KGs) to cover your personal diving equipment. Please note that some items may be affected by low pressure so try to include these with your cabin luggage.

Diving safety: All dive centres used by Aquatours are sanctioned by either PADI, SSI or the BS-AC. They will require that you maintain safe diving practices. Most dive centres recommend that you do not dive beyond 30 metres, however if you do, please be aware that this may be outside the stipulations of your insurance policy.

A re-compression chamber is situated in Aqaba within 5 minutes of the hotels and 20 minutes from the furthest dive site.

Remember the 24 hour rule! Do not dive for 24 hours prior to your return flight and try to dive shallow on your last day of diving. You can not dive in the morning if you are planning a journey to Petra, Wadi Rum or Amman as these places of interest are at altitude. If you are diving for two weeks we recommend that you take a dry day in the middle. If you are unsure about any aspect of the above please check with the dive centre before diving.

Temperature and Visibility

Air Temperatures can vary tremendously depending on which area of Jordan you visit and the time of year. Aqaba on the Red Sea coast has least variation and year-round sunshine with 20-24 C in January and February, rising to 35-36 C in July and August. Northern Jordan is cooler due to the increased altitude with average winter temperatures of 7-8 C although in December and January it can snow in the capital, Amman. Summer in the North averages about 32 C. The hottest months are usually quite bearable as humidity levels are low.

Water temperatures vary only slight throughout the year. The sea is at its coolest in January and February but the water temperature rarely drops below 20C. Suit requirements vary according to each diver's preference but we would advise a 5mm long-john and jacket or even a membrane dry-suit for comfort in the Winter. Water temperatures rise to a very pleasant 26/27C in September when a 3mm suit is probably all that you need.

Visibility averages around 35-40m throughout the area. During plankton blooms, usually April/May, this may diminish to 10-15m but to compensate mid-Summer visibility can extend beyond 50m.