AQABA/ JORDAN

by Marlondo Avocado | Nov 24, 2021 | Jordan

Aqaba / العقبه

WHAT CAN I EXPECT IN AQABA?

Two days’ stay at Aqaba was enough to explore this lively city. Aqaba is a distinguished tourists center and the only port of Jordan on the tip of the Red Sea. It lies around 350 Km south of Amman.

The small city has a lot to offer since it is full of water features and heritage that makes it the ideal destination for a vacation.

Aqaba’s water is distinguished by the presence of many species of coral reefs with wonderful colors which makes it a great experience for scuba divers, it also has more than 1200 fish species. and what makes it so great is the water temperature which stays around 66F all year round.

They also arrange boat trips that you can pick one and enjoy the trip with lots of sunshine and amazing lunch on board after a short swim.

I visited in February and the weather was warm, Aqaba best time to visit is from November to May.

Aqaba has a variety of hotels ranging in prices from $ 50 to $150 depending on how many stars and the location from the beach. There are also some resorts and spas and Gulf courses with gorgeous views.

THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN AQABA

• Private diving experience
• Glass Bottom Boat tour 2hours. we took a 3 hours tour from the hotel in a glass-bottomed boat sailing along the Red Sea, we looked through the glass bottom of the boat directly into the sea below while the captain gave us details about the underwater world. we discovered the colorful marine life among the reefs and then we took a 30-minute swim and snorkel session. we returned to the boat and dined from the open buffet with a variety of dishes. the boat trip costs around $100 per person.
• Aqaba Archaeological Museum
• Aqaba Bird Observatory

COST WHEN TRAVELING TO AQABA

Accommodation- The hotel I booked was $150 per night for a standard room, breakfast was included. It was a 5-star hotel and is rated as one of the luxurious hotels in Aqaba. There are cheaper options and they’re nice too.

FOOD – A fish meal costs around $ 20, Falafel or shawarma cost $9,

I had an amazing dinner at Ali Baba restaurant, it’s a famous restaurant which serves local cuisine, Seafood, Middle Eastern, and Vegetarian Friendly

Transportation – Aqaba is a small city, most tourists walk around. Taxis are the other alternative if you need to go to a place farther away from your hotel. A taxi ride for 10 km will cost around $5. if you take Uber it will cost a little bit more.

The Baptism Site of Jesus Christ (Bethany Beyond Jordan)

by Marlondo Avocado | Nov 21, 2021 | Jordan

Jordan River / المغطس

The baptism site of Christ represents a high human and religious value and it’s included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. 

It is the place that people from all over the world go in search of a spiritual experience in a place whose events are narrated in the Bible, or to go back in time and contemplate the features of history inherent in the site, or even to receive baptism, where Jesus was baptized. 

We arrived at The visitor car park where we paid $17 for the entrance fees having a cup of coffee while waiting for the shuttle that took us to the location. 

A local guide accompanied us throughout the tour, giving a thorough description of the place.

 Archaeologists discovered the remains of 5 churches that were built as a memorial of the Lord Baptism. The place is slightly away from the river since the water level of the river has dropped a great deal.

 About 70 feet away from the River Jordan lies John the Baptist Church, a small church but rich in amazing art and drawings.

 We walked to the river which is about 30 feet wide were on the other side we were able to see the spot in Israel where people were getting baptized on the other side of the river. 

We took the shuttle again to take us back to the parking where we took the car and drove to the Movenpick resort on the Dead Sea.

Book of Genesis

• The Jordan Plain is described as a well watered, Like the garden of the Lord: Genesis 13:10
• Israelites cross the River Jordan on dry ground: Joshua 3:14-17
• Elijah crosses the River Jordan on dry ground: 2 Kings 2:8
• John baptizes Jesus: Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22; John 1:29-34
• Naaman’s leprosy is cured in the Jordan: 2 Kings 5:1-14