Harassment level is much less in Jordan. I wouldn't say non-existent, but you won't be hassled all the time. Tourists get ripped off everywhere, so make sure to bargain hard whether you are shopping or looking for a hotel room. Jordan is considerably more expensive though. I would double the budget of your trip to Egypt (esp for the Sinai Peninsula area).
12
karlo
Jordan is less "developing world" in most touristed areas, so you pay a lot more. I've never had a problem with the Egyptian hard sell, because if you ignore it or smile, it generally goes away painlessly, but there is less of it in Jordan. Why should they try to bargain a high ptice with you, when the fixed price is already far higher than you'd pay in Egypt?
-
I personally would rather put up my tout and huckster filters in Egypt and write "hassle" (nothing compared to India!) off as a cost of getting into all of the positive social interactions that abound in Egypt, but in my experience are less common in Jordan. I was playing music with my Jordanian host in Wadi Musa when his usual Egyptian drummer came in, and as the tempo and volume of the evening immediately picked up, my host said," This is the difference between Egypt and Jordan. In Jordan,when they hear music, people go on about their business. In Cairo, if you turn over an empty box and start drumming a rhythm, in five minutes, people will be dancing in the street."
13
pinknosedpenguin
Sorry Karlo, but I disagree with your India comparison - I found the attitude of touts on the sub-continent to be MUCH more amiable than Egypt (or, worse, Morrocco) . . . Whereas the hassle factor in Egypt pretty much PREVENTED any "positive social interactions . . . in Egypt", this was definitely not the case in India.
Thanks for your replies guys - I'm thinking I'll probably like Jordan . . . the only problem for me is the complete lack of family accommodation anywhere.
Pro tip
Lonely Planet
trusted partner
trusted partner