Aqaba is a Jordanian port city on the Red Sea’s Gulf of Aqaba. Inhabited since 4000 B.C., it’s home to the Islamic-era Aqaba Fort and the adjacent Aqaba Archaeological Museum. Its beach resorts are popular for windsurfing and other water sports, and the area is a top destination for scuba divers, with notable dive sites including the Yamanieh coral reef in the Aqaba Marine Park, south of the city.

But perhaps Aqaba’s greatest asset is the Red Sea itself. Here you can experience some of the best snorkelling and diving in the world. The temperate climate and gentle water currents have created a perfect environment for the growth of corals and a teeming plethora of marine life. Here you can swim with friendly sea turtles and dolphins as they dart amongst the schools of multi-coloured fish. Night dives reveal the nocturnal sea creatures, crabs, lobsters and shrimp, as they search for a midnight snack.