Sorry to hear about your experience. I was in Jordan just last week. A friend and I spent ten days traveling from Aqaba to Jerash, and then, five days in Amman. For us, every experience, every individual met was amazing. We didn't experience any scammers, there were no issues with Jordanians, at gas stations, at the numerous check points along the Kings Highway, or at the airports in Aqanb and Amman. There were times when taxi drivers would try to overcharge us, but in those cases, we'd simply thank them, walk away, and find another driver. I do agree that Jordan is a country overlooked, perhaps because of its proximity to so much political strife, but, it's definitely an experience I will never forget. Every aspect of that country was sublime and meaningful. Now home, I find America bewildering and chaotic, unlike what I experienced while in Jordan and through the generosity of the many met there.
thanks for saying that man u can check his videos he simply hates Arabs and tries to make us look bad in all of his videos No wonder... because he hates Palestine and supports Israel or something i don't rly know and I can assume that you know what is happening in Gaza suly btw about the taxi problem u are right there is a lot of them and not just for tourists XD You can use applications next time like uber or u can also see the cost of the trip without asking the driver on the digital meter that is supposed to be visible to passenger surly thats if u come for another visit hopefully
This video surprised me. My husband and I were in Jordan in the summer of 2022 and had NO problems with scammers. We loved it and found the people to be very helpful. 😮
What they show in the movie is true. Especially inside Petra they are scamming. Fortunately in 2024 the scanning Bdohls have been moved from Petra, and so are all their illegal stalls where they sold fake artifacts. That does not mean that the rest of Jordan is scam-free. Take care.
I was in Jordan last month, and I had the most amazing time and I will definitely visit again. The locals were also very friendly and helped us out a lot. I didn't feel like they were trying to scam us at all. I guess it just depends from person to person. Sorry you didn't have a great time this time. Also, in the part where you were on the Red Sea, I'd correct and say it's Palestine and Egypt on each side... not Israel.
Eilat is in Israel and has the border to Aqaba in Jordan. If you stay in the South beach in Aqaba at night, you see the lights from Aqaba harbour, Eilat/Israel and Egypt.
I had a similar experience in Egypt. Endless harassment, aggressive locals, scams non stop. Even the guy who stamped my passport wanted a tip/bribe. A taxi driver also tried robbing my friend when he was alone on one occasion. There were egyptian kids smashing bottles on 2000 year old statues, beggars everywhere, and the camel owners treated their animals with incredible cruelty.
It's true. I've never felt so much harassment from locals trying to scam you than in Egypt. Even the museum guards refused us entry claiming it was closed for 30 minutes and that we should first go to a nearby shop. The museum wasn't closed they just wanted to make a cut of whatever that shop was going to make from us. 😏
Back in the days I worked as tour guide both in Egypt and Jordan. It was exhausting trying to avoid being scammed anywhere I took my groups. I remember once buying oranges at the market and was asked double the price it said on the stand. The seller told straight to my face the tourists have to pay double. And then the corrupt goverment officers at the borders or at the customs… they’re the worst.
We visited Jordan earlier this year and certainly understand where you’re coming from in this video. We had some similar experiences. It’s very frustrating! In saying that we also came across many kind Jordanians during our visit and would consider returning one day.
The problem is people like you who apologize for being a Muslim or being from a Muslim country because of the European colonizers, Jordan, Palestine and Syria are in the state they are .
@@zeidahmad8140As a Jordanian, his apology was right. Why should visitors be treated like this? Why does the gas station attendant keep the change? Why should the workers in Petra be disrespectful? Why should the tourist visa cost 270 dinars? I am Jordanian and I am ashamed of these people's behavior and I am sorry that this behavior is going on in Jordan. We are supposed to be kind and welcoming and hospitable people. What is happening to us?SHAME ON THE PEOPLE THAT ONLY SHOWED THEM DISRESPECT, SHAME ON THE POLICE AND SHAME ON THE GOVERNMENT. WE ARE BETTER THAN THAT, THESE PEOPLE COME TO JORDAN TO SEE JORDAN. THEY SHOULD GO HOME WITH A BIG SMILE ON THEIR FACES AND A HUGE THANK YOU TO THE PEOPLE FOR THEIR KINDNESS. THAT IS HOW IT SHOULD BE.
To the Viking travelers, I am Jordanian and I am very angry and saddened and surprised at the treatment you got in Jordan. I live in the United States and visit Jordan once in a while. I have no excuse for how and why these people treated you the way they did. I can't think of excuses but maybe poverty has something to do with it? Tourism has gone way down since Covid and these people are desperate for any money. During your walk in wadi rum and Petra, I did not see too many tourists there, so you can imagine how desperate they are to make a dollar. That is in no way an excuse for bad behavior and rip off. That is not the Jordan I know and I am very sorry for all the troubles you have encountered in Jordan. Hopefully someday you will go back but see if you can get to know someone who will take you around, you will have a different experience. Thank you for the video, it was an eye opener for me.
@Not-of-this-world- He did not disrespect any one, he stated the facts. I ask you ( not of this world), why did he have to pay270 dinars at the border? THIS IS A RIP OFF, Why did the gas station attendant not give them change back? Why did the watermelon vendor not give him the change back? Parking in Jerash says free parking, why did the man charge him 5 dinars? WOULD YOU HAVE PAID? Just because he is a tourist? Did you hear the men at the entrance to Petra? They were not nice, where they? As a Jordanian, I am embarrassed by what I saw.SHAME ON THE PEOPLE THAT WERE NOT PROFESSIONAL, SHAME ON THE VENDORS, SHAME ON THE POLICE, MINISTRY OF TOURISM AND A BIG SHAME ON THE ENTIRE GOVERNMENT FOR ALLOWING THIS TO HAPPEN🤔🤔.
So true! I love Egypt and have been there almost yearly. But oh, the scammers! But the main problem there isn't even the scammers, but the men constantly trying to touch you (if you're a woman). Beware! Once I was snorkeling, far from the shore. Out of nowhere, a man touched my breast in the water. With a diving mask, your peripheral vision is impaired. So, be careful even when you're snorkeling!
I am really sorry for you. You must have had very bad luck. I visited Jordan for 18 days this February and March 2024 and visited Amman, Jerash, Sweimeh, Aqaba, Wadi Rum, Petra. I had no experiences of anyone trying to scam me. I found everyone very friendly and cooperative. And no haggling and stress in the shops, or pushy sellers. I felt really welcome. And I would love to visit again.
Welcome back to Jordan This is the first time I hear that someone in my country has been exposed to such situations. They always have a positive outlook and do not face such situations.
Thank you for your honesty. Like some of the comments below, I have had similar experiences as yours in Egypt and Morocco. Having traveled the world with so much love from people, it IS truly exhausting and disappointing to walk away from an anticipated once in a lifetime experience with so much regret over the way you have been treated.
Egypt can be a bit of hassle, even in pretty switched on repeat-visitor diver places. Morocco is an outright nightmare; makes India (where we were overlanding for months) seem a cake-walk; horrible on the global scale of my experience. I think I'll skip Jordan but prioritise Oman for a future visit given the informed tip in this vid.
@@phoenixw2 Jordan and Oman are 2 totaly different countries, completely different things on offer to see... my family and i loved Jordan, we had a great time... we visited friends who are expats living in the capital city...they love it in Jordan... yes there are men huslting for tips in Petra, its expected because they earn so little and Life is very expensive... but otherwise we had no hassles at all.
Its not just in Jordan, my wallet was stolen on the tram in Madrid spain, almost got mugged in Rome Italy, got to pay 30 euros for cheese sandwich in Paris France, almost kidnapped in Mexico, and chased by Marijuana seller in Hawaii, you will find these kind of things anywhere you go, what is important for me is feeling safe anywhere l go.
Yes, but in some countries it is more probable to get scammed or threatened. It also can rain in Death Valley sometimes, but in London the probability is higher. This argument "It can happen everywhere" is not helpful at all.
@@ellieantar809 But if it can happen anywhere the it also can happen at home. I do not like these politically correct expression "It can happen everywhere". It can, but some places the probability is much much higher than in others. Johannesburg Bangkok....
I have lived in Jordan 13 years. I have traveled many countries, but I must say that Jordan is the most corrupt country I have live in. After living in Jordan many years, I have learned how to deal with most scammers. Yet, the government is very corrupt too. If you end up having to go to court for any reason and you're a foreigner, you will lose the case even if you have 100 percent proof, you're not guilty. I recently was accused of hitting another car with my car that I never touched. I had time dated pictures that my car had no damage of hitting any car. The police called me because the accuser took a picture of my license plate and stated I hit him and left the scene of the accident. I took my car to a police station to have it inspected and the police found no evidence of any car damage. I was found guilty in court and even had to hire a lawyer to keep me out of jail for hit and run. The accuser brought to court false witnesses that testified against me. His car needed repair from damage of another accident and my insurance had to pay for it. Plus, I had to pay court fees and a lawyer to keep me out of jail. I was told by other foreigners that live in Jordan to sell my car because this happens quite often in Jordan. It's better to rent a car, taxi, Uber or learn the bus system if you're a foreigner in Jordan. One third of the income for Jordan is the tourist industry. If the government doesn't address this problem of everyone scamming tourist that come to Jordan people are going to stop visiting Jordan. The word is getting out.
@@ovxsp This was my third bad experience with the court system in Jordan. Even the attorney's I hired in the past took my money and did nothing. On this last case, my evidence of proof that I was innocent, even a police report showing it, the court did not except. Look at the comments below, Jordan is getting a bad reputation worldwide. I very seldom can go a day without someone gouging me on price or trying to scam me when I'm out and about. When it comes to being a foreigner in Jordan you will experience being scammed. Like this video said, you have to go to a legit priced grocery store to get a fair price. This UA-camr had his first and last experience in Jordan and now he's telling the world. This one video alone has cost Jordan a lot of tourist dollars. Jordan has it's good, bad and ugly, but this problem is destroying Jordan from within., it's a growing cancer. The Jordan government can fix this problem if they want, but will they, your guess is as good as mine.
@@rjeckardt8863 I stay in Jordan for my son's sack. He had medical issues from birth and the doctors here that treat him do it for free because he was born with the handicap. He is 15 now and when he turns 18 he will need his last surgery and will be normal after that. I am a retired American widower and living in Jordan is much cheaper than living in America. I would go broke living in America with this same issue. We will most likely leave Jordan after my son's last surgery. This is a good side of Jordan, there are some top doctors here that care about their patients, handicap children and medical expenses are very low.
Sorry to hear about your experience- it sounds stressful! I hope this serves as a 'what not to do' in Jorden rather than a 'don't go to Jordan' video - especially since there seem to be mixed experiences having read the comments. Also - supermarkets always undercut the farmers hence the cheap prices....but it also seems like you were probably being given the 'tourist price' for your watermelons from the farmer. What are you supposed to do if you're on a budget right? Safe travels and on to the next adventure!
Similar things happened to me in Tunisia in March, I was supposed to visit Jordan after that, but changed my ticket at the last minute to another destination, and after watching this video, I have no regrets, I actually visited Jordan in 1998 and don't remember having problems (unlike in Egypt that same year). My JordanPass is still valid until October, but I have no plans to use it. I agree Oman is much more enjoyable than the UAE, I hope it doesn't change.
Tunisia and Egypt are a little better for me than Jordan. They are trying to improve. Tourism workers aren’t professional. Jordan I saw them mistreat Arab & Asian tourists even worse. Awful country.
My friends took a trip around the middle east. They all thought Jordan was easily the best country. This was back in the 90s though. Maybe things have changed?
@@triptwo425 it’s still great. Amazing food, lots to history and places to see. Small distance to travel between sites. It’s just the small annoying stuff. Depending on who you are and how they affect your safety, it can be a minor or a major issue. We air out these problems so that they take care of them so those that come after us won’t be affected. For me it’s the airport and how fellow passengers were treated I have a problem with, which tells me the problem starts very top of their tourism sector.
I visited Jordan in 2019 with a group tour. I think it's a beautiful country but........I absolutely hated all those people who wanted to sell me something or to see the camels and donkeys in Petra working for the tourists. I could not look at it anymore. One donkey could not stand up because he was probably very tired but his owner insisted that he stand up by beating him with a stick. I cried. We always walked in groups, never alone, but all those men were looking at us, blond girls. We never felt save in the city. Why are those men not working? They were just sitting and hanging outside, staring at you. Really terrible. It was because of the group I was with, that I never experienced really bad things but it is not a country I will visit again.
Been to Jordan 3 times. One time airport staff mistreated my mother and made her sit on the floor to wait for flight, while her feet were injured. So that other travelers can use the chairs instead. One time they lied about visa requirements and told us we can’t leave airport to go to hotel on a stop over, so that we can use the more expensive airport hotel. Or times where they attempted to double charge us for our luggage. I’ve been to countries where tourism staff weren’t professional (Egypt etc) but in Jordan they are professional scammers. From the cops to the taxi driver. - ( this is not a generalization as most people were very nice but the very small amount of scammers ruin it for everyone)
When I was in Egypt I was so pissed at the locals and the tourists. It was heartbreaking to see the exploitation of horses and camels. Additional annoyance was how everyone wanted to sell you stuff. Pretty soon I walked with my angry face and told people in Serbian to gtfo. I was left alone.
