Visa...

I leave the visa issue for someone else to respond

No problem if you wear the gallabia the traditional dress in Jordan.In Palestine its called kunbaz.you can top it up with headgear sulluk/hattah and ikal too.It might be a bit cold for that at this time of the year.
syriafullbottle from damascushostel.

No visa at the bridge.

The clothes issue came up here a few months ago - not sure if it was under Jordan or another ME country. The majority opinion was that you would make a complete ass of yourself by dressing "local," at least once people realize that you are a foreigner. (It's a bit like Japanese tourists donning the full traditional Bavarian folklore clothing in Munich.) Worse, the warning was made that you might be confused with fundamentalist "madrassa tourists" coming to the ME to "rediscover their Islamic roots" or something...

Most males in Jordan wear western clothes.

Wow what an interpretation .i could not imagin this.but it might be true.I did not see it that way atall.I even taught the locals might appreciate it .Mainly the old people and thoes from the country side and the badia(bedwins) that wear traditional arabic dress

ok... well I wasn't thinking of wearing it at Amman or bigger cities anyway...
and I am quite sure nobody would confuse me with locals, since I am a bit less than 2m tall, 120kg heavy, long hair caucasian :))

p.s.: personaly I would find japanese in bavarian clotes funny and maybe a bit crazy, but in a good way :)) ... and I don't think other people would find it offensive eighter... :)

I'm just curious why anyone would want to walk around in an Arabic gown. Nothing like having a few meters of cloth - white if you're a man, black if you're a woman - confining you, twisting around your ankles, tripping you... Guess when you have to wear one, then you can't wait to be out of it. But honestly, after having lived in the Middle East for five years, giving up my black "gown," will be one of the easiest things I ever do when we're through here - it stays here and does NOT return to the States with me. I don't take the ramifications of why I have to wear it lightly or jokingly. I guess there is some truth to that old saying, "When in Rome, do as the Roman's do" but it doesn't have to be taken quite so literally.

Best suggestion: Wait until the end of July or beginning of August to go to Jordan. Then don the black "gown." Let me know how this works for you. [Okay. Sorry. Sarcasm is now off.]

Well... the reason why I will buy it is because I want to wear sometimes back in my house, just for a memory... like souvenir (just not completly useless)... I am just not sure If I will buy it at beginning of the trip and wear it a couple times there too, or at the end before I go home... I have tried it a couple of years ago and I found it quite confortable ... ok maybe it's not good for any sport activity, but i don't think its confining... and if we talk about the meters of cloth the difference between that dress and western is not all that big :)
Beth I am sorry, but August won't work me... I am going there in a couple of days :)

sp ... that's okay: you just have to remember that some people (BTinSA, for example) are just bitter people who have to make everyone's lives as miserable as their own. since neither they nor the locals pay your bills or sleep with you, i say do as you wish and if they find it comical or ridiculous, then they can go back to their hovels and laugh about it. it's your trip: you're there to see them, not the other way around! enjoy and bless you

-sp- - Some clarification about arabic dress in Jordan.

Outside Amman - 95% of women wear traditional dress.
Men probably about 85% and depends upon their job.
When at home I'd go back to the 95% figure for all men.

Amman - there is a difference between East and West Amman.
West Amman you will see only around 15% men wearing traditional
clothing and possibly most of them are from other Arab States.
Women mayble more like 50%

East Amman is different - women 95% traditional islamic dress and
men 80% again depending upon his work as some employers demand
Western style dress. Up that figure to 100% when men are at home
or leisure.

Actually the dishdasha (mens traditional dress) is extremely comfortable
and healthy. Scientists have already claimed that tight jeans are the
reason for low sperm counts in some men. Lounging around after
eating a large meal is much more comfortable in arabic dress than
the usual tight jeans etc.

There are various kinds of dishdasha - plain white (the usual one) then
there are plain grey, brown, cream and black for winter or other wear.

There are also patterned variety (which most people wear around the house
or pop to the shop in) which come in different colours and have a kind of
V neck. These are great for the house and the beach.

Amman has more than half million Iraqis - they generally wear a mix of arabic dress and western dress like Jordanians depending upon situation.

In general Arabs prefer their own tradition dress even though they might
not wear it all the time. It depends upon what they get used to also.

Regarding =sp- wearing traditional clothes - most arabs would consider
it OK and a compliment. However, if you are going in a couple of days
then you should be aware its quite cold now and if you don't know how
to wear the dishdasha with long johns etc and an Abaya or wool coat
(these things might be a bit expensive to buy for the odd occasion)
Then I would suggest you buy the usual dishdasha as outlined above.

There are varying qualities of dishdasha, abaya, hattar and agal they
'range from about 5JD to about 150JD - some even more.

Remember with the summer dishdashas - they are worn with a pair
of white very loose fitting pyjama type trousers underneath (cost about 5JD)

The headgear does need considerable skill and training to get it right so
you don't look like a man with a tea towel on his head.

Have a fabulous trip.