Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ON A WINTER'S DAY SOUTH OF AQABA YOU
CAN…
»
»Snorkel or dive in safe hands at the
Royal Diving Club
(
Click here
). The club offers a day rate of JD15 to use
the beach, pool and other facilities - free if you're coming to dive.
»
»Learn about what's under the sea without getting your feet wet at the
Aquarium
( 2015145; admission JD3;
8am-5pm).
Part of the Marine Science Station complex (7.5km south of Aqaba), the aging and dated tanks non-
etheless provide a colourful glimpse of coral, moray eels, turtles and stonefish.
»
»Laze under a sunshade on the free public beach at the
Marine Park Visitors Centre
( 2035801).
As the
headquarters of the Aqaba Marine Park (12km south of Aqaba) it has a jetty, museum, cafe, gift shop and park of-
fice. It gets busy on Friday and overrun on public holidays.
»
»Mull over fishermen's tales and a mint-and-lime juice at
Club Murjan
( 2012794).
This diving centre
(13.5km south of Aqaba) offers a good beach, swimming pool, showers, bar and restaurant.
»
»Explore a Crusader castle on
Pharaoh's Island
.
Hotels can book day trips to the island (off Egypt's coast) for
around JD40 per person, which includes the entrance fee to the island, Egyptian visa, lunch and transport.
Sleeping & Eating
There are three main types of accommodation along the South Coast: the hotel attached to
the Royal Diving Club at the far southern end of the beach; the budget and traveller-
friendly camps clustered around the Bedouin Garden Village, and the luxury hotels of the
Tala Bay complex. All include breakfast and have on-site bars and restaurants. They usu-
ally provide a free daily shuttle service into Aqaba for residents.
Coral Bay Resort$$
( 2017035; s/d on weekdays JD65/75; weekends JD75/85; )
Part
of the Royal Diving Club, this excellent midrange option is a quintessential divers' para-
dise. If you're planning on undertaking a dive course, or arranging a lengthy dive pack-
age, you couldn't ask for a better base. Simple, elegant rooms have bright motifs and
there's a sociable bar. The hotel and dive complex is committed to the sustainable devel-
opment of tourism in and around the dive sites.
RESORT
Bedouin Garden Village$
BACKPACKER HOTEL
