Jordan

Jordan is one of the safest countries in the Middle East, offering a great starting point for tourists who would like to explore the region. It is also a great option for Female solo travelers, as long as they take precautions as they would anywhere else. This includes things like blending in, watching out for their belongings and avoiding walking alone in deserted/suspicious areas and at night. Crime levels are generally low but there are some travel scams that you should be aware of such as highly-priced crafts that are sold as “handmade” when they are not, overly priced taxi fares, locals who offer to provide a service for free, expecting payment in return and men (especially Bedouins) who try to make single women fall in love with them so they can scam them later (even after they leave the country).

On top of that, staying away from the border with Syria is highly recommended and despite being unlikely, keep an eye out for any possible terrorist activities.

One of the best ways to explore the country is by car. It is a perfect destination for a road trip, with beautiful views along the roads and fairly quiet trips, with areas where you won’t see many other cars. By  renting a car you avoid taxi scams and don’t have to rely on public transportation, which makes the trip a lot easier. Plus, renting a car in Jordan is extremely cheap, easy and hassle-free.

That being said, driving in Jordan is an experience on its own. For starters, pedestrians tend to cross the road without considering you (and so do occasional camels, goats and dogs). Speed signs are nonexisting in some roads and you’re often unsure of how fast you should be going. Reckless driving (including dangerous overtaking) is not unusual and sadly, you might see people trashing from their car windows. Locals tend to honk for everything: as a way to say “watch out”, “what are you doing?”, “you can go”, “I am going” and even “thank you” – which makes it extremely difficult to understand in the first place why another driver honked. It gets even more interesting when you drive through a busy city such as Amman, where no one really respects the traffic signs, and people honk from every corner and for every reason. Eventually you get used to it, have a laugh and enjoy the experience. 

Despite being a predominantly Muslim country, tourists have a fair amount of freedom when it comes to their dress code: women are not expected to wear religious coverings (apart from when entering mosques – where they provide everything you need) and you won’t get in trouble because of the way that you dress. That being said, I would highly recommend dressing modestly not only as a sign of respect for their culture but also to avoid any unwanted attention which could put you in very awkward and unnecessary situations (staring, stalking and even harassment).

If you want to blend in, wear loose clothing and try to cover any cleavage as well as your shoulders and knees. I wore long dresses and pants during my trip to Jordan and felt super comfortable in them.