Yes, I remember sailing a small sloop up the Red Sea, and we had to bribe every official we encountered. It was so bad that I made up several bags of $1 bills and a carton of cigarettes in advance. We actually budgeted bribes. They call it baksheesh. It worked great. Flew thru customs, no one searched the boat. People who chose not to bribe usually got stuck in customs, or spent days waiting for clearance papers. In the end it was worth the extra $ to avoid the BS. I think it's been like that for centuries.
That's very unfortunate, corrupt regimes and dictatorships in this part of the world encourage this kind of behavior directly or indirectly. I myself am Syrian, fled the country back in 2011 and can't go back. But I've seen many UA-camrs enjoying their time there. There you can see some of the oldest cities on the planet. And eat some of the best food ever😋. Safety wise I am pretty sure you would be surprised how safe it is because the police there have an iron fist policy, that's why most of the Syrians can't go back😓. And of course they are corrupt as well so you might need to pay them some cents under the table. Be aware tho some might consider it propaganda for a tyrant regime and don't like that. So if you ever please don't forget about the hundreds of thousands who were killed and the millions who can't go back😢. I am following your journeys around the region and I love what you guys are doing ❤️❤️
Why is Jordan off your visiting list... we enjoyed and Loved it... yes there were some hustlers trying their luck at making extra money at Petra... but we were warned in advance, and its understandable considering how expensive Jordan is yet money earned for many is very low... apart from Petra we had no problems at all.
@@greensorrel6860 its your choice.. i and many others i know choose not to go to the US because of all the execessive ugly mess that is everywhere over there... choices...choices
Completely agreed with you! I visited Jordan in 2019, all the places you went to, and our experience was very similar. People see you as a dollar magnet, they try constantly to cheat and get mad if you don’t do what they expect, sometimes it’s felt a little bit dangerous. It’s sad because the country has many beautiful places, but for me it’s a place that I will not come back.
I was diving in Jordan 30 years ago. This video disturbed me. 30 years ago it wasn't like this. We never paid to go inside Petra. Our biggest cost was the taxi there. Also, in Aqaba, the people were friendly and giving . I'm sad it's changed so much xx ❤
This is so appauling. I visited Petra in 2018 as a solo female traveler. I almost left the site before reaching the Monastery because I was being harassed by bedouins all along. They wanted me to go on a donkey or horse ride but I saw how they treated the animals, heard the poor donkeys cry and didn't want to support this appauling activity. They were extremely pushy, loud, kept following me. I felt very uncomfortable and harassed throughout my whole visit. I left Petra very dissapointed and will never visit that place again. I did, however, take a private tour to Wadi Rum where I met wonderful bedouins who allowed me to admire the desert in my own pace without harassment.
As a Jordanian who lived abroad for a couple of years, I think the food here is good and the country has wonderful places that are worth visiting. However, due to the bad economy and poverty being on the rise not to mention the huge number of refugees and immigrants this country has welcomed, and low salaries, it has made people desperate for money. This translates into high taxes and overpriced food, items... etc. The government, similar to other middle eastern countries, is corrupt to some extent but its not as bad as the other countries surrounding us, Jordan is still safe and well protected by the government and most people are loyal to the King and wont let anything that might jeopordize the country's safety happen. People are patriotic, you might see Jordanian flags here and there while traveling through this country. Back to the economy part, TOURISM is one of the few ways that the governement and locals have where they can make good money. They do indeed raise the prices for non-Jordanians (if you look like a foreigner they think youre made of money), so always negotiate the price because here everything is negotiable (negotiating will cut the bullshit fast. Locals think theyre smart, so you have to show them you know whats up). Another issue is boundaries, as you can see locals here need firm boundaries, if you're polite they will try again. So give them a serious-face No thank you without eye contact and keep walking, just keep walking. People are forward here (eye contact and confrontational) which is the opposite to how people lets say in Europe behave (polite, quitly say No and thank you). Eye contact here is an invitation to talk. Just keep walking to avoid people begging for money and scammers who are likely to be found around touristic places. Another issue is religion, as a christian Jordanian (we exist in few numbers) we do sometimes experience some discrimination. You might be indirectly invited to explore the Islam religion, so whenever you are given or told anything related to Islam just apologize politely and try to change the subject or politely walk away. Please know that religion is an extremely sensitive topic here and you could easily get hurt if you express any opinion regarding the largest religion here. About how men treat each other, taxi drivers and any driver will expect you, if youre a man, to sit next to him, they see it as respectful. Also men here are a bit touchy feely when greeting each other or when they say thank you, youll see handshakes, pats on the back, handshakes and fake kisses on cheeks while saying Habibi... it is strange if you come from a country that does not like physical touch when it comes to strangers. However when greeting a woman, it is best to greet only with words, no handshake, maybe a handshake if you know the person. Keep in mind that when traveling to ANY muslim country you should read about the culture and how people behave around both genders, how to dress... yada yada. With that said, Enjoy your time here and be safe
I have travel a lot due to my job…. I was never been stole but in Jordan it was the first time that they steal money from my hotel room, this is the story: I stay in a hotel in Petra with a colleague for a month, as I noticed tourist stay just for a night usually to visit Petra and then move on to other places, so the people who clean the room steal some money from them and nobody understand, for me and my colleague was different because we stay a long time we figure out that we’re missing money from our wallets so to figure out if really stole us we decide to left our bags with the zip in a specific side and make a photo, when we get back we discovered that our zip were in a different position , so the guy who clean the room check for cash, plus all the rest that people mention below in comments , bad experience!!!
@@WildVikingTravels no it does not come at a price... it was bad luck for you, partly because of naivity... you entred jordan from rural very desolate side, where most tourists do not go and life is hardship miserable... so poor people who live in a very expensive country tried hustling you for minimal extra money... try to see the bigger reality picture.
@@greenleaf8226exactly. This whole video felt so juvenile and trivial. Complaining abt a few extra dollars here and there. You’re encountering ppl living in abject poverty, scamming is the way of the road and travelers should know that. Cope better or don’t go.
@@pascal590But isn't it what this person is saying, that he/she won't go? Some people are ok with being scammed and others aren't. They have every right to just avoid it.
bro do u rly believe this???????? he is big fat layer trying to make jordan bad as much as he can.. he is only he shows bad scenes and makes a big deal out of them and being the most drama queen and cry baby i have ever seen so fkn disgusting
actualy people in jordan are very friendly, but like any country on our planet there are bad people... it all depends where you go in jordan and who you deal with
I experienced similar in Egypt many years ago. It was rife everywhere we went and spoiled our trip. Now whenever I talk about Egypt all I say is beautiful place but generally awful people. The only person who was respectful was a tall, majestic Bedouin who was so kind and helpful without expecting anything in return. In turn we had great respect for him. These scamming officials and sellers are shameful and ruin the reputation of their country and peoples.
I am Jordanian and I am sorry for your experience. Although there is a tourist police whose goal is to protect tourists and tourist sites, their failure to perform their duty will cause tourism to die.
As a Jordanian citizen, I hope you accept my apologies for the problems you faced from the scammers and I hope you don’t face the same problem in any other country love you guy’s and thank’s for visit our country❤❤
Thank you so much for such a kind hearted comment. 👍😁 Im sure that it was just our bad luck to meet such people, because Jordan itself was a very beautiful country!
Im so sorry for you 😢 I travelled the last 3 years often to Jordan and the first time I was alone with a 4 years old child. I felt everywhere safe and I met the most friendly and helpful people on earth. In every country are bad and good people. But Jordan is absolutely beautiful and worth to visit.
Six years living in Saudi Arabia and Yemen, this is the way it is. As soon as I would hear "special price for you" I knew I was getting ripped off. I could speak classic Arabic which helped, however even when renting apartments or villas the rental price would depend on your passport all sanctioned by the government.
@@rjeckardt8863 , It is just poor people! In Mexico there are so many scams. 😹 Mexico is a Catholic/Christian country. In Vietnam snd Cambodia the same. It is poor people/countries doing weird sh!t like that.
@@Esraa-j6q Sadly these stories are common in Jordan. Has nothing to do with being Muslim, or what type of Muslim one is. It's the greed, and the way people treat people in this tourist enclave. Not worth the hassle for tourists that spend a hell of a lot of money to enjoy being in a country with such rich history, only to be hassled over money. :)
I'm a Jordanian, and I had a similar experience last year when I visited Petra. Everyone wanted to scam me. The problem is the Police don't do anything to stop this. The corruption in Jordan is deeply rooted in the government itself. I really don't recommend anyone to visit Jordan, even though I am a Jordanian.
The leader is a puppet of israel and the west what do you expect. He is just pillaging the resources of the country with the help of the west and israel
@@asiyah-nour No, I don't think you need an insurance. Also, I don't think it is a good idea to come to Jordan at summer. The temperatures can easily get around 50 Celsius.
I am afraid that most of Northern Africa into the middle East is the same but we were harassed to buy there goods but never threatened. Most Muslims countries were very friendly and helpful and hospitable. That has been our experience of 20 years visiting these places.
We visited Jordon December of 2019. We felt unsafe and left one day early to get back to Israel. They were quite mad because they could not get tips from us.
I’m a Jordanian and most people you find outside of Amman are rude and they also try scamming locals if you go to the right places there are nice people
I traveled to Jordan last year with my daughter, we both enjoyed a lovely time and had non of the experiences you described. We rented a car and visited whatever we wanted. Food was incredible. People absolutely friendly, warm and welcoming.
Book with a decent tour company. Tourists are preyed upon when they’re independent travellers. There are scammers everywhere and unless you’re protected by people you know or if you know the country, you’ll get ripped off. If you returned to Jordan, you’ll know how not to be scammed. As an independent traveller I found this in India, Kenya, UK, Morocco, UAE....nowhere is perfect. Give Jordan another chance!
Pity. It's one of the most beautiful countries in the world and the people are amazing. Don't let one bad experience deny you visiting a truly amazing place
yes me to! It is all the hype for very little!! India has 100 times what they have. The West hyped it up and always puts India down. India never stole entire entire continents of their gold, silver or land or was into Slavery which was part of the Arab Slave trade or the Transatlantic Slave trade nor does India have oil, that free money. India has poverty but it is progressing. But it has every landscape in the world including what you see in Jordan if you go to the north that looks like a moon landscape. Petra is nothing compared to the elephant caves with more elaborate detailed carved rock. But if you are a Westerner you will not know because the West prefers to focus on the slums of India instead. The people are polite and not aggressive especially in the South. Jordan and Egypt is the same! A relative of our lost their son in Turkey. He was a young 21 year old out of the UK looking to travel the world. A worker at the hotel he stayed at offered to show him around and then ki11ed him for his British passport. He tried to enter the UK using the British passport. He was actually a Egyptian national. When he was to be charged Turkey deported him to Egypt. There was a bias they felt because they didn't share the same religion. All facts are true. Nobody talks about this. One has to be extremely careful in these countries!! Asia is where I prefer to go than these countries. Even poor Africa is not that bad, like Kenya if you keep to the tourist areas. They will not try to scam you in those areas. Now, Nigeria is not where I would go. In fact at one time Kenya wanted to deport all Nigerians. This was because of the scams. They have a French guy riding a bike through Kenya and you can see from his YT videos all the local people go out of their way to help him never asking for anything in return. He broke down a few times, had an accident but never did anyone take advantage of him, instead they helped him out of the kindness of their heart. He did cycle a little in the Middle East. And you can watch him describe how he had to run away as he feared for his life. They also pretended to be friendly and stole all his money. And then he felt they were going to ki11 him so he fled in great fear of his life. It is out in the open about these countries. India has every landscape in the world from the Himalayas to deserts to beautiful islands with white sand considered in the top ten beaches in the world. And they have golden sand beaches of Goa as well. The NE has stunning waterfalls and green forests. Along the coast are the blue mountains which are teaming with incredible biodiversity. India is another planet on its own with something so different from the rest of the world in ancient culture. Temples that are use that are thousands of years old. Asia is truly a great destination. The people are the best. They are not aggressive. They are gentle people. Sure they have a little small scams but they are nothing from what goes on in these countries!!! These people could have disappeared for that gold ring and if she had more. You just never know. If you go to Egypt have the protection of a tour group, never go on your own!!! Watch other YT videos on this. Very scary place to be when alone. They will force you to get on a camel for a small price but once you are on it they will add a few zeros to the price and harass and harass you for it. They all follow you as soon as they notice it is not a local and you become a target! Horrible experiences to be found. These are all FACTS about these places! Good luck! 18:35
@@FoxyexrnI have been to India and Kenya and as God is my witness they are not like these places!!! A relative of ours, a young 21 year old from the UK, on his own traveling was murdered for his passport in Turkey. It was a Egyptian national that murdered him. And because of bias in religion, our relatives being Christian, and the Turkish officials sharing the same religion as the murderer he was deported to Egypt instead of going to prison. This is a case that is handled by the British government but unfortunately they don't want to lose relationships with countries over one death of their citizens, so sadly there is no justice. For the politicians it is not their son. The world is corrupt! Especially Western governments, they have changed!! I am only assume that if one is from the region that they would try to convince these folks otherwise!! It is a good thing they are alive. I bet if they had more gold other than the ring they may have disappeared and I am sure this YTer would agree! There are enough YT videos with plenty of evidence out there to share, so I need not say anymore. Just watch the other YT videos and horror they experience in these countries with aggressive people! And in a way the West deserve it as they always put Asia down.
