FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Here are the questions most frequently asked to my by people wanting to visit Jordan. If you have any specific questions you'd like to ask after reading these, please contact me at the email link shown above.
1. We want to visit Jordan as our tour and vacation destination. Do you think we've made the right choice?
You have made a perfect choice, whether you are seeking a relaxing vacation, an archaeological tour, visits to unique historical sites which you cannot experience anywhere else, or want to see some of the most beautiful and stirring geological locations in the world. Whether it's Amman, Aqaba, Petra, Wadi Ramm or any of our "Desert Castles" (caravanserais) as just the start of a list, you will return home with indelible memories.
Jordan is safe - everywhere - for visitors and residents. Just ask other visitors to our country. His Majesty King Abdullah II makes public safety a primary government service, which you will see and feel, whether you are in any of our major cities, as you drive along our major and lesser highways, as you explore our historical sites, and as you travel the remote beauties of our land such as Mujib Canyon, known as "Jordan's Grand Canyon". 
In fact, at most archaeological sites, you will see a group of uniformed "Tourist Police" moving around the grounds and buildings. They are present not to "police" the tourists, but to "police" the area to make sure that our tourists and visitors enjoy their visit without any inconvenience or concern.
Jordanians are more than "nice people" -- we are kind, warm and welcoming of visitors, as the biblical emphasis on hospitality stresses. His Majesty's commitment to public education has established an economic and educational prosperity throughout the Kingdom, which we are happy to share. You will see our prosperity in more than our modern buildings and public infrastructure. We are proud of our Semitic Arabic culture and of our legacy
that ancient civilizations have left for us to love, understand,
appreciate and protect for generations to come. The personal spirit and "welcome to Jordan" you receive from our people -- especially our children as you drive along -- will make you feel most genuinely welcomed in our country.
Jordan's weather is enjoyable year-round. In the spring -- April, May and June -- everything is even more beautiful with different
colored wild flowers and trees, painting our mountains and hills
for wonderful photography. In summer time -- July and August -- it gets
hot, which adds to the experience of touring our wadis, deserts and archaeological and religious sites. In winter -- December to March -- occasional rain and snow can be experienced, but these are great times to visit sites with shorter waiting times and fewer tourists.
In the summer, one of the magical and thrilling experiences is to sleep outside, under the infinite number of stars. But, no matter hot it might get during the daytime (say 37 degrees centigrade; 99 degrees fahrenheit), it becomes cool in the evening to the point most times
one needs a long sleeve shirt or windbreaker to keep warm.
2. What are your favorite sites in Jordan?
First: It is Bethany
Beyond the Jordan, as the baptism of Jesus Christ which marks the
Holiness of the land of Jordan that interacts with personages and
incidents of the Old and New Testament. In fact, what really makes
Bethany Beyond the Jordan so special to me, is that I spent 8
hard months compiling information and studying the site and its
archaeology, which made me present the site in a full paper at the Fourth
International Conference on Science and Technology in Archaeology and
Conservation at Petra-Jordan in 2004 (see this site's homepage), so I think I've helped
contribute to the importance of this site in its early days coming out
of the womb of Ancient History.
Second: It is God's Heaven on Earth, the
Natural reserve of Dana, situated 60 KM north of Petra, 250 KM south of
Amman. Living in Nature, hearing its most beautiful music (and I know
where the best band is situated), enjoying the exceptional landscape and
history and meeting the kindest people of all Jordan, is certainly the
privilege in this case.
Third: It is walking on our 'Mare
Tranquilitatis' in the valley of the moon in Wadi Ramm that is famous
for one part of its history with T. E. Lawrence and with another part
with meeting the real Lords of the Desert in relation to our Bedouin
community, and that makes me proud because I'm a Bedouin. 
In simple
words, living in the Desert seems to so many as impossible, but to me it
is every thing when it comes to appreciating the tradition and the
people living in an honorable lifestyle. This is the general story of
man's continuous occupation in the Desert since antiquity, which I am happy to point out, explain and tell the story of the stone and ancient graffiti carvings, which we
will be able to interpret together to understand.
Fourth: It is Little Petra, an extant 2000 year old caravanserai carved in the stone, where one can truly appreciate the Royal Suite and the way they sat down to enjoy a fiesta 'mensaf' meal!
Finally and Significantly: It is one of the Seven Wonders of the World, Petra. On July 7, 2007, Petra was selected as one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. 
Friends enjoy my description about the day Petra was elected by millions of votes from around the world, just as I enjoy telling the story.
