Although located in the middle of the Middle East, Jordan in the eyes of Vietnamese tourists is a beautiful and peaceful country, unaffected by war.
Warm feelings in a strange land
The first time she set foot in Jordan, the Vietnamese female tourist did not feel bewildered at all. On the contrary, the friendliness of the people in this Arab country brought her small joys during the trip.
Ms. Phuong Hang said: “I did not hesitate when choosing to come to Jordan, because like other countries I have been to, what we see on the surface is just the tip of the iceberg. People in an Islamic country like Jordan are very open, young, modern and not harsh at all. Women are not restricted by bad customs.
I was even happier when almost everyone, from vendors to ordinary people, knew about Vietnam. Wherever we went, they would tell each other: “There is a group of Vietnamese tourists”, and then loudly shout “Vietnam”. People said that the story of Vietnam defeating the US has been included in the textbooks in the general education program of this country.
During this sensitive time, due to the escalating conflict in the Middle East, the number of tourists to Jordan has also decreased significantly. However, in Ms. Hang's eyes, the pace of life in this country is still slow and peaceful, and the natural landscape still brings her beautiful and unforgettable experiences.
She remembers most the days wandering in the Wadi Rum desert, experiencing riding a jeep, watching the sunset, sleeping overnight in the desert... The scene she saw was as surreal as on Mars. Wadi Rum has been used as the setting for Mars in more than 10 Hollywood blockbusters such as: "Lawrence of Arabia", "The Martian, Rogue One: A Star Wars"...
The ancient city of Petra, the most popular tourist destination for female tourists, is still a worthy destination during the 7-day, 6-night journey. Nestled in a landscape of boulders south of the Dead Sea, the ancient city of Petra in Arabia was once the capital of a kingdom ruled by the Nabateans (4th century BC - 2nd century AD), an Arabian tribe with a nomadic lifestyle living in tents in the desert.
The female tourist recalled: “After passing through a 10km long road, a narrow path surrounded by towering cliffs, I was “frozen” for a few seconds in front of the massive structures such as the ancient city of Petra, the treasury, temples, monasteries and 800 stone tombs... standing out with large stone columns decorated with many sophisticated motifs, in the typical Greek - Roman style carved straight into the mountain. It is hard to imagine that small people in ancient times created lifelong wonders for humanity in this “sandstone city” over 2,000 years old”.
Pleasant experiences
The weather in Jordan in late August was as hot as fire, with an average temperature of 35 - 37 degrees Celsius and dry air. However, for Hang's group, this was also an advantage of the trip, allowing them to comfortably take pictures at the tourist attractions because there were not many tourists during this hot season.
She assessed that tourism activities in this country are organized quite professionally, people do not solicit sales, so the experiences of tourists are complete and worthy.
However, Jordan is expensive and visitors should be aware of cultural differences when visiting.
“In Jordan, only restaurants licensed by the Government are allowed to sell alcohol and beer. The food has a lot of cheese and milk, which is easier to eat than Indian cuisine. However, from my personal observation, I did not see any place selling pork, the food was mostly chicken, lamb, beef and pigeon and most of it was salty and sour,” the female tourist shared about her dining experience in the Islamic country.
Regarding clothing, Ms. Hang revealed that tourists should limit wearing short, tight-fitting clothes, leggings, and fishnets when visiting as well as in public places. At sacred tourist sites, women are advised to wear modest clothing, covering their arms and if wearing a skirt, it must cover the knee, not be slit or revealing.
In addition, tourists can only take photos in permitted areas. In case they want to take photos of local people, they should ask for permission first. In particular, they should avoid taking photos of women, families, and children without permission because women in Muslim countries have a closed lifestyle.