Egypt is like that as well. In Cairo even the tour guide was like that. We were supposed to be there for 12 days, but I left within 6. I was sick of it. Egypt is gorgeous but the people there, is not. I will never go back. My brother went to Syria and had similar experience. He also left earlier than planned. In Israel and Kuwait none of that. They were decent with us. I am so sorry you too had to endure those kinds of adversities.
Many many years ago - the early 70s - I lived in Jamaica for several months, and felt the same way about it, though as a multi-ethnic person I could have passed as a Jamaican, as long as I didn't open my North American mouth. But my 6'2 White boyfriend was repeatedly targeted, and one day was hit by people throwing rocks and yelling at him as we walked through a small town. Everywhere we went people tried to steal our belongings and take as much money as they could. We were warned by several Peace Corps volunteers not to go to Kingston, because we might be killed. The country was incredibly beautiful, but the people were not. I went back 15 years later, and nothing had changed. What is it that makes a whole people so corrupt? And while we can have compassion and empathy for people who are (perhaps) poor and disadvantaged, why is it that the mindset in some countries is one of corruption, while in other poor countries people are still generous and hospitable? All I know is, I sure don't want to visit and leave my tourist dollars in a place where people are going to abuse me and shake me down, and where I don't feel safe. You're right - it's a terrible feeling to know that you cannot trust anyone in a place.
Wow. Thank you so much for sharing this story. Not only did i feel that you 100 % understood to point of the video. 😁 But you also gave me a new perspective. The way you described Jamaica 15 years later made me understand that making such videos (not overly positive ones) is necessary. Because the only way we can hope for a different future is when enough people address the problem and force Jordanians to deal with the problem before the country loses is reputation as a tourist friendly place.
@@WildVikingTravels Keep doing what you're doing - if I want a travel channel that is all about how pretty and wonderful a place is, there's plenty of those around, but not many that are as honest, raw, or emotional, as yours. Thank you for being so brave of heart as to go to places that many of us will not. Still pondering the question of why some cultures become addicted to thieving and dishonesty (parts of Mexico fit here), I contrasted this video of Jordan with the one you made of Mosul a couple of months ago. And what a contrast that is! If any people could be forgiven for acting as if they want to take you for everything you have, it would surely be those who survived in Mosul....and yet what you found was so opposite to what you showed us you experienced in Jordan, and so incredibly hopeful. Thank you. P.s. I really liked your massage videos - especially the nut and butt one - it made me laugh!
Wow, in my time in Jordan I never experienced one of those things you experienced. The water melon story is typical wherever you are. Even in my own country, it is more expensive to buy from the local farmers, local fishermen than the supermarket, by a long way! Shows how much the supemarkets smash the producers on price!
This was exactly my experience in Jordan. Be very careful if you rent a car. Spend 10-15minutes carefully videoing the car when you pick it up, both inside and out. Then when you return the car they will demand that you give them your phone. Don’t do that. What they are looking for is a scratch that you missed and they will demand money. They will also claim that you didn’t return the car washed and demand more money. Ask them to show you where it says that on the contract. Just walk away and go to the office in the terminal. When you are at a historical site, someone will pretend to guide you to the start, but they will never leave you and then demand money. I had the same experience at the gas station.
Great tip. Had this exact experience in Jordan and they told me I scratched the car. Threatened to call police. Video was a lifesaver and showed scratches were old.
Egypt is worse. Both Jordanians and Egyptians live under very difficult circumstances. And parts of them seem to have lost their dignity. And they really seem to think you're a walking wallet and everybody in the West is rich.
@greenleaf8226 Agreed. But those who do these things are. And I know how existentially threatening illness can be for middle-class people. Those, of course, would never engage in activities like scamming tourists. Even the government is treating tourists like walking wallets. It's a top down problem. They don't understand there's competition with other countries. They should invest more and protect tourists better.
@@classics39 in Jordan govt. officials will not treat tourists as wallets... and hustlers are mainly these bedouin at Petra... but in other places it does not usualy happen.
@greenleaf8226 I travel the world. In comfort, not a backpacker, never have been...... Tourism is the most important income for JO. It's the gap between value for money. The services the government provides or excerts control of in terms of infrastructure, etc. It's lacking... It would also benefit the locals, like public transport. For example, the airport is good. Transport options to the city centre a shambles. Buses from/to the airport couldn't be worse, falling apart.... That's the most basic. Many people don't like taxis, driving , obnoxious drivers, etc. Generally, I found Jordanians helpful, open,friendly.... also a Chinese woman from Hong Kong said so. I definitely would go back.
@@classics39 yes Jordan has to fix and upgrade its public transportation options, and yes there are some money hustlers due to poverty an/or an over expensive survival lifestyle in Jordan... but that dors not mean everyone is like that...times are hard worldwide, and scammers or beggers or crooks are everywhere... Jordan is full of life and has something that caters to all nationalities, classes and religions ( if your that way inclined) its just a matter of managing your options and choosing correctly which path to enjoy the country
I live in Algeria and I can tell you,as a Brit,it’s the best country to come without being scammed,I’ve lived here for over 20yrs and Algerians are sooooo lovely to foreigners,we get treated so well,they would hate anyone scamming us anywhere..I’ve been to Tunisia and as soon as we crossed the border,the rd side police wanted money,as we had a foreign car,my husband is Algerian but that didn’t stop them!
@@MarksWorldOfAdventure Algiers of course, it’s called the White city,it’s really beautiful,La Grand Poste in the centre will blow you away! So many areas of Algiers to see,Le Jardin di essai which Renoir actually did a few paintings of… The Bardot Museum and a few other landmarks Thlemcen in the West is an immaculately kept city,Constantine in the East,Jijel on the coast,also in the East,which always reminds me of the Amalfi drive in Italy. Chrea mountains behind Algiers,people ski there in winter! The Sahara,which is huge,so many different places to visit! Djemila for thé largest Roman ruins outside of Italy,No scamming here honestly! Algerians will welcome you wholeheartedly and I’m sure you will be invited to do many houses to eat!! If you want to see a few photos send me a request on Instagram I am “Seqinnised”
@@MarksWorldOfAdventure firstly Algiers itself is definitely worth exploring,also Tipaza on the coast is a must for its beauty and Roman ruins,Constantine to the Far East,while there you go inland to Timgad for the largest Roman ruins outside of Italy,it’s huge! Chrea mountains,Thlemcen to the far West,Ghardaia next to the Sahara,then onto Djanet deep in the Sahara,is a must see,it’s absolutely amazing and has been around since the Middle Ages by the Toureg people.. Algeria has it all,for me.. Sea,mountains and Sahara...
@@susanguerinai6507 Thank you so much for this! I'm a Brit, a solo traveller, and want to visit Algeria next year - so I will take your advice and learn more about these places :)
Such a shame, ruined by greedy people. Reminds me of travel in Egypt and Morocco, constant harassment. Wonderful places but tourists are given a tough time.
It was on my bucketlist but I won't do it anymore. This is so annoying anywhere you travel this Scams and the rudeness are just killing the vibes. Totally understand how you feel. Recently had the same in Marrakech with the henna painting ladies on the market. They pull you, grab your hand and start painting even you don't want to. Then asking during painting how much it cost, they say you can give whatever you want. But guess what.. they asked me 40 USD for a little not well executed henna?! Then start being agressive. But they did not win in my case - i just walked away. Discussion did not bring anything in this case. It's just a rip-off 😮
Ohh wow. That really killes the travel mood if someone so bluntly tries to rip you off, but good for you on walking away. I know it can feel bad, but it is the best this to do. The more you give in the more they will harass the next person who walks by...
In 1980, I was stoned in Kerak along with a Canadian guy I was traveling with. I was then 21 and discovering the world. The Royal Police saved us and took us away from this trap. This beautiful country is unfortunately unfriendly and could be dangerous. I never went back there Syria was the most friendly of the region I swam in the Dead Sea, on the other side, near Massada. Don't spill Dead Sea water in your eyes, it burns !
Real bad that happened to you in Jordan and glad you thought so of Syria. Am syrian and saw some UA-camrs enjoy it there recently. As a child around 2007 I used to go to the touristy places to practice my English lol. Those days were lovely🥲
Relatives of ours from the UK lost their 21 year old son in Turkey. An Egyptian national at the hotel he stayed at befriended him and promised to show him a few sights and murdered him on the first day. He removed all his belongings making it look like he checked out of the hotel while his poor family were desperately trying to contact him. The Turkish police told the parents that their son wanted to be alone without nagging parents and refused to look for him. They paid a private investigator who found their son's body in a morgue. The Egyptian national was arrested when he tried to use the British passport. But instead of Turkey putting him in prison they deported him to Egypt. They knew it was because of a bias in religion, they being Christian. And these nationals are making their way to Europe. Good luck! Enjoy!
@@Dan-xx5jq This story should've been all over the news. Could you please provide some sources? (Or is it just a story you made up now on the fly to plug the religion in it?) I hope for the latter because this sounds terrible.
@@yourfriend5144 I don’t have to make up. It happened to me in 1980 when I travelled overland from Northern France to Greece, most of the way on bicycle. It was stolen the next day I arrived in Athens. So I paused and worked few months in Greece. Then took the road, bus, car, trains, donkeys from Athens to Jerusalem via Sofia, Istanbul, Antakya, Lattaquié, Tripoli, Beyrut, Damascus, Amman, Kerak, Petra, Aqaba, back to Amman, Allenby Bridge, Jericho, Jerusalem … Overall this overland trip was very positive and exciting. I wouldn’t be possible nowadays
❤No, brother, our government does not support these people at all. These people only represent themselves, but they do not represent us as a Jordanian people. Welcome to Jordan, and I am sorry for what happened to this bad group of people.
There are thousands of videos on UA-cam of thousands of tourists and influencers who have visited Jordan and are delighted with their trips and stays in the country, why are you the only ones who don't like my country!? I find that you make a great effort to highlight everything that is negative and I find that it is unfortunate and unfair!
Sadly your attitude is the exact reason why there is so many scammers in Jordan. Instead of accepting criticism you blame me for for sharing my experience and while doing that you normalise the actions of those people.
The Jordanian people are a mixture of cultures and are familiar with most countries in the world. They are hospitable and dutiful people and no one can deny that, but through your experience you have judged more than 12 million people and the most beautiful spot on earth.
I was in Egypt, I loved it, despite the schemes and the MISERABLE way they treat animals, I decided never to go to Jordan when, after a lot of research, I concluded that it is the most corrupt country in the region and that animals are even more mistreated than in Egypt . That's why I will never go to Jordan in my life because I hate corrupt people and even more I hate those who mistreat animals.
Thank you for this video! I traveled to Jordan, and I posted on Instagram about getting scammed and harassed every day! I had people getting mad at me for stating the truth!
I'm part Jordanian and have lived most of my life here and I can't tell you how sad it makes me to watch this video, if you would like to give it another chance with a local on your side contact me.
This is the thing - if you have a local guide, this can take away a lot of the headache! Well done you for this kind offer. I hope you get to meet some nice tourists and pass on your positivity! All the best to you :)
I went there a few years ago - had a great time - but I was part of a tour group. Great way to see the country - I was happy to stay in my tourist bubble...
You are welcome at all in oman Try to visit salalah in Oman in summer this year Search more You will be surprised And I am sorry for what happened to you in Jordan
Oman is NO BETTER ! Especially for black people : they hire black poor people and treat them as SLAVES, with many dying there, being raped etc !!! It's not me who said that, but the BBC : ua-cam.com/video/fJTh4Gdn_B8/v-deo.html BUT OF COURSE THE TOURISTS WITH DOLLARS WON'T SEE IT...
زرت 19 طوله عربيه واجنبيه ولكن بصراحه لم ارتاح إلا بالاردن لانها جميله جدآ ومتطوره ونظيفه وشعبها لطيف وودود ولم يقابلني ابدآ ما ذكرته بالفيديو وانا فعلآ استغرب من كلامك
I had terrible experiences in Morroco and Egypt, horrible places with hideous barbaric people! I would love to visit Oman and for what i heard from people who visited this country it's well worth it.
