- Let's take a look at the map
- How New Year is celebrated in Jordan
- Useful details for travelers
The most ancient architectural monuments, which UNESCO did not hesitate to include in the lists of World Cultural Heritage, or a vacation on the Red Sea, whose underwater world is recognized by diving authorities as one of the most diverse and picturesque on the planet? The most salty sea in the world, on whose surface you can freely lie with a newspaper in your hands, or the Martian unreal landscapes of the Wadi Rum desert? Relaxing on the hot sand in the middle of winter or shopping in the oriental bazaars, where smells, colors and tastes make your head spin? The beauty of this fairy kingdom is that you don't have to choose between pleasures. Fly to Jordan to celebrate the New Year and all the extraordinary impressions and amazing adventures will be yours.
Let's take a look at the map
Jordan is separated from the State of Israel by the very sea, the unique concentration of salts of which makes it both dead and alive at the same time. The absence of any organisms in the water does not prevent the Dead Sea from coping with dozens of human ailments - from psoriasis to rheumatism.
The climate of Jordan is hot and dry in summer and warm enough in winter. The reason for the high temperatures is not only the latitude, but also the desert, which occupies the absolute majority of the kingdom's territory:
- Even in January, the air temperature in the Aqaba region on the Red Sea does not drop below + 25 ° C during the day and + 17 ° C at night. Usually, the resort is even warmer.
- The waters of the Red Sea warm up to + 21 ° C - + 23 ° C at the height of the New Year holidays, and therefore the swimming season on Jordanian beaches lasts all year round.
- The Dead Sea and its shores are a unique area. Due to the fact that the reservoir is located 430 meters below sea level, a special microclimate is created here. Evaporation of salts, hot winds from the desert keep warmth and mercury columns in the resorts of the most unusual body of water on the planet rarely drop below + 26 ° C during the day, even in the midst of winter.
If you are going to celebrate a holiday in the capital of Jordan, do not forget that the city is located in a climate zone close to the continental one. In winter, even snow happens here, and rains and fogs in January in Amman are quite common. The average daily temperature hovers around + 12 ° C. January is marked by meteorologists as the rainiest month of the year in Jordan.
How New Year is celebrated in Jordan
The inhabitants of the Kingdom of Jordan celebrate the Muslim New Year, here called Sana'a al-Hijri, according to their own calendar. The holiday for people professing Islam occurs on the first day of the month of Muharram, and the date is "floating".
Together with the rest of humanity, the subjects of the King of Jordan celebrate the New Year on January 1, and this day is declared non-working in the country.
There are not so many attributes of the upcoming holiday in Jordan as in the Old or New World, but decorated New Year trees are found in large chain hotels and shopping centers, and restaurants with European cuisine prepare special dishes on this day.
And yet, there is no need to rely on a variety of entertainment programs in hotels in Jordan, and therefore it is best to celebrate your favorite holiday with trips to the most interesting and famous corners of the kingdom.
Useful details for travelers
Several airlines will help you get to Jordan. Depending on the purpose of the trip, choose the destination airport - Aqaba or Amman:
- Jordan Airlines flies to the main Jordanian resort on the Red Sea with a connection in its own capital. The total flight time from Moscow to Aqaba is approximately 5.5 hours, the duration of the transfer you can choose on the airline's website. The aircraft fly from the capital's Domodedovo airport, the cost of a round-trip ticket starts at 550 euros.
- You can fly to the Jordanian capital from the Russian one by direct flight several times a week if you buy a ticket on board the Royal Jordanian Airline. Royal Jordanian Airlines estimates their services at 520 euros for round-trip tickets.
- Turkish airlines will take you to Amman a little cheaper. Their planes take off from Moscow's Vnukovo airport and dock in Istanbul. Travel time depends on the duration of the transfer, and without taking it into account, the journey takes about 6 hours. The price of the issue is from 450 euros.
E-mailing from the websites of the airlines you are interested in will help you to reduce flight costs. Sign up for news and be among the first to be informed about special prices, discounts and promotions.
You can use the long connection in Istanbul as an opportunity to take a free sightseeing tour of the city. A Russian tourist does not need a visa to leave the airport, and employees of the airline's information kiosks at Istanbul airport will help you to find out the details of the program for Turkish Airlines transit passengers.
Despite the weather forecast promising a fairly warm weather in the kingdom at the height of the New Year holidays, do not forget to grab a warm jacket or sweater for evening walks. The arsenal of sunscreens, regardless of the winter time, must also be impeccable.
In winter, it is especially pleasant to take an excursion to the legendary Petra, two thousand years ago, carved into the pink rocks by the Nabateans. The air temperature in December-January rarely rises above + 15 ° C in the afternoon, and therefore the inspection of the lost city will not take too much effort. Don't forget to bring warm clothes for the evening and night! In winter, after sunset, the mercury columns in Petra can drop to almost zero. The only disadvantage of such a trip is the possibility of rains, of which quite a lot falls in the Wadi Rum desert at this time of the year. It is important to study the weather forecast in detail in order not to get into an unpleasant situation.
In December, workers at Wadi Rum National Park arrange the last - before the break until April - hot air balloon flights. From above, unforgettable views of the desert and its unearthly landscapes open up. If the weather is unsuitable and flights are canceled, you can always rent an SUV with a guide, take a trip through the national park and take many photos of unique landscapes like no other on our planet.