Although I list these five top sites in Jordan, there are scores of other special other places -- archaeological sites, religious sites, historical sites, museums, and many cities -- to visit and enjoy. Friends give me feedback about how and what they found to be special, and here are some choices which you and I can visit:
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Wadi Yabis and its water sources (supposedly the Brook of
Cherith of the 1 Kings in relation to Elijah the Jordanian prophet).
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Ajloun and its forest land with two famous Christian Pilgrimage sites of
Jordan, declared by the Council of Catholic Churches in the Middle East
and, of course, the homeland of Elijah the Jordanian of the Old Testament.
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Um Qeis, the Gadara of the Decapolis and its beauty of a Greco-Roman
city of black basalt overlooking lake Tiberius with the story of Mathew
8:28 and the Dolmens and its curious method of stone burials of the bronze
age 5,000 years ago.
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And, the Madaba Map (to the right) is more than just an incredible ancient mosaic in the floor of the Church of St. George, about which I will present its history and composition for your complete understanding.
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Since "the best is yet to come", even more than these sites, I'll make suggestions for those who are interested in more.
3. Are there any taboos we should be aware of in Jordan?
No taboos. Enjoy our people and our spirit. But here are some common-sense guidelines.
Just be yourselves as courteous people coming in good spirit and with the intention of leaving a good impression as good ambassadors of your country. No matter your home country, don't we all appreciate the behavior of good guests coming to our house? We Jordanians like the kindness in people and we cherish that important side of our humanity. When you are in Rome (and even when the Romans ruled our lands), do as Romans do. So when you are in Jordan, do as Jordanians do. Jordanians are open-minded people, and we love all that is good about life, and we appreciate people for their goodness and accept them for what they are.
We observe and accept mutually respectful cultural differences. For example, at lunch time during FoAH (Friends of Archaeology & Heritage) field trips, Europeans tend to take a different corner from others and eat, whereas we Jordanians choose a lovely area, put our lunches together and all enjoy a bit of everything and always welcome Europeans (and others, of course) to come and share, because sharing is a blessing that we Jordanians value.
You will notice that wherever you go in Jordan, you will find most of us as people not rich with money, but we are rich with our offers to help visitors and friends, and provide hospitality with a sincere smile and a cup of tea or coffee in our home or office, be it a city building or a desert tent.
Here is an important point about dress! You will do much better in enjoying your visit and your contacts with Jordanians if you wear conservative casual clothing in a chic manner, because we are a conservative community that respects the same in people who respect our culture by wearing appropriate attire.
Finally, here's a guideline that my tourists and visitors tell me they find most helpful to make the most of the time they are able to spend on tour. Please stay on the accepted schedule and the main track with all our colleagues. At archaeological, religious and historic sites, please stay on the marked walkways, don't walk on archaeological remains, do not pick up anything such as pottery shards, and take nothing but photos. When you leave a site, leave nothing behind but footprints in the right paths and a good impression with your fellow tourists and your guide.
Thank you.
4. Should we take a guide, and how do we know we have found a great one?
There might be a better way to ask the question: "Should we HIRE a guide and let the guide take us?"
Absolutely!
It is easy to buy a guide book or search the Internet, but not all that information is scientifically and accurately documented, and sometimes it has a strong "commercial objective". No matter how good the photos might look and the text might read, the guide's human touch, experience and answers to your personal questions add significantly to your understanding and enjoyment of your visit.
In addition, many government organized sites are accessed more quickly and, occasionally, less expensively and with some priority when a visitor is under the umbrella of a licensed, professional guide.
Experienced travelers to any place in the world agree on one point: It is THE GUIDE on any tour who makes the big difference in making or breaking the tour for any group and for its individuals.
For example, in the photo on the left, I'm standing on one of the 1,300-year old walls of a shop in the Citadel of Amman, sharing with members of my tour group how each one of them (separately or in small groups) could enjoy doing his/her/ their own local sight-seeing tour based on their individual needs and interests. I presented them with the the full picture and options on what they could do next. After my discussion and answering their questions, some wanted to visit the great water cistern, others the Umayyad baths and others going further to the Prince's villa. Tourists without a "live, licensed, tour guide" cannot get the personalized on-site guidance to save time and enhance their experience just by reading literature and Internet pages.
Since 1993, I've been enjoying leading groups of different nationalities. Tour guiding to me is not merely a profession, but my life-style, career, passion and fashion. (That is, I don't wear casual jeans like most of my colleagues, I wear khaki on our treks out of respect for my guests and my land, and I do like to sit at the dinner table in a suit. The "suit at dinner" is not something I expect from my guests, but as a tour leader, I want to reflect the professionalism of my work.)
My continuing education and active involvement with professional associations keeps me both current and in the lead on subjects of interest to my guests. I always go "the extra mile" (or kilometer or cubits) for my clients/group/friends to add a creative touch which will enrich your experience.