I've been to Jordan through an organized tour company, and that's the only reason i enjoyed it immensely. Other than in Petra, where it was harder to protect ourselves from scammers and the sight of animal abuse, everywhere else was safe and great. I recommend taking an organized tour so you don't have to deal with all the other nonsense.
the music at the 5:50 mark really sets up the energy for your shots! Excellent pick for your videos! A true adventure shot, complete with the badass music! I remember when you guys first started.....112k subs says one thing, great job growing your channel over time.....your flair with your music is what you makes you awesome in my mind right now, keep that stuff up, freaking awesome! I shouldnt say "what makes you awesome", but I especially appreciate it right now.
I am sorry of your experiences in Jordan. That country can be lovely place, but I can feel a little bit with you. From 1989 to 1991 I studies Arabic in 'Amman and there was very little tourism. Even Petra just had two hotels (one of it more a hostel). Wadi Rum was unspoiled of tourism and empty. Unfortuneately tourism developped, and with it came overtourism (because of people having "Bucket Lists" due to travel influencers from around 2010 on). That spoiled a lot, and there came more and more scammers. I realised that when I visited Jordan last time in 2017. Very different. But: Even then I found most people very welcoming and friendly as it always had been. Only the number of scammers was significantly higher. It made me a little bit nostalgic and sad to experience that. But overall, I enjoyed my staying there also in 2017. Do I want to go back to Jordan? Yes, I do want!
Wow, didn't realise tourism had grown so fast so quickly. I travel by www (I'm not in prison; just lazy & older:) so use these videos to imagine being there, always fascinated by the beauty & history of Petra, & loveliness of Jordan & its people, & being safe for female visitors; seems like a piece of Heaven on earth. Not sure these hawkers are so worse than 1s I've seen in London, or the excitable addicted beggars you find in my UK city. I've seen videos where people are lucky to experience Petra empty - so envious - but it does seem to suffer over-tourism. & donkey neglect. But I agree, I would still want to visit if I were a tourist, its a magnetic place 💖
Yes, we went slightly trepidatious, but thought the place was amazing. Experience has tought us that some places suggested as 'dangerous' are actually incredibly rewarding, you just have to take more common sense care. That was maybe 15 years ago, I'd certainly recheck travel policy/risks/advice now. You have to be aware of the situation at the local there and go around with your brain switched on. Be really careful about getting your camera out in Beirut (govt spooks observing, not thieves!). Do so, and you can find a pretty incredible experience. (Travellers from UK+ASEAN c2010)
@@phoenixw2 Lebanon is amazing but don't know what your talking about cameras and filming... there are plenty youtubers who have filming everything and anything without any problems in Lebanon.
@@farsalami8605 you talk to fast and to wrong...without knowing the reality... Lebanon has been on a US and UK red flag list for years and yet travel youtubers go there, really enjoy themselves because there is so much to enjoy and some even even live there... tourists still go there, not in huge numbers like spain or greece ...but those who go enjoy themselves.
@@greenleaf8226 Dude youtubers go anywhere..... i'm from iran and i do not recommend anybody to come here..... youtubers seem to love it too lol untill " shit hits the fan" . You go live in lebanon for a while and then come back critisizing me. lol Wanna have fun? go to spain, thailand, hey even brazil or colombia... at least you know where the danger comes from. In my country.... you are putting your life on the lottery..... a lottery you know nothing about and can not control. In rio.... you know the game. Don't go walk around at night... you do it? ok you know what the game is... just give them your wallet and your phone and walk away lol Lebanon is generally more dangerous than iran.... but now you also have a hungry population ( have you ever been hungry...... not ohh a have not eaten for 6 hours but really hungry.... have not eaten meat for months hungry ) and a possibility that beirut will get flattened. WTF are you talking about...... i assume you are a lebanese living in the west and visit every 3 years and pretend to be a 3 week millionaire
Sadly we made the same experiences in Egypt, we got scammed at any possible occasion. It was so annoying and destroying so many wonderful sightings and moments. We discussed this topic with our tour guide and he apoligized for his countrymen's behaviour. He had tried so often to explain them, that western tourists don't like to be hassled. But with no success, they don't want to understand.
Absolutely right and sorry for your horrible experiences. And this is after an anti-corruptionn drive made throughout Jordan a few years ago. I am speaking from the same experiences I got and I am an Arab !! So bad that we were totally relieved on regaining our hopes when we visited Morocco and Tunisia. Yes, visit ANY country except ...
Kinda makes sense, Jordan is one of the poorer countries in the world. I heard only place in middle east that has similar GNI (High average income) to US or Europe is Saudi Arabia. Plus the exchange rate, I don't know where this guy is from but Swedish krona is worth around 9 US cents. Jordan money is worth a lot 1.40 dollar, only behind kuwait, Bahrain, and oman.
My wife and I spent two weeks in Jordan 🇯🇴 in January this year. We had an amazing time in that beautiful country and had no bad experiences with the local people. Highly recommend....
what does religion have to do with it?? you could walk the streets of Paris, and be constantly approached by roma gypsies tryimg to sell you a ring... it happens in many countries worldwide
Visit Iraq / Kurdistan. You will experience the opposite of this. Locals will buy you dinner, offer to give you money, and invite you to stay in their house for free
Seems like a false made up scenario because you want people to think bad of Muslims - I’ve watched hundreds of videos of Muslim videos, all generous and kind people and this is the first - I checked your comment history and saw that you’re supporting israel and you are a Zionist, guys please ignore comments like this from murderous evil people like the Zionists, they want you to believe what their paid media perpetuates. This commenter is just an ugly liar.
This is an honest review/video and I love it! I have never been, it would not dissuade me (too much) from traveling there but it gives us a heads up on what to expect if we do go there. Thank you for your honest impression. I love to watch travel videos but it gets very annoying when some vloggers leave out very obvious facts about a place. Now I will go check out your other videos!
As a jordanian i appologize for your experience, our reputation is all about generosity and welcoming visitors, however after covid and the economic situation of the government things changed i guess, thats of course no excuse at all. My advice is to go with a group, or with a jordanian friend to avoid these incidents. Sorry again for this experience
Gorgeous amazing country & history 💖 thanks for sharing & your accents are lovely! Beautiful voices & demeanour for narration. An element in any country sees tourist as prey; my (quiet & polite) UK college group got scammed in western city Barcelona, previously fluent café staff suddenly couldn't speak English when we queried a dodgy bill! Surprising how a sour taste lingers, 20+yrs! Far more than the money was worth. But I should remember the street-lady who grabbed a pigeon - we're thinking omg what's she doing?! - but she was untying it's legs of litter that'd wound round them, the crowd gathered all cheered as it flew off free. Then we worried about potential pick-pockets, lol..
We visited Jordan 5 years ago and arranged via our travelagency in the Netherlands a driver/guide. He knew all local habits / bad places etc etc. We did not experience any problem whatsoever. It cost some extra but well worth it. It seems that this is needed in some countries, especially where people do not have much money. You should know before you go how the local situation is.
I'm a Jordanian U r not wrong so sorry for your experience. Our ppl are really nice but this is what happens when the leaders are corrupt and take advantage of their own ppl.
Scammers are always existing in places that appear to be low quality of service which make tourists expect to pay cheaper, but those scammers are a professional cheaters, they are hiding from the officials. if you reported them, they would be punished badly. Recently the government made a big campaign to clean up all illegal practices in the touristic areas and we hope this last.
(im jordanian) There is a huge north south wealth divide. Im from the north and there is alot of hostility between the two of us and alot of racism. I visited petra, wadi rum, and aqaba, the locals were very unfriendly and were not willing to talk. We saw tourists being scammed and whatnot. The north composses the jordanian middle class and most if not all government projects are in the north. So i think the problem is the government not the locals.
Your video shows me that everyone who travels has a different experience than another. When I visited Jordan in 2018, I experienced a completely different journey than the one you experienced. really completely different. the people were friendly, the food was tasty and there was a lot to see.
So sorry for your experience in Jordan - I’ve always wanted to visit Petra but maybe not now after seeing this video - I cannot imagine the audacity of government employees to try and intimidate you and get aggressive and threaten, it’s disgusting behaviour and if I was Jordanian I would search down the people and places in this video and submit complaints, Jordan’s tourism industry suffered greatly during covid and this treatment of visitors and tourists will only hurt it more. As Muslims these people should also be truly ashamed of themselves, how dare they treat their guests in this way, shameful, disgusting, downright ignorant behaviour - in Arabic you would call these people Jaahil.
I spent 3 months in Jordan in 1991 and traveled to every corner of it. Except for a taxi driver or two, Jordan was not unusually “scammy”. Even in Petra the locals acted reasonably.there was some weirdness but overall Jordan was OK. Sounds like it’s gone the way of Egypt. Too bad.
I was there two years ago and I thought Jordan was a really nice place. Both the locations as well as the people. But I only stayed for one week where I hiked the Jordan Trail between Dana and Petra. When I was in Petra I didn't have the feeling that people were trying to scam me. Sure, there are the typical souvenir shops where you're ripped off, but they are everywhere. From the five new world wonders that I visited (I didn't visit Taj Mahal and Rio yet) Petra is the most beautiful of them all. If I ever have the chance to get back I would not hesitate one second.
Sorry to hear about your experience. I was in Jordan just last week. A friend and I spent ten days traveling from Aqaba to Jerash, and then, five days in Amman. For us, every experience, every individual met was amazing. We didn't experience any scammers, there were no issues with Jordanians, at gas stations, at the numerous check points along the Kings Highway, or at the airports in Aqanb and Amman. There were times when taxi drivers would try to overcharge us, but in those cases, we'd simply thank them, walk away, and find another driver. I do agree that Jordan is a country overlooked, perhaps because of its proximity to so much political strife, but, it's definitely an experience I will never forget. Every aspect of that country was sublime and meaningful. Now home, I find America bewildering and chaotic, unlike what I experienced while in Jordan and through the generosity of the many met there.
thanks for saying that man
u can check his videos he simply hates Arabs and tries to make us look bad in all of his videos
No wonder... because he hates Palestine and supports Israel or something i don't rly know and I can assume that you know what is happening in Gaza suly
btw about the taxi problem u are right there is a lot of them and not just for tourists XD
You can use applications next time like uber or u can also see the cost of the trip without asking the driver on the digital meter that is supposed to be visible to passenger surly thats if u come for another visit hopefully
This video surprised me. My husband and I were in Jordan in the summer of 2022 and had NO problems with scammers. We loved it and found the people to be very helpful. 😮
Yeah he definitely tried to make a sad story
No problems....that you noticed ;)
Were you travelling with a guide? If not: it's as bad as Egypt!!
@@MissAntrophy no we weren’t as a matter of fact. We travelled on our own in a rented car and experienced no problems from the people.
What they show in the movie is true. Especially inside Petra they are scamming. Fortunately in 2024 the scanning Bdohls have been moved from Petra, and so are all their illegal stalls where they sold fake artifacts. That does not mean that the rest of Jordan is scam-free. Take care.
I was in Jordan last month, and I had the most amazing time and I will definitely visit again. The locals were also very friendly and helped us out a lot. I didn't feel like they were trying to scam us at all. I guess it just depends from person to person. Sorry you didn't have a great time this time.
Also, in the part where you were on the Red Sea, I'd correct and say it's Palestine and Egypt on each side... not Israel.
Eilat is in Israel and has the border to Aqaba in Jordan. If you stay in the South beach in Aqaba at night, you see the lights from Aqaba harbour, Eilat/Israel and Egypt.
Maybe you studied history and geography before 1948, it's time to refresh your knowledge on the region!
@@luisorozco4370because Israel has stolen lots of land
"I'd correct and say it's Palestine and Egypt on each side... not Israel." Nope, sorry, Israel exists. Hate to break it to you.
It’s Israel. Live with it.
I had a similar experience in Egypt. Endless harassment, aggressive locals, scams non stop. Even the guy who stamped my passport wanted a tip/bribe. A taxi driver also tried robbing my friend when he was alone on one occasion. There were egyptian kids smashing bottles on 2000 year old statues, beggars everywhere, and the camel owners treated their animals with incredible cruelty.
Weird I never had or saw any of what your describing. The tipping culture is strong but i never violent!
It's true. I've never felt so much harassment from locals trying to scam you than in Egypt. Even the museum guards refused us entry claiming it was closed for 30 minutes and that we should first go to a nearby shop. The museum wasn't closed they just wanted to make a cut of whatever that shop was going to make from us. 😏
Yep, heard many stories. Will never go, it's a shame.
If you would like to experience Egypt, you should watch videos on UA-cam. That country had to be the very worst experience of my life.
Was there 1.5 years ago. The scammers and the people in general only looking for money. Not sure we Will ever go again.
Back in the days I worked as tour guide both in Egypt and Jordan. It was exhausting trying to avoid being scammed anywhere I took my groups. I remember once buying oranges at the market and was asked double the price it said on the stand. The seller told straight to my face the tourists have to pay double. And then the corrupt goverment officers at the borders or at the customs… they’re the worst.
only Egyptian govt. officials are begging for tips
They hate westerns and only see us as piggy banks.
We visited Jordan earlier this year and certainly understand where you’re coming from in this video. We had some similar experiences. It’s very frustrating! In saying that we also came across many kind Jordanians during our visit and would consider returning one day.
