Aqaba - nice place to visit

Advantages: Good shopping, great beach
Disadvantages: Traffic a bit chaotic, bit of hassle if you are women on your own

...I went to Aqaba in Jordan in the month November as part of a cruise on the Thomson Celebration. It was the first destination on the itinerary and we were scheduled to spend two days docked there. We made our way in to the town to do some souvenir shopping on the first morning and found it to be a bustling area with loads of little shops where you could pick up some great bargains. The shop owners nearly all spoke great English and in one shop we were told "go and pick what you like and we'll agree on a price afterwards." This is one of the best parts of shopping in countries such as Egypt and Jordan, as you can nearly always haggle on price and get some fantastic bargains. There are loads of shops and cafes in the town and a lot them sell the same types of things - sand in glass bottles, products made from Dead Sea salts...

tor0908 11.06.2009 (23.06.2009) · Read review
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Review of Aqaba (Jordan)

A good place to go diving

Advantages: A very nice dive site
Disadvantages: NONE

...On my trip to Jordan I went around all of the tourist attractions and I belive that this place was very good. They have amazing coral rocks for snorkelling and they have very good animal life down below. I enjoyed my stay and I liked the atmosphere of the place. The poeple were very friendly and I enoyed the shopping. There is a lot to do and I have a memory of buying bottle with different coloured sands with art work with words and camels and things like that. I definately recommend that you go to Jordan and if you do then definately go to Aqaba because it is so fun and it is definately in the SUN!!!...

Inferno 07.12.2000 · Read review
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Review of Aqaba (Jordan)

The Red Sea and beyond

Advantages: a wide variety of experiences on offer
Disadvantages: none

...Introduction The Gulf of Aqaba is on of two channels of water that form the top of the Red Sea, the other being the Gulf of Suez. The much disputed Sinai peninsular sits between the two channels and the Gulf of Aqaba forms its eastern coast and is also the farthest eastern point in Egypt itself, this is where the African influences of Egypt merge with what used to be called the Holy Land by scholars. Geographically the gulf is an integral part of the Great Rift Valley, a massive fault line that runs from Central-East African through the Red Sea and on northwards to form the valley containing the Dead Sea and River Jordan. Whilst being only 24 kilometres at its widest point and 160 kilometres long, the Gulf is a large shallow water coastal environment with four countries sharing ownership. Almost the entire western coast of the waters...

steerpyke 22.01.2006 · Read review
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Review of Gulf of Aqaba, Egypt

"Only two kinds of creatures get fun in the desert."

Advantages: A film in which you can smell, see and feel the desert - perfection.
Disadvantages: Some think it's too long - they are wrong!!

...on King Feisal (played by the wonderful Alec Guiness), but he ends up identifying more with the Arabs than his British countrymen. Whenever I think of this film, I always picture that incredible journey that Lawrence made on Camel from Cairo to King Feisal's camp. I could actually visualise the vast distances they travelled beneath the glaring sun in the dessert. I feel thirsty now, just reminiscing the scene - it was so wonderfully shot. After the death of his guide at the hands of Arab chieftain Sherif Ali, (the beautiful Omar Sharif), Lawrence takes it upon himself to lead the Arabs against the Turks at Aqaba. With what could hardly be called an army, buy a motley crew of 50 men on camels, he crossed the smouldering desert and surprised Aqaba with the help of Bedouins led by Auda Abu Tayi (Anthony Quinn). When a U.S. newspaper...

oldchem 11.08.2009 · Read review
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Review of Lawrence Of Arabia (DVD)

Great day out

Advantages: Lots to see and do
Disadvantages: none

...of Aqaba to the east. Sharm el sheik is about 30km North of the park, and to the south is the Red sea. Having decided to visit the park, we decided that the best way to get there would be by taxi (i don't like bus tours). Our taxi duly arrived with a very friendly taxi driver called aladdin (popular with little Miss because of Disney!). The journey in the air conditioned car took about 45 minutes and this included a stop for some egyptian coffee in a very small village which amazingly we didn't have to pay for. I think at this stage aladdin wanted to let us sample some of the delights! There were some passport check points which involved the handing over of money, but we did eventaully arrive at the park. The entrance is clearly quite new- big stone sculptures on the roundabout, and then with very little fuss, you enter the park. There is...

danielalong 16.09.2008 · Read review
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Review of Ras Mohammed National Park

JORDAN - A Tourist's overview

Advantages: Wonderful country, with fantastic scenery and history
Disadvantages: Dangerous at present time (Jan '06)