When I personally travel outside Jordan to a new land or territory, I always hire the best guide I can find, because I know I'm in safe, experienced and knowledgeable hands that provide the greatest benefit and enhanced value in my travel experiences and education. By making myself a traveler and "touring student" on excursions in Spain, Syria and China, I saw and learned first-hand the differences in the quality and value of my continuing education, study, research, workshops and field-trips in always learning more to share more, instead of just taking on a greater number of tours at home with tourists whose simple primary concern was the cost of their lunch instead of the value of their education.
History and archaeology change daily. To be of value to my guests, I have to keep up with those changes, new finds and discoveries. I continue working on improving myself as a guide, a
communicator and as a person on whom to rely, because I care about those who have
accepted me as their friend (according to the Jordanian culture, we
believe in and cherish "friendship") and guide. Most important of
all is how they entrust me as their guide and their friend, and I have always most appreciated and
honored that at all times.
If you want help searching the Internet, just click our LINKS page, after you've read the rest of this page.
5. How do you work with your client guests? What are your fees?
I take instructions and requests from my clients about their choice of places to visit, activities to experience, the number of people on their tour, and the amount of time they have to begin and end their complete journey with me. The usual process starts with my prospective client telling me what they want to do, asking for my advice on how to do it best (most efficiently in time and budget), and then melding together their desires and my recommendations.
>My fees are based on these factors: (1) total length of tour, (2) total number of participants (which determines the size of the motor coach we must rent, number of hotel rooms to reserve, number of meals we need, entrance tickets to certain sites, and other logistics), (3) requests for special services or access, (4) details for activities or events unique to your group, and (5) my professional time in delivering a world-class experience of enjoyment, education and new friendships.
My business depends more on personal referrals than any other single factor. As you can see in this website and other Internet references about Youssef Hilo Licensed Jordanian Guide, I am thrilled that my business and relationships grow because I deliver the highest quality tour experience at the most reasonable and fair fees available. If your primary travel objective is the "cheapest priced tour" you can find, I can also help you by referring you to a list of "cheap tours". If your primary travel objective is a fabulous, once-in-a-lifetime, unforgettable middle-East tour, priced attractively to deliver what I promise, from the moment your arrival plane lands until your departure flight leaves, I believe you have arrived at the right website to begin your adventure.
After all, all you have to do is ask your questions and give me your instructions without any obligation to me. I will reply. The decision about going forward is entirely up to you.
6. Who are your most favorite clients?
My favorite clients are those I call "The Good Travelers" they go for a vacation with the desire to learn, and they accept, react positively and enjoy adopting some of ways of the culture they are exploring.
I'm happy to say that most people in my touring experience are good and kind and inquisitive. Being able to see and feel the appreciation of their experiences in their eyes and
hearts helps motivate me to go
that extra mile for them.
For example, when I'm with good groups in Wadi Ramm, I choose the itinerary with the least number of tourists on that very day, and fewer other tourists makes my guests happy because we enjoy every second of our tour with time for more stops and deeper explanation of historical details.
I'm proud to say that a great number of my clients become good friends. They live all over the world, and we still communicate via email, text message and, even still, some by postal mail. Now you can see how rich I am. True friendship, honor, helping others and kindness are priorities to me.
7. Who are your least favorite clients?
Fortunately, my least favorite clients are very few. I call them "The Bad Travelers", who do not respect their fellow tourists, their guide (or driver or restaurant or hotel staff) or the country they are visiting. They try to enforce their own culture on mine, to the point they insult me or someone on the way. It is life, but "bad travelers" do exist (and, unfortunately, they travel); but so do bad tour agents, bad guides and bad drivers.
I am happy to say, however, that in all my years of tour guiding, I have come across very few individuals and groups who were "bad travelers" or who gave me a hard time by always being hard to satisfy, no matter how much I had prepared in advance for them or how hard I worked to please them. That is another reason I never stop my education and exposure to all that is new in archaeology, history and tourism.
8. Are you a Muslim?
My answer is the same answer of any fellow Jordanian: "Is this important?", because to Jordanians, the most important to us is the other person's character, integrity and friendship.
Here is an answer from one of my tour "friends" who answered that question better than I could. (CLICK HERE)
Christians and Muslims are blessed to be Jordanians, and we live in peace, harmony, tolerance and acceptance of one another. It also does not matter if my guests are Jewish, Buddhist, Confucians, Shinto, Chinese Folk Religion or other religions. Our history in Jordan has been filled with a large number of religions, as residents and travelers, and better understanding among all peoples is what I strive to improve.