As a Jordanian, I'm so sorry about your experience in our country. What a shame on our people.
Edit :I just subscribed to your channel
The problem is people like you who apologize for being a Muslim or being from a Muslim country because of the European colonizers, Jordan, Palestine and Syria are in the state they are .
@@zeidahmad8140As a Jordanian, his apology was right. Why should visitors be treated like this? Why does the gas station attendant keep the change? Why should the workers in Petra be disrespectful? Why should the tourist visa cost 270 dinars? I am Jordanian and I am ashamed of these people's behavior and I am sorry that this behavior is going on in Jordan. We are supposed to be kind and welcoming and hospitable people. What is happening to us?SHAME ON THE PEOPLE THAT ONLY SHOWED THEM DISRESPECT, SHAME ON THE POLICE AND SHAME ON THE GOVERNMENT. WE ARE BETTER THAN THAT, THESE PEOPLE COME TO JORDAN TO SEE JORDAN. THEY SHOULD GO HOME WITH A BIG SMILE ON THEIR FACES AND A HUGE THANK YOU TO THE PEOPLE FOR THEIR KINDNESS. THAT IS HOW IT SHOULD BE.
To the Viking travelers, I am Jordanian and I am very angry and saddened and surprised at the treatment you got in Jordan. I live in the United States and visit Jordan once in a while. I have no excuse for how and why these people treated you the way they did. I can't think of excuses but maybe poverty has something to do with it? Tourism has gone way down since Covid and these people are desperate for any money. During your walk in wadi rum and Petra, I did not see too many tourists there, so you can imagine how desperate they are to make a dollar. That is in no way an excuse for bad behavior and rip off. That is not the Jordan I know and I am very sorry for all the troubles you have encountered in Jordan. Hopefully someday you will go back but see if you can get to know someone who will take you around, you will have a different experience. Thank you for the video, it was an eye opener for me.
My friend spent weeks in Jordan and she said the people were lovely. Friendly and helpful, happy to answer questions about history and culture.
@Not-of-this-world- He did not disrespect any one, he stated the facts. I ask you ( not of this world), why did he have to pay270 dinars at the border? THIS IS A RIP OFF, Why did the gas station attendant not give them change back? Why did the watermelon vendor not give him the change back? Parking in Jerash says free parking, why did the man charge him 5 dinars? WOULD YOU HAVE PAID? Just because he is a tourist? Did you hear the men at the entrance to Petra? They were not nice, where they? As a Jordanian, I am embarrassed by what I saw.SHAME ON THE PEOPLE THAT WERE NOT PROFESSIONAL, SHAME ON THE VENDORS, SHAME ON THE POLICE, MINISTRY OF TOURISM AND A BIG SHAME ON THE ENTIRE GOVERNMENT FOR ALLOWING THIS TO HAPPEN🤔🤔.
If you think you got scammed in Jordan you are in for a bigger surprise if you ever come to Egypt.
So true
So true! I love Egypt and have been there almost yearly. But oh, the scammers! But the main problem there isn't even the scammers, but the men constantly trying to touch you (if you're a woman). Beware! Once I was snorkeling, far from the shore. Out of nowhere, a man touched my breast in the water. With a diving mask, your peripheral vision is impaired. So, be careful even when you're snorkeling!
I traveled to many Arabic countries and i agree, Oman was the best country, as a woman alone traveling, i felt so respected and safe in Oman!!
I am really sorry for you. You must have had very bad luck. I visited Jordan for 18 days this February and March 2024 and visited Amman, Jerash, Sweimeh, Aqaba, Wadi Rum, Petra. I had no experiences of anyone trying to scam me. I found everyone very friendly and cooperative. And no haggling and stress in the shops, or pushy sellers. I felt really welcome. And I would love to visit again.
Welcome back to Jordan
This is the first time I hear that someone in my country has been exposed to such situations. They always have a positive outlook and do not face such situations.
@@ShahadJo-p1m Thank you! I absolutely enjoyed my stay. Friendly people and beautiful country.
Visited Aqaba, Wadi Rum, Petra and Amman about a decade ago and my experience has been very similar, especially in Petra.
I'm never going back.
I'm Arab and I had bad experiences also in Jordan
Thank you for your honesty. Like some of the comments below, I have had similar experiences as yours in Egypt and Morocco. Having traveled the world with so much love from people, it IS truly exhausting and disappointing to walk away from an anticipated once in a lifetime experience with so much regret over the way you have been treated.
Egypt can be a bit of hassle, even in pretty switched on repeat-visitor diver places. Morocco is an outright nightmare; makes India (where we were overlanding for months) seem a cake-walk; horrible on the global scale of my experience. I think I'll skip Jordan but prioritise Oman for a future visit given the informed tip in this vid.
@@phoenixw2 Jordan and Oman are 2 totaly different countries, completely different things on offer to see...
my family and i loved Jordan, we had a great time...
we visited friends who are expats living in the capital city...they love it in Jordan...
yes there are men huslting for tips in Petra, its expected because they earn so little and Life is very expensive...
but otherwise we had no hassles at all.
Thank you for your honesty. I don't know why these kinds of scams aren't reported more openly in travel videos. It is helpful information to have.
Its not just in Jordan, my wallet was stolen on the tram in Madrid spain, almost got mugged in Rome Italy, got to pay 30 euros for cheese sandwich in Paris France, almost kidnapped in Mexico, and chased by Marijuana seller in Hawaii, you will find these kind of things anywhere you go, what is important for me is feeling safe anywhere l go.
Yes, but in some countries it is more probable to get scammed or threatened. It also can rain in Death Valley sometimes, but in London the probability is higher.
This argument "It can happen everywhere" is not helpful at all.
@@ellieantar809 But if it can happen anywhere the it also can happen at home.
I do not like these politically correct expression "It can happen everywhere". It can, but some places the probability is much much higher than in others.
Johannesburg Bangkok....
I think ill just stick with australia and asia.
@@simsong1188 But Jordan is in Asia, too....
B'jasus, have you ever considered just holidaying at home?! Makes me glad that my 'travel' is just watching these nice videos from my comfy home 🤣
I have lived in Jordan 13 years. I have traveled many countries, but I must say that Jordan is the most corrupt country I have live in. After living in Jordan many years, I have learned how to deal with most scammers. Yet, the government is very corrupt too. If you end up having to go to court for any reason and you're a foreigner, you will lose the case even if you have 100 percent proof, you're not guilty. I recently was accused of hitting another car with my car that I never touched. I had time dated pictures that my car had no damage of hitting any car. The police called me because the accuser took a picture of my license plate and stated I hit him and left the scene of the accident. I took my car to a police station to have it inspected and the police found no evidence of any car damage. I was found guilty in court and even had to hire a lawyer to keep me out of jail for hit and run. The accuser brought to court false witnesses that testified against me. His car needed repair from damage of another accident and my insurance had to pay for it. Plus, I had to pay court fees and a lawyer to keep me out of jail. I was told by other foreigners that live in Jordan to sell my car because this happens quite often in Jordan. It's better to rent a car, taxi, Uber or learn the bus system if you're a foreigner in Jordan. One third of the income for Jordan is the tourist industry. If the government doesn't address this problem of everyone scamming tourist that come to Jordan people are going to stop visiting Jordan. The word is getting out.
This is not quite often for a fact, you just had a bad experiance
@@ovxsp This was my third bad experience with the court system in Jordan. Even the attorney's I hired in the past took my money and did nothing. On this last case, my evidence of proof that I was innocent, even a police report showing it, the court did not except. Look at the comments below, Jordan is getting a bad reputation worldwide. I very seldom can go a day without someone gouging me on price or trying to scam me when I'm out and about. When it comes to being a foreigner in Jordan you will experience being scammed. Like this video said, you have to go to a legit priced grocery store to get a fair price. This UA-camr had his first and last experience in Jordan and now he's telling the world. This one video alone has cost Jordan a lot of tourist dollars. Jordan has it's good, bad and ugly, but this problem is destroying Jordan from within., it's a growing cancer. The Jordan government can fix this problem if they want, but will they, your guess is as good as mine.
Wow, sorry to hear you went through all that! 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
So sorry to hear, but why live in a place with such horrid people?
@@rjeckardt8863 I stay in Jordan for my son's sack. He had medical issues from birth and the doctors here that treat him do it for free because he was born with the handicap. He is 15 now and when he turns 18 he will need his last surgery and will be normal after that. I am a retired American widower and living in Jordan is much cheaper than living in America. I would go broke living in America with this same issue. We will most likely leave Jordan after my son's last surgery. This is a good side of Jordan, there are some top doctors here that care about their patients, handicap children and medical expenses are very low.
Sorry to hear about your experience- it sounds stressful!
I hope this serves as a 'what not to do' in Jorden rather than a 'don't go to Jordan' video - especially since there seem to be mixed experiences having read the comments.
Also - supermarkets always undercut the farmers hence the cheap prices....but it also seems like you were probably being given the 'tourist price' for your watermelons from the farmer. What are you supposed to do if you're on a budget right?
Safe travels and on to the next adventure!
Similar things happened to me in Tunisia in March, I was supposed to visit Jordan after that, but changed my ticket at the last minute to another destination, and after watching this video, I have no regrets, I actually visited Jordan in 1998 and don't remember having problems (unlike in Egypt that same year). My JordanPass is still valid until October, but I have no plans to use it. I agree Oman is much more enjoyable than the UAE, I hope it doesn't change.
Tunisia and Egypt are a little better for me than Jordan. They are trying to improve. Tourism workers aren’t professional. Jordan I saw them mistreat Arab & Asian tourists even worse. Awful country.
@@MoemuntzEgypt similar to Jordan but Tunisia is much much better
My friends took a trip around the middle east. They all thought Jordan was easily the best country.
This was back in the 90s though. Maybe things have changed?
@@triptwo425 it’s still great. Amazing food, lots to history and places to see. Small distance to travel between sites. It’s just the small annoying stuff. Depending on who you are and how they affect your safety, it can be a minor or a major issue. We air out these problems so that they take care of them so those that come after us won’t be affected. For me it’s the airport and how fellow passengers were treated I have a problem with, which tells me the problem starts very top of their tourism sector.
I visited Jordan in 2019 with a group tour. I think it's a beautiful country but........I absolutely hated all those people who wanted to sell me something or to see the camels and donkeys in Petra working for the tourists. I could not look at it anymore. One donkey could not stand up because he was probably very tired but his owner insisted that he stand up by beating him with a stick. I cried. We always walked in groups, never alone, but all those men were looking at us, blond girls. We never felt save in the city. Why are those men not working? They were just sitting and hanging outside, staring at you. Really terrible. It was because of the group I was with, that I never experienced really bad things but it is not a country I will visit again.
💔💔💔 the donkey situation
That's what Arab men do.
I'm Arab and I have some similar experiences
@@zeidahmad8140 no its only hapening in jordan because of corruption and poverty
Given the extent to which Europeans have recently colonized and occupied the region, I'm surprised you went expecting to feel welcome.
Been to Jordan 3 times.
One time airport staff mistreated my mother and made her sit on the floor to wait for flight, while her feet were injured. So that other travelers can use the chairs instead.
One time they lied about visa requirements and told us we can’t leave airport to go to hotel on a stop over, so that we can use the more expensive airport hotel.
Or times where they attempted to double charge us for our luggage.
I’ve been to countries where tourism staff weren’t professional (Egypt etc) but in Jordan they are professional scammers. From the cops to the taxi driver. - ( this is not a generalization as most people were very nice but the very small amount of scammers ruin it for everyone)
When I was in Egypt I was so pissed at the locals and the tourists. It was heartbreaking to see the exploitation of horses and camels. Additional annoyance was how everyone wanted to sell you stuff. Pretty soon I walked with my angry face and told people in Serbian to gtfo. I was left alone.
What's serbian for wankers 😂 I'd like to know
I'm glad you made it to Jordan and fulfilled some childhood dreams. It's a shame that so many locals let you down... Safe travels.
Yes, I remember sailing a small sloop up the Red Sea, and we had to bribe every official we encountered. It was so bad that I made up several bags of $1 bills and a carton of cigarettes in advance. We actually budgeted bribes. They call it baksheesh. It worked great. Flew thru customs, no one searched the boat. People who chose not to bribe usually got stuck in customs, or spent days waiting for clearance papers. In the end it was worth the extra $ to avoid the BS. I think it's been like that for centuries.
That's very unfortunate, corrupt regimes and dictatorships in this part of the world encourage this kind of behavior directly or indirectly.
I myself am Syrian, fled the country back in 2011 and can't go back. But I've seen many UA-camrs enjoying their time there. There you can see some of the oldest cities on the planet. And eat some of the best food ever😋. Safety wise I am pretty sure you would be surprised how safe it is because the police there have an iron fist policy, that's why most of the Syrians can't go back😓. And of course they are corrupt as well so you might need to pay them some cents under the table.
