Packing for a new country tips depends widely on the country you’re visiting. That can cause information about a specific country a little hard to find. Lindsay, from Step Into Jordan talks about keeping in mind the cultural differences when packing for a new destination in Travel Tip Tuesday #5.
For more tips on overcoming a culture shock and read some stories from travelers experiencing a cultural shock.
Packing for the cultural norms of your destination
Ensure your packing list meets the cultural norms of the place you are visiting!
When planning a trip to another country, it is important to consider the cultural norms of that country. This is most important when you are visiting conservative countries, but can be applied almost anywhere.
It is important to know what to pack when visiting Jordan, as it would be quite different than what you would pack when visiting Malaysia. Although both are Muslim countries, both have different social norms and different levels of acceptable dress.
It is also important to consider that although Jordan and Israel are neighbors, their dress codes and social norms are also different, although they are both in the Middle East.
Jordan is the easiest example for me to use as a conservative Muslim country, but one that is very friendly, welcoming and has a good attitude towards visitors.
Hospitality comes naturally for many Arabs, especially Jordanians. Although friendly, men (and women) in the country do believe that showing too much skin is an invitation for sexual advances.
Muslims also believe that only the face and hands should be shown in public, hence why many women choose to cover their hair and wear long-sleeved clothing.
That is not to say that every man on the street is going to try and touch a foreign woman if she is not covered up, but it was only VERY recently that a law was overturned in the Kingdom that a man would not be charged with rape if he agreed to marry his victim.
This attitude about women is something that should be taken into consideration when visiting. Although as a Westerner, you may be very comfortable in shorts and a tank top in warm sunny weather, it is important to consider the locals who may not be comfortable with what you might be wearing.
Just because you wear a bikini does not mean you are asking for your body to be sexualized, but perhaps in the place that you are visiting, showing off too much skin is “asking for the wrong kind of attention.”
You cannot try to change someone’s attitude just by your behavior, it is much more important to understand the cultural norms of the place you are visiting and behave in a manner deemed suitable by the locals.
You are, of course, a visitor to their country. Just because their ideas differ from yours, does not mean it you should push your norms on them.
When it comes to planning what to do in Jordan and packing for Jordan specifically, women should stick to long pants and sleeved shirts. Bathing suits are fine at the hotel pools and beaches, but short shorts are not something you will see on the streets.
In contrast, in Israel, you will find women wearing tank tops and shorts in the summertime. Despite both of these countries being in the Middle East, a large chunk of the population of Israel is made up of Europeans who immigrated to the newly formed nation after the second world war. With them, their brought their cultural norms.
Similar to Israel, in Malaysia, wearing shorts is perfectly fine in most places although you are not as likely to see many local sporting them.
Overall, my best suggestion is to do your research, check out popular “what to pack” posts and read about attitudes towards foreigners with regards to dress, local scams (no one wants to be a victim to a Paris pickpocketing scheme, so do not put your wallet in your back pocket) and cultural norms in the country you are visiting!
About Step Into Jordan
Lindsay Nieminen is the creator of Step Into Jordan, a resource-rich website dedicated to helping others plan their visits to Jordan, whether independently or on a tour. She is also the editor of Carpe Diem OUR Way, an adventure travel website for families. When Lindsay is not traveling, she resides in Vancouver, Canada with her two boys.