...at high speeds, as if in a rally against 18 other jeeps, with loud Arabic dance music pumping out of the cassette player - it was truly awesome and an experience I can't really truly put into words. I didn't even want our driver to change the music; it just fitted so well and was part of the whole enjoyment of the experience. ~~~~~~ AQABA ~~~~~~ Our final stop was the port of Aqaba on the southern tip of Jordan ... the only outlet to the sea! The climate in Aqaba is described as tropical and the Red Sea is one of the richest for marine life in the whole world, with many people descending here to do literally just that in the depths of the Red Sea. It is a very popular world site for divers; also because of it's famed coral reefs. Aqaba is perfect for a beach holiday in this region and is abley supported by hotels of all categories...

newty1977 23.01.2006 (11.05.2006) · Read review
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Review of General: Jordan

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

Advantages: The spectacular Scenary
Disadvantages: The Middle East Problem!

...Surrounded by purple-hued mountains, colours appear to change through the day as the sun meanders across the clear blue sky. The Jordanian port of Aqaba provides the ideal place for travellers to this part of the Middle East to kick back and relax, whether that means lying on the beach or sipping coffee in a traditional coffee house. For divers however, Aqaba is the ideal place to avoid the crowds at the more popular Egyptian Red Sea resorts and still enjoy extravagant coral formations and a spectacular wreck. The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is bursting with historical sites from a history that stretches back thousands of years, but in April 2001 I went there for the diving. Beneath the usually mirror smooth surface of the Gulf of Aqaba, lie some of the most pristine coral reefs, many measuring hundreds of meters across, to be found...

sean0107 04.11.2004 · Read review
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Review of Insight Guide Jordan - Insight Guide

THE MOST RETURN VISITED HOTEL IN THE HILTON GROUP

Advantages: GREAT LOCATION AT A GREAT PRICE FOR AN AI
Disadvantages: OUT OF THE WAY

...Its funny, you wouldn't think that this hotel has this reputation- but it does. Out of all the hilton hotels in the world,Coral hilton @ Nuweiba is the one that has the most returns to! Its 1/2 way between Taba/Sharm on the Aqaba cost. Overlooking a private beach on the red sea. The hotel is 4* AI with recently refurbished rooms. With the Sinai mountains behind you, and looking at the mountains of Saudi across the red sea, its a wonderful & beautiful location to wake up in with wonderful sunrises & sunsets. The staff are all wonderful/friendly and work VERY HARD. The hotel is very clean and the food is excellent. You can actually eat from 6am till 10pm every day!! It has its own outdoor Italian restaurant; an al a carte restaurant, the main restaurant and also a coffee bar. With 2 pools and a close location (on...

jonnydeppontv 13.04.2007 · Read review
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Review of Hilton Nuweiba Coral Resort, Nuweiba

Not overwhelmed by Amman

Advantages: Cheap, cultural
Disadvantages: Boring, dusty, leering men, lack of pavements

.... Eating: I ate a lot of Macdonalds (awful I know) but the local restarants are great. I suggest the Wild Jordan Café, Downtown. They do organic food-very light and healthy and the terraces has nice views. Fakr el-Din for Lebanese food in a very stylish villa and Noodasia in Abdoun Circle for delicious Asian food. You will find a couple of Starbucks (yay!) but for the local coffee bar experience try Gerards at Abdoun Circle for waffles, coffee and pastries. Amman is worth a visit; you will probably enjoy a couple of days there. Personally I would use it as a base from which to explore Petra, Jerash, The Dead Sea, Aqaba and Wadi Rum. Buy yourself a couple of guidebooks such as the Lonely Planet and the Rough Guide, learn some basic Arabic and go with an open mind!...

Katieshaz 06.07.2007 · Read review
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Review of Amman (Jordan)

And not a pyramid in sight...

Advantages: a quiet, stylish and peaceful hotel
Disadvantages: a bit to quiet at night

...year, new hotels are appearing at a rapid rate of knots, and one of the most recent is the Three Corners in Taba Heights. Taba is the closest Egyptian town to the Israeli border, almost within shouting distance of Elat, with the Jordanian port of Aqaba visible beyond that. About half an hour south of Taba is the resort of Taba Heights nestling snugly between the red mountains and the azure waters of the Sinai coast. The resort is completely tourist orientated, that is to say that there is no local settlement in the immediate vicinity except for the dwellings of those employed at the resort. The handful of hotels that make up the resort form a boundary around a small golf course which, as I write, is not yet open to the public. The Three Corners is the hotel that will eventually cater specifically for those who have opted for a golfing...

steerpyke 18.10.2005 · Read review
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Review of Three Corners Ocean View Hotel, El Gouna