Be aware tho some might consider it propaganda for a tyrant regime and don't like that. So if you ever please don't forget about the hundreds of thousands who were killed and the millions who can't go back😢.
I am following your journeys around the region and I love what you guys are doing ❤️❤️
Thanks for the honest opinion. After this Jordan is definitely out of my list.
Why is Jordan off your visiting list... we enjoyed and Loved it... yes there were some hustlers trying their luck at making extra money at Petra... but we were warned in advance, and its understandable considering how expensive Jordan is yet money earned for many is very low...
apart from Petra we had no problems at all.
I'll never go there
@@greensorrel6860 its your choice..
i and many others i know choose not to go to the US because of all the execessive ugly mess that is everywhere over there...
choices...choices
@greenleaf8226 Yes, the US is becoming increasingly awful at a rapid pace. We agree on that. Tell as many people as possible.
Completely agreed with you! I visited Jordan in 2019, all the places you went to, and our experience was very similar. People see you as a dollar magnet, they try constantly to cheat and get mad if you don’t do what they expect, sometimes it’s felt a little bit dangerous. It’s sad because the country has many beautiful places, but for me it’s a place that I will not come back.
I was diving in Jordan 30 years ago.
This video disturbed me.
30 years ago it wasn't like this.
We never paid to go inside Petra. Our biggest cost was the taxi there.
Also, in Aqaba, the people were friendly and giving . I'm sad it's changed so much xx ❤
I can remember that time, too. Totally different.
This is so appauling. I visited Petra in 2018 as a solo female traveler. I almost left the site before reaching the Monastery because I was being harassed by bedouins all along. They wanted me to go on a donkey or horse ride but I saw how they treated the animals, heard the poor donkeys cry and didn't want to support this appauling activity. They were extremely pushy, loud, kept following me. I felt very uncomfortable and harassed throughout my whole visit. I left Petra very dissapointed and will never visit that place again.
I did, however, take a private tour to Wadi Rum where I met wonderful bedouins who allowed me to admire the desert in my own pace without harassment.
As a Jordanian who lived abroad for a couple of years, I think the food here is good and the country has wonderful places that are worth visiting. However, due to the bad economy and poverty being on the rise not to mention the huge number of refugees and immigrants this country has welcomed, and low salaries, it has made people desperate for money. This translates into high taxes and overpriced food, items... etc. The government, similar to other middle eastern countries, is corrupt to some extent but its not as bad as the other countries surrounding us, Jordan is still safe and well protected by the government and most people are loyal to the King and wont let anything that might jeopordize the country's safety happen. People are patriotic, you might see Jordanian flags here and there while traveling through this country.
Back to the economy part, TOURISM is one of the few ways that the governement and locals have where they can make good money. They do indeed raise the prices for non-Jordanians (if you look like a foreigner they think youre made of money), so always negotiate the price because here everything is negotiable (negotiating will cut the bullshit fast. Locals think theyre smart, so you have to show them you know whats up).
Another issue is boundaries, as you can see locals here need firm boundaries, if you're polite they will try again. So give them a serious-face No thank you without eye contact and keep walking, just keep walking. People are forward here (eye contact and confrontational) which is the opposite to how people lets say in Europe behave (polite, quitly say No and thank you). Eye contact here is an invitation to talk. Just keep walking to avoid people begging for money and scammers who are likely to be found around touristic places.
Another issue is religion, as a christian Jordanian (we exist in few numbers) we do sometimes experience some discrimination. You might be indirectly invited to explore the Islam religion, so whenever you are given or told anything related to Islam just apologize politely and try to change the subject or politely walk away. Please know that religion is an extremely sensitive topic here and you could easily get hurt if you express any opinion regarding the largest religion here.
About how men treat each other, taxi drivers and any driver will expect you, if youre a man, to sit next to him, they see it as respectful. Also men here are a bit touchy feely when greeting each other or when they say thank you, youll see handshakes, pats on the back, handshakes and fake kisses on cheeks while saying Habibi... it is strange if you come from a country that does not like physical touch when it comes to strangers. However when greeting a woman, it is best to greet only with words, no handshake, maybe a handshake if you know the person. Keep in mind that when traveling to ANY muslim country you should read about the culture and how people behave around both genders, how to dress... yada yada.
With that said,
Enjoy your time here and be safe
Thank you for this! Extremely helpful.
I have travel a lot due to my job…. I was never been stole but in Jordan it was the first time that they steal money from my hotel room, this is the story: I stay in a hotel in Petra with a colleague for a month, as I noticed tourist stay just for a night usually to visit Petra and then move on to other places, so the people who clean the room steal some money from them and nobody understand, for me and my colleague was different because we stay a long time we figure out that we’re missing money from our wallets so to figure out if really stole us we decide to left our bags with the zip in a specific side and make a photo, when we get back we discovered that our zip were in a different position , so the guy who clean the room check for cash, plus all the rest that people mention below in comments , bad experience!!!
Thanks for your honest opinion. I always appreciate it. After this Jordan is definitely out of my list. Never ever.
You are welcome.
Yea, sadly there is a lot to see there, but it comes with a price...
@@WildVikingTravels no it does not come at a price... it was bad luck for you, partly because of naivity...
you entred jordan from rural very desolate side, where most tourists do not go and life is hardship miserable...
so poor people who live in a very expensive country tried hustling you for minimal extra money... try to see the bigger reality picture.
@@greenleaf8226exactly. This whole video felt so juvenile and trivial. Complaining abt a few extra dollars here and there. You’re encountering ppl living in abject poverty, scamming is the way of the road and travelers should know that. Cope better or don’t go.
@@pascal590But isn't it what this person is saying, that he/she won't go? Some people are ok with being scammed and others aren't. They have every right to just avoid it.
"honest opinion"??????????????? there is NO WAY u fr believe this so disgusting
Man it sucks so much how PEOPLE can ruin PLACES :[
Muslims are specialists in that
My thought as I knew Jordan from 1989 on.
bro do u rly believe this???????? he is big fat layer trying to make jordan bad as much as he can.. he is only he shows bad scenes and makes a big deal out of them and being the most drama queen and cry baby i have ever seen so fkn disgusting
Thank you for sharing your experiences. If you don't expose this, it will never improve and others will fall for it.
It should be a place most unlike Earth on earth!
It's a shame the people there are so unfriendly!
Thanks a lot for sharing, really great job! 👍🥰🙏
actually most of them are so friendly, but brother had very bad luck
@@Sara-xe3mx I hope so! 🙏
actualy people in jordan are very friendly, but like any country on our planet there are bad people...
it all depends where you go in jordan and who you deal with
@@greenleaf8226 I believe you, thanks a lot!
I experienced similar in Egypt many years ago. It was rife everywhere we went and spoiled our trip. Now whenever I talk about Egypt all I say is beautiful place but generally awful people.
The only person who was respectful was a tall, majestic Bedouin who was so kind and helpful without expecting anything in return. In turn we had great respect for him.
These scamming officials and sellers are shameful and ruin the reputation of their country and peoples.
I am Jordanian and I am sorry for your experience. Although there is a tourist police whose goal is to protect tourists and tourist sites, their failure to perform their duty will cause tourism to die.
As a Jordanian citizen, I hope you accept my apologies for the problems you faced from the scammers and I hope you don’t face the same problem in any other country love you guy’s and thank’s for visit our country❤❤
Thank you so much for such a kind hearted comment. 👍😁
Im sure that it was just our bad luck to meet such people, because Jordan itself was a very beautiful country!
Im so sorry for you 😢 I travelled the last 3 years often to Jordan and the first time I was alone with a 4 years old child. I felt everywhere safe and I met the most friendly and helpful people on earth. In every country are bad and good people. But Jordan is absolutely beautiful and worth to visit.
Six years living in Saudi Arabia and Yemen, this is the way it is. As soon as I would hear "special price for you" I knew I was getting ripped off. I could speak classic Arabic which helped, however even when renting apartments or villas the rental price would depend on your passport all sanctioned by the government.
It obviously says something about the CULT of Islam. :(
@@rjeckardt8863 , It is just poor people! In Mexico there are so many scams. 😹 Mexico is a Catholic/Christian country. In Vietnam snd Cambodia the same. It is poor people/countries doing weird sh!t like that.
Im sure sharia wouldve dealt with the their thievery. So NO to your idiotic comment@rjeckardt8863
@@rjeckardt8863What does Islam have to do with us? We are Iraqi Muslims and are generous with tourists
@@Esraa-j6q Sadly these stories are common in Jordan. Has nothing to do with being Muslim, or what type of Muslim one is. It's the greed, and the way people treat people in this tourist enclave. Not worth the hassle for tourists that spend a hell of a lot of money to enjoy being in a country with such rich history, only to be hassled over money. :)
I was going to book Jordan 😱.Thanks for the warning
It still is a very beautiful country but definitely watch out when you are there and probably don't trust strangers as easily as i do...
I'm a Jordanian, and I had a similar experience last year when I visited Petra. Everyone wanted to scam me. The problem is the Police don't do anything to stop this. The corruption in Jordan is deeply rooted in the government itself. I really don't recommend anyone to visit Jordan, even though I am a Jordanian.
Wow.
This such an honest and sincere comment!
Thank you for sharing!
I hope I get to visit someday. The most beautiful horses.
The leader is a puppet of israel and the west what do you expect. He is just pillaging the resources of the country with the help of the west and israel
Salaam alaikum brother, I am going in one month I want to ask if it is mandatory to get travel insurance to enter
@@asiyah-nour No, I don't think you need an insurance. Also, I don't think it is a good idea to come to Jordan at summer. The temperatures can easily get around 50 Celsius.
I am afraid that most of Northern Africa into the middle East is the same but we were harassed to buy there goods but never threatened. Most Muslims countries were very friendly and helpful and hospitable. That has been our experience of 20 years visiting these places.
We visited Jordon December of 2019. We felt unsafe and left one day early to get back to Israel. They were quite mad because they could not get tips from us.
Yes much better visiting Israel the land of apartheid and genocide
They live on tips
It's Palestine not Israel
@@canmanlam I we are using old names for places then I prefer to call it Judea
@@blackfang1481 actually Canaan precedes Judea. So you can't pick and choose old names just to suit your agenda.
I’m a Jordanian and most people you find outside of Amman are rude and they also try scamming locals if you go to the right places there are nice people
I traveled to Jordan last year with my daughter, we both enjoyed a lovely time and had non of the experiences you described. We rented a car and visited whatever we wanted. Food was incredible. People absolutely friendly, warm and welcoming.
You seem to be the only one that wasn't harassed by the scammers! Maybe you looked like a local???
Wow, this one is a sad sad story. Jordan is out of my ''to visit list'' forever...
Brainwashed 🧠
Book with a decent tour company. Tourists are preyed upon when they’re independent travellers. There are scammers everywhere and unless you’re protected by people you know or if you know the country, you’ll get ripped off. If you returned to Jordan, you’ll know how not to be scammed. As an independent traveller I found this in India, Kenya, UK, Morocco, UAE....nowhere is perfect. Give Jordan another chance!
Pity. It's one of the most beautiful countries in the world and the people are amazing. Don't let one bad experience deny you visiting a truly amazing place
yes me to! It is all the hype for very little!! India has 100 times what they have. The West hyped it up and always puts India down. India never stole entire entire continents of their gold, silver or land or was into Slavery which was part of the Arab Slave trade or the Transatlantic Slave trade nor does India have oil, that free money.
India has poverty but it is progressing. But it has every landscape in the world including what you see in Jordan if you go to the north that looks like a moon landscape. Petra is nothing compared to the elephant caves with more elaborate detailed carved rock. But if you are a Westerner you will not know because the West prefers to focus on the slums of India instead. The people are polite and not aggressive especially in the South. Jordan and Egypt is the same! A relative of our lost their son in Turkey. He was a young 21 year old out of the UK looking to travel the world. A worker at the hotel he stayed at offered to show him around and then ki11ed him for his British passport. He tried to enter the UK using the British passport. He was actually a Egyptian national. When he was to be charged Turkey deported him to Egypt. There was a bias they felt because they didn't share the same religion. All facts are true. Nobody talks about this. One has to be extremely careful in these countries!! Asia is where I prefer to go than these countries. Even poor Africa is not that bad, like Kenya if you keep to the tourist areas. They will not try to scam you in those areas. Now, Nigeria is not where I would go. In fact at one time Kenya wanted to deport all Nigerians. This was because of the scams. They have a French guy riding a bike through Kenya and you can see from his YT videos all the local people go out of their way to help him never asking for anything in return. He broke down a few times, had an accident but never did anyone take advantage of him, instead they helped him out of the kindness of their heart. He did cycle a little in the Middle East. And you can watch him describe how he had to run away as he feared for his life. They also pretended to be friendly and stole all his money. And then he felt they were going to ki11 him so he fled in great fear of his life. It is out in the open about these countries.
