Maxing out your Aqaba visit

This weekend I had one extra day off and my adventure friend is over in Jordan for a visit so we took the opportunity to max out the weekend with a trip to Petra and Aqaba. It was my first time going to the very South of Jordan and finally I got to see the Red Sea. But Aqaba is more than that or? I thought it was just a small village but it wasn’t. Probably some more research before traveling there would been good although we managed well tinkling up our 24 hours.

Friday evening

There are not tons of hotels in Aqaba and we were not booking well in advance and this weekend there was also a very popular concert with some Lebanese singer so make the math yourself and you know the problem we faced but at least we didn’t needed to stay at the street. Friday after we arrived we headed out for some Indian food. And of course a visit to the best rooftop bar. It wasn’t awesome though but some live music spiced up our visit before we gave it in just before midnight for some well deserved sleep after getting up at 05:30 in the morning.

Sightseeing run

A well known travel hack if you are short of time or are a runner is to do a sightseeing run. After our alarm went off we headed out in the 33 degree heath with the mission to run as close to the IsraelI boarder as possible. The grass is always greener on the other side or? This was honestly the first time in two weeks I had a flat run and hand not to jump over stones or suddenly almost run in to a tree at the sidewalk which is always the case in Amman.

Unfortunately there was no beach promenade to run at since the beach access mostly belongs to luxury hotels. Sad story from my point of view which in my mind makes Aqaba to a less exciting destination.

We managed quite well anyway. Aimed for 5K but ended up doing the double.

What to see in Aqaba

There are not tons of things to see in the city of Aqaba. It is a special trade zone and taxes are lower applied on a lot of things like consumer goods and income. There are a few historical sites also but seeing them from outside was enough for us this time. The hotel breakfast was closed when we got back from our sightseeing run so next excursion was to find something to eat. And guess what? We found a juice bar that made the perfect smoothie.

B12 beach club

The quicksilver should target 38 degrees today according to the weather forecast so the choice of activity was easy. Beach club. We took a taxi to a place called B12. There are no Ubers here so be prepared to bargain. You cannot reserve a spot at the beach club so during weekends I would recommend to be on time since it is a popular place. It looks and feels like a setting in the Barbie movie though. Pink, yellow color and a lot of local “look at me” people. Ibiza of Aqaba. But music is good and the beach is mall but it is there so it’s not too bad after all.

Sun, sand and Aqaba

Mission almost completed. My first swim in the Red Sea happened today and before I leave I need to buy an Aqaba magnet to my collection. If I would recommend a visit here? Honestly not if you don’t have an extra day to spend and need some beach. It’s not a super exciting place traveling halfway around the world to see. If you stand in doubt between Aqaba and the Dead Sea I would pick the later all times.

/ Pernilla exploring Aqaba