India has every landscape in the world from the Himalayas to deserts to beautiful islands with white sand considered in the top ten beaches in the world. And they have golden sand beaches of Goa as well. The NE has stunning waterfalls and green forests. Along the coast are the blue mountains which are teaming with incredible biodiversity. India is another planet on its own with something so different from the rest of the world in ancient culture. Temples that are use that are thousands of years old. Asia is truly a great destination. The people are the best. They are not aggressive. They are gentle people. Sure they have a little small scams but they are nothing from what goes on in these countries!!! These people could have disappeared for that gold ring and if she had more. You just never know. If you go to Egypt have the protection of a tour group, never go on your own!!! Watch other YT videos on this. Very scary place to be when alone. They will force you to get on a camel for a small price but once you are on it they will add a few zeros to the price and harass and harass you for it. They all follow you as soon as they notice it is not a local and you become a target! Horrible experiences to be found. These are all FACTS about these places! Good luck! 18:35
@@FoxyexrnI have been to India and Kenya and as God is my witness they are not like these places!!! A relative of ours, a young 21 year old from the UK, on his own traveling was murdered for his passport in Turkey. It was a Egyptian national that murdered him. And because
of bias in religion, our relatives being Christian, and the Turkish officials sharing the same religion as the murderer he was deported to Egypt instead of going to prison. This is a case that is handled by the British government but unfortunately they don't want to lose relationships with countries over one death of their citizens, so sadly there is no justice. For the politicians it is not their son. The world is corrupt! Especially Western governments, they have changed!!
I am only assume that if one is from the region that they would try to convince these folks otherwise!! It is a good thing they are alive. I bet if they had more gold other than the ring they may have disappeared and I am sure this YTer would agree! There are enough YT videos with plenty of evidence out there to share, so I need not say anymore. Just watch the other YT videos and horror they experience in these countries with aggressive people! And in a way the West deserve it as they always put Asia down.
Egypt is like that as well. In Cairo even the tour guide was like that. We were supposed to be there for 12 days, but I left within 6. I was sick of it. Egypt is gorgeous but the people there, is not. I will never go back. My brother went to Syria and had similar experience. He also left earlier than planned. In Israel and Kuwait none of that. They were decent with us. I am so sorry you too had to endure those kinds of adversities.
try turkiye :)
Many many years ago - the early 70s - I lived in Jamaica for several months, and felt the same way about it, though as a multi-ethnic person I could have passed as a Jamaican, as long as I didn't open my North American mouth. But my 6'2 White boyfriend was repeatedly targeted, and one day was hit by people throwing rocks and yelling at him as we walked through a small town. Everywhere we went people tried to steal our belongings and take as much money as they could. We were warned by several Peace Corps volunteers not to go to Kingston, because we might be killed. The country was incredibly beautiful, but the people were not. I went back 15 years later, and nothing had changed. What is it that makes a whole people so corrupt? And while we can have compassion and empathy for people who are (perhaps) poor and disadvantaged, why is it that the mindset in some countries is one of corruption, while in other poor countries people are still generous and hospitable? All I know is, I sure don't want to visit and leave my tourist dollars in a place where people are going to abuse me and shake me down, and where I don't feel safe. You're right - it's a terrible feeling to know that you cannot trust anyone in a place.
Wow.
Thank you so much for sharing this story.
Not only did i feel that you 100 % understood to point of the video. 😁
But you also gave me a new perspective.
The way you described Jamaica 15 years later made me understand that making such videos (not overly positive ones) is necessary. Because the only way we can hope for a different future is when enough people address the problem and force Jordanians to deal with the problem before the country loses is reputation as a tourist friendly place.
@@WildVikingTravels Keep doing what you're doing - if I want a travel channel that is all about how pretty and wonderful a place is, there's plenty of those around, but not many that are as honest, raw, or emotional, as yours. Thank you for being so brave of heart as to go to places that many of us will not. Still pondering the question of why some cultures become addicted to thieving and dishonesty (parts of Mexico fit here), I contrasted this video of Jordan with the one you made of Mosul a couple of months ago. And what a contrast that is! If any people could be forgiven for acting as if they want to take you for everything you have, it would surely be those who survived in Mosul....and yet what you found was so opposite to what you showed us you experienced in Jordan, and so incredibly hopeful. Thank you. P.s. I really liked your massage videos - especially the nut and butt one - it made me laugh!
Wow, in my time in Jordan I never experienced one of those things you experienced. The water melon story is typical wherever you are. Even in my own country, it is more expensive to buy from the local farmers, local fishermen than the supermarket, by a long way! Shows how much the supemarkets smash the producers on price!
Exactly, 'markets pay little & make big profits, tbh I'd rather pay a farmer a bit more - a bit, mind, not someone taking the pish..
As an older traveler, your "I'll never go again" is my "ill never go at all"
Gracias for the skipped headache
This was exactly my experience in Jordan. Be very careful if you rent a car. Spend 10-15minutes carefully videoing the car when you pick it up, both inside and out. Then when you return the car they will demand that you give them your phone. Don’t do that. What they are looking for is a scratch that you missed and they will demand money. They will also claim that you didn’t return the car washed and demand more money. Ask them to show you where it says that on the contract. Just walk away and go to the office in the terminal. When you are at a historical site, someone will pretend to guide you to the start, but they will never leave you and then demand money. I had the same experience at the gas station.
Thanks for sharing!
I am sure people who are heading there find this comment very useful!
Same. I was there in 2008 and 2009 as a solo female traveller. I would never recommend the country!
@@littleredcelt you obviously have an agenda
Lol I love your made up scenario right out of an Arabian nights fantasy film 📽️🎥
Great tip. Had this exact experience in Jordan and they told me I scratched the car. Threatened to call police. Video was a lifesaver and showed scratches were old.
Egypt is worse. Both Jordanians and Egyptians live under very difficult circumstances. And parts of them seem to have lost their dignity. And they really seem to think you're a walking wallet and everybody in the West is rich.
No...to be more precise many but definately not all jordanians live in poor circumstances
@greenleaf8226 Agreed. But those who do these things are. And I know how existentially threatening illness can be for middle-class people. Those, of course, would never engage in activities like scamming tourists.
Even the government is treating tourists like walking wallets. It's a top down problem. They don't understand there's competition with other countries. They should invest more and protect tourists better.
@@classics39 in Jordan govt. officials will not treat tourists as wallets...
and hustlers are mainly these bedouin at Petra...
but in other places it does not usualy happen.
@greenleaf8226 I travel the world. In comfort, not a backpacker, never have been...... Tourism is the most important income for JO. It's the gap between value for money. The services the government provides or excerts control of in terms of infrastructure, etc. It's lacking... It would also benefit the locals, like public transport. For example, the airport is good. Transport options to the city centre a shambles. Buses from/to the airport couldn't be worse, falling apart.... That's the most basic. Many people don't like taxis, driving , obnoxious drivers, etc. Generally, I found Jordanians helpful, open,friendly.... also a Chinese woman from Hong Kong said so. I definitely would go back.
@@classics39 yes Jordan has to fix and upgrade its public transportation options, and yes there are some money hustlers due to poverty an/or an over expensive survival lifestyle in Jordan... but that dors not mean everyone is like that...times are hard worldwide, and scammers or beggers or crooks are everywhere...
Jordan is full of life and has something that caters to all nationalities, classes and religions ( if your that way inclined) its just a matter of managing your options and choosing correctly which path to enjoy the country
Thank you for sharing your experiences and being honest.
Always!
Visited 20 years ago, was not as bad as now, but they will never see me again. Oman so so much better
I live in Algeria and I can tell you,as a Brit,it’s the best country to come without being scammed,I’ve lived here for over 20yrs and Algerians are sooooo lovely to foreigners,we get treated so well,they would hate anyone scamming us anywhere..I’ve been to Tunisia and as soon as we crossed the border,the rd side police wanted money,as we had a foreign car,my husband is Algerian but that didn’t stop them!
Where would you recommend visiting in Algeria?
@@MarksWorldOfAdventure Algiers of course, it’s called the White city,it’s really beautiful,La Grand Poste in the centre will blow you away!
So many areas of Algiers to see,Le Jardin di essai which Renoir actually did a few paintings of… The Bardot Museum and a few other landmarks
Thlemcen in the West is an immaculately kept city,Constantine in the East,Jijel on the coast,also in the East,which always reminds me of the Amalfi drive in Italy. Chrea mountains behind Algiers,people ski there in winter! The Sahara,which is huge,so many different places to visit! Djemila for thé largest Roman ruins outside of Italy,No scamming here honestly! Algerians will welcome you wholeheartedly and I’m sure you will be invited to do many houses to eat!!
If you want to see a few photos send me a request on Instagram I am “Seqinnised”
@@MarksWorldOfAdventure firstly Algiers itself is definitely worth exploring,also Tipaza on the coast is a must for its beauty and Roman ruins,Constantine to the Far East,while there you go inland to Timgad for the largest Roman ruins outside of Italy,it’s huge! Chrea mountains,Thlemcen to the far West,Ghardaia next to the Sahara,then onto Djanet deep in the Sahara,is a must see,it’s absolutely amazing and has been around since the Middle Ages by the Toureg people.. Algeria has it all,for me..
Sea,mountains and Sahara...
@@susanguerinai6507 Thank you so much for this! I'm a Brit, a solo traveller, and want to visit Algeria next year - so I will take your advice and learn more about these places :)
Such a shame, ruined by greedy people. Reminds me of travel in Egypt and Morocco, constant harassment. Wonderful places but tourists are given a tough time.
It was on my bucketlist but I won't do it anymore. This is so annoying anywhere you travel this Scams and the rudeness are just killing the vibes. Totally understand how you feel. Recently had the same in Marrakech with the henna painting ladies on the market. They pull you, grab your hand and start painting even you don't want to. Then asking during painting how much it cost, they say you can give whatever you want. But guess what.. they asked me 40 USD for a little not well executed henna?! Then start being agressive. But they did not win in my case - i just walked away. Discussion did not bring anything in this case. It's just a rip-off 😮
Ohh wow.
That really killes the travel mood if someone so bluntly tries to rip you off, but good for you on walking away. I know it can feel bad, but it is the best this to do. The more you give in the more they will harass the next person who walks by...
In 1980, I was stoned in Kerak along with a Canadian guy I was traveling with. I was then 21 and discovering the world.
The Royal Police saved us and took us away from this trap.
This beautiful country is unfortunately unfriendly and could be dangerous.
I never went back there
Syria was the most friendly of the region
I swam in the Dead Sea, on the other side, near Massada. Don't spill Dead Sea water in your eyes, it burns !
Real bad that happened to you in Jordan and glad you thought so of Syria. Am syrian and saw some UA-camrs enjoy it there recently. As a child around 2007 I used to go to the touristy places to practice my English lol. Those days were lovely🥲
Aha, so that's why Syrian refugees are so nice in Norway! My youngest daughter LOVE Syrians, as they're so funny and friendly here.
Relatives of ours from the UK lost their 21 year old son in Turkey. An Egyptian national at the hotel he stayed at befriended him and promised to show him a few sights and murdered him on the first day. He removed all his belongings making it look like he checked out of the hotel while his poor family were desperately trying to contact him. The Turkish police told the parents that their son wanted to be alone without nagging parents and refused to look for him. They paid a private investigator who found their son's body in a morgue. The Egyptian national was arrested when he tried to use the British passport. But instead of Turkey putting him in prison they deported him to Egypt. They knew it was because of a bias in religion, they being Christian.
And these nationals are making their way to Europe. Good luck! Enjoy!
@@Dan-xx5jq This story should've been all over the news. Could you please provide some sources? (Or is it just a story you made up now on the fly to plug the religion in it?) I hope for the latter because this sounds terrible.
@@yourfriend5144 I don’t have to make up. It happened to me in 1980 when I travelled overland from Northern France to Greece, most of the way on bicycle. It was stolen the next day I arrived in Athens. So I paused and worked few months in Greece. Then took the road, bus, car, trains, donkeys from Athens to Jerusalem via Sofia, Istanbul, Antakya, Lattaquié, Tripoli, Beyrut, Damascus, Amman, Kerak, Petra, Aqaba, back to Amman, Allenby Bridge, Jericho, Jerusalem …
Overall this overland trip was very positive and exciting.
I wouldn’t be possible nowadays
❤No, brother, our government does not support these people at all. These people only represent themselves, but they do not represent us as a Jordanian people. Welcome to Jordan, and I am sorry for what happened to this bad group of people.
There are thousands of videos on UA-cam of thousands of tourists and influencers who have visited Jordan and are delighted with their trips and stays in the country, why are you the only ones who don't like my country!? I find that you make a great effort to highlight everything that is negative and I find that it is unfortunate and unfair!
Sadly your attitude is the exact reason why there is so many scammers in Jordan.
Instead of accepting criticism you blame me for for sharing my experience and while doing that you normalise the actions of those people.
The Jordanian people are a mixture of cultures and are familiar with most countries in the world. They are hospitable and dutiful people and no one can deny that, but through your experience you have judged more than 12 million people and the most beautiful spot on earth.
I was in Egypt, I loved it, despite the schemes and the MISERABLE way they treat animals, I decided never to go to Jordan when, after a lot of research, I concluded that it is the most corrupt country in the region and that animals are even more mistreated than in Egypt . That's why I will never go to Jordan in my life because I hate corrupt people and even more I hate those who mistreat animals.
@@weneverknow1962 stay in Israel you troll
Thank you for this video! I traveled to Jordan, and I posted on Instagram about getting scammed and harassed every day! I had people getting mad at me for stating the truth!
Gald you enjoyed it.
Yea from the comment section as well i can see that it is sort of a 50/50 chance if you get harassed or not...
I'm part Jordanian and have lived most of my life here and I can't tell you how sad it makes me to watch this video, if you would like to give it another chance with a local on your side contact me.
This is the thing - if you have a local guide, this can take away a lot of the headache! Well done you for this kind offer. I hope you get to meet some nice tourists and pass on your positivity! All the best to you :)
You should not need a local these thieving twats should be arrested
I'll be arriving in Amman in 2 weeks, from America. 😬
I went there a few years ago - had a great time - but I was part of a tour group. Great way to see the country - I was happy to stay in my tourist bubble...
Couldn't agree more!
You are welcome at all in oman
Try to visit salalah in Oman in summer this year
Search more You will be surprised
And I am sorry for what happened to you in Jordan
Oman is NO BETTER ! Especially for black people : they hire black poor people and treat them as SLAVES, with many dying there, being raped etc !!!
It's not me who said that, but the BBC :
ua-cam.com/video/fJTh4Gdn_B8/v-deo.html
BUT OF COURSE THE TOURISTS WITH DOLLARS WON'T SEE IT...
Wow thank you so much for sharing! Very insightful. Sorry you had to face such people, but you handled it very well
17:05 even the donkey is not happy in Jordan 🤣
زرت 19 طوله عربيه واجنبيه ولكن بصراحه لم ارتاح إلا بالاردن لانها جميله جدآ ومتطوره ونظيفه وشعبها لطيف وودود ولم يقابلني ابدآ ما ذكرته بالفيديو وانا فعلآ استغرب من كلامك
الارطن متطوره شعبه لطيف 😂😂😂
I had terrible experiences in Morroco and Egypt, horrible places with hideous barbaric people! I would love to visit Oman and for what i heard from people who visited this country it's well worth it.
Oman is a wonderful country and one of our favourite destinations !Very safe and friendly people !
We've traveled with a rental 4X4 in Oman twice. Loved it. The people, too. Very kind and no scams. Super helpful. The country is beautiful!
I've been to Jordan through an organized tour company, and that's the only reason i enjoyed it immensely. Other than in Petra, where it was harder to protect ourselves from scammers and the sight of animal abuse, everywhere else was safe and great.
I recommend taking an organized tour so you don't have to deal with all the other nonsense.
the music at the 5:50 mark really sets up the energy for your shots! Excellent pick for your videos! A true adventure shot, complete with the badass music!
I remember when you guys first started.....112k subs says one thing, great job growing your channel over time.....your flair with your music is what you makes you awesome in my mind right now, keep that stuff up, freaking awesome! I shouldnt say "what makes you awesome", but I especially appreciate it right now.
I am sorry of your experiences in Jordan. That country can be lovely place, but I can feel a little bit with you.
From 1989 to 1991 I studies Arabic in 'Amman and there was very little tourism. Even Petra just had two hotels (one of it more a hostel). Wadi Rum was unspoiled of tourism and empty. Unfortuneately tourism developped, and with it came overtourism (because of people having "Bucket Lists" due to travel influencers from around 2010 on).
That spoiled a lot, and there came more and more scammers. I realised that when I visited Jordan last time in 2017. Very different.
But: Even then I found most people very welcoming and friendly as it always had been. Only the number of scammers was significantly higher. It made me a little bit nostalgic and sad to experience that. But overall, I enjoyed my staying there also in 2017.
Do I want to go back to Jordan? Yes, I do want!
Wow, didn't realise tourism had grown so fast so quickly. I travel by www (I'm not in prison; just lazy & older:) so use these videos to imagine being there, always fascinated by the beauty & history of Petra, & loveliness of Jordan & its people, & being safe for female visitors; seems like a piece of Heaven on earth. Not sure these hawkers are so worse than 1s I've seen in London, or the excitable addicted beggars you find in my UK city. I've seen videos where people are lucky to experience Petra empty - so envious - but it does seem to suffer over-tourism. & donkey neglect. But I agree, I would still want to visit if I were a tourist, its a magnetic place 💖
Lebanon is where all the fun is...people, food,ruins, sceneries and all...most welcoming country in ME...
Yes, we went slightly trepidatious, but thought the place was amazing. Experience has tought us that some places suggested as 'dangerous' are actually incredibly rewarding, you just have to take more common sense care. That was maybe 15 years ago, I'd certainly recheck travel policy/risks/advice now. You have to be aware of the situation at the local there and go around with your brain switched on. Be really careful about getting your camera out in Beirut (govt spooks observing, not thieves!). Do so, and you can find a pretty incredible experience. (Travellers from UK+ASEAN c2010)
@@phoenixw2 Lebanon is amazing but don't know what your talking about cameras and filming...
there are plenty youtubers who have filming everything and anything without any problems in Lebanon.
Really, you are gonna recommend people to go to Lebanon? lol Not sure what you call fun.... but most likely you will have more fun there soon
@@farsalami8605 you talk to fast and to wrong...without knowing the reality...
Lebanon has been on a US and UK red flag list for years and yet travel youtubers go there, really enjoy themselves because there is so much to enjoy and some even even live there...
tourists still go there, not in huge numbers like spain or greece ...but those who go enjoy themselves.
@@greenleaf8226 Dude youtubers go anywhere..... i'm from iran and i do not recommend anybody to come here..... youtubers seem to love it too lol untill " shit hits the fan" . You go live in lebanon for a while and then come back critisizing me. lol
Wanna have fun? go to spain, thailand, hey even brazil or colombia... at least you know where the danger comes from. In my country.... you are putting your life on the lottery..... a lottery you know nothing about and can not control. In rio.... you know the game. Don't go walk around at night... you do it? ok you know what the game is... just give them your wallet and your phone and walk away lol
Lebanon is generally more dangerous than iran.... but now you also have a hungry population ( have you ever been hungry...... not ohh a have not eaten for 6 hours but really hungry.... have not eaten meat for months hungry ) and a possibility that beirut will get flattened. WTF are you talking about...... i assume you are a lebanese living in the west and visit every 3 years and pretend to be a 3 week millionaire
Sadly we made the same experiences in Egypt, we got scammed at any possible occasion. It was so annoying and destroying so many wonderful sightings and moments. We discussed this topic with our tour guide and he apoligized for his countrymen's behaviour. He had tried so often to explain them, that western tourists don't like to be hassled. But with no success, they don't want to understand.
Absolutely right and sorry for your horrible experiences. And this is after an anti-corruptionn drive made throughout Jordan a few years ago. I am speaking from the same experiences I got and I am an Arab !! So bad that we were totally relieved on regaining our hopes when we visited Morocco and Tunisia. Yes, visit ANY country except ...
I feel the same way about Egypt.
Kinda makes sense, Jordan is one of the poorer countries in the world. I heard only place in middle east that has similar GNI (High average income) to US or Europe is Saudi Arabia. Plus the exchange rate, I don't know where this guy is from but Swedish krona is worth around 9 US cents. Jordan money is worth a lot 1.40 dollar, only behind kuwait, Bahrain, and oman.
I am traveling next month. I learned something from this video. Thank you :-)
Glad it was helpful!
Great video man! Thank you!
حقا سلطنه عمان أجمل بلد في الشرق الأوسط يمكن زيارتها ❤❤❤
Now I just visit Oman.
My wife and I spent two weeks in Jordan 🇯🇴 in January this year. We had an amazing time in that beautiful country and had no bad experiences with the local people. Highly recommend....
Tip.... dont expect change.... Make sure you have enough notes and coins to give a seller the exact amount they initially charge ;)
Same experience in Egypt, Morocco and other third world Muslim countries. Very rude and annoying people trying to rip you off and scam you everywhere.
what does religion have to do with it??
you could walk the streets of Paris, and be constantly approached by roma gypsies tryimg to sell you a ring...
it happens in many countries worldwide
Visit Iraq / Kurdistan. You will experience the opposite of this. Locals will buy you dinner, offer to give you money, and invite you to stay in their house for free
Seems like a false made up scenario because you want people to think bad of Muslims - I’ve watched hundreds of videos of Muslim videos, all generous and kind people and this is the first - I checked your comment history and saw that you’re supporting israel and you are a Zionist, guys please ignore comments like this from murderous evil people like the Zionists, they want you to believe what their paid media perpetuates. This commenter is just an ugly liar.
That landscape reminds me of Borderlands. The Captain Scarlet DLC where you have the pirates. One of my favorites.
This is an honest review/video and I love it! I have never been, it would not dissuade me (too much) from traveling there but it gives us a heads up on what to expect if we do go there. Thank you for your honest impression. I love to watch travel videos but it gets very annoying when some vloggers leave out very obvious facts about a place. Now I will go check out your other videos!
As a jordanian i appologize for your experience, our reputation is all about generosity and welcoming visitors, however after covid and the economic situation of the government things changed i guess, thats of course no excuse at all. My advice is to go with a group, or with a jordanian friend to avoid these incidents. Sorry again for this experience
Sad situation. Thanks for sharing.
I've also dreamt of the Dead Sea from being a child but I'd also not twigged how itchy salt can be; 'my lady parts are on fire, Yo' 🤣
Jordan is the best country ❤and everyone love it 😻
I trust your opinion! Thank you. Safe travels. ❤
Gorgeous amazing country & history 💖 thanks for sharing & your accents are lovely! Beautiful voices & demeanour for narration. An element in any country sees tourist as prey; my (quiet & polite) UK college group got scammed in western city Barcelona, previously fluent café staff suddenly couldn't speak English when we queried a dodgy bill! Surprising how a sour taste lingers, 20+yrs! Far more than the money was worth. But I should remember the street-lady who grabbed a pigeon - we're thinking omg what's she doing?! - but she was untying it's legs of litter that'd wound round them, the crowd gathered all cheered as it flew off free. Then we worried about potential pick-pockets, lol..
We visited Jordan 5 years ago and arranged via our travelagency in the Netherlands a driver/guide. He knew all local habits / bad places etc etc. We did not experience any problem whatsoever. It cost some extra but well worth it. It seems that this is needed in some countries, especially where people do not have much money. You should know before you go how the local situation is.
I'm a Jordanian U r not wrong so sorry for your experience. Our ppl are really nice but this is what happens when the leaders are corrupt and take advantage of their own ppl.
Scammers are always existing in places that appear to be low quality of service which make tourists expect to pay cheaper, but those scammers are a professional cheaters, they are hiding from the officials. if you reported them, they would be punished badly. Recently the government made a big campaign to clean up all illegal practices in the touristic areas and we hope this last.
(im jordanian)
There is a huge north south wealth divide. Im from the north and there is alot of hostility between the two of us and alot of racism. I visited petra, wadi rum, and aqaba, the locals were very unfriendly and were not willing to talk. We saw tourists being scammed and whatnot. The north composses the jordanian middle class and most if not all government projects are in the north.
So i think the problem is the government not the locals.
Btw the visit was largely unpleasant
Your video shows me that everyone who travels has a different experience than another. When I visited Jordan in 2018, I experienced a completely different journey than the one you experienced. really completely different. the people were friendly, the food was tasty and there was a lot to see.
They are still.
Sorry to hear about your experience there are good people I hope you will try again
So sorry for your experience in Jordan - I’ve always wanted to visit Petra but maybe not now after seeing this video - I cannot imagine the audacity of government employees to try and intimidate you and get aggressive and threaten, it’s disgusting behaviour and if I was Jordanian I would search down the people and places in this video and submit complaints, Jordan’s tourism industry suffered greatly during covid and this treatment of visitors and tourists will only hurt it more. As Muslims these people should also be truly ashamed of themselves, how dare they treat their guests in this way, shameful, disgusting, downright ignorant behaviour - in Arabic you would call these people Jaahil.
The scamming Bdohls are now removed by the police/Government. Aldo their stalls where they sold fake artifacts.🎉
I spent 3 months in Jordan in 1991 and traveled to every corner of it. Except for a taxi driver or two, Jordan was not unusually “scammy”. Even in Petra the locals acted reasonably.there was some weirdness but overall Jordan was OK. Sounds like it’s gone the way of Egypt. Too bad.
I was there two years ago and I thought Jordan was a really nice place. Both the locations as well as the people. But I only stayed for one week where I hiked the Jordan Trail between Dana and Petra. When I was in Petra I didn't have the feeling that people were trying to scam me. Sure, there are the typical souvenir shops where you're ripped off, but they are everywhere. From the five new world wonders that I visited (I didn't visit Taj Mahal and Rio yet) Petra is the most beautiful of them all. If I ever have the chance to get back I would not hesitate one second.
Exactly