Aqaba

Major cards are accepted here. No other currency is accepted in Aqaba other than JD. One must always carry some cash in JD currency because small shops only accept cash whereas some of the big hotels and shops accept cards.

The commonly used language in Aqaba is Arabic though some of the people do understand and talk in English. Some of the Arabic words are Salam - Marhaba(Hello), Sabah El-Khair(Good morning), Shukran(Thank you)

In the 10th century, a Muslim traveller described Aqaba as 'a great city' and a meeting place for pilgrims en route to and from Mecca. In AD 1024, the town was sacked by local tribes and in 1068 a huge earthquake split the old city of Ayla in two, consigning the town to a minor historical role. By the beginning of the 16th century, the town had been swallowed up by the Ottoman Empire and lost much of its significance when the main trading area of the region was moved to Baghdad in the middle of the 16th century. For about 500 years, until the Arab Revolt during WWI, Aqaba remained an insignificant fishing village. After WWI, the border between Trans-Jordan and Saudi Arabia had still not been defined, so Britain arbitrarily drew a line a few kilometres south of Aqaba. The Saudis disputed the claim but took no action. As the port of Aqaba grew, the limited coastline proved insufficient, so in 1965 King Hussein traded 6000 sq km of Jordanian desert for another 12km of coastline with Saudi Arabia.

Aqaba doesn't have much for nightlife, though it has a lot of 5-star lounges and bars. Some of the lounges and bars are Oasis lounge, Tumbleweed bar, Rovers and Friends. There is also a seaport in Jordan that transforms into a partying haven after sundown.

In Aqaba, one can easily find a lot of souvenir shops. Also, a brand called 'Made in Jordan' in which all the things like; pottery, weaving, mosaic, and silver workshops are made by local women by taking part in projects all over Jordan. If one wants to buy dead sea products, the South Kingdom bazaar is the best shop for it. They sell all the old local favourites, like ostrich eggs and camel bone boxes.

Best time to visit is ¾in September/October when the water is warmest and clearest, and the air temperature is a more comfortable 30-40C. Even in the highest season, the crowds here are still nowhere near the size as you would see in Egypt, so if you donêt like the crowds, Aqaba is always a great alternative to the usual Red Sea resort towns in Egypt.¾
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Traditional Jordanian cooking is available all around town, everything from •fast foodê falafel and shawarmah to slow cooked lamb and rice dishes.Aqaba is also a fishing town so really good for fresh seafood. The traditional Jordanian dish is Mansaf _Lamb slow cooked in a yoghurt based sauce served with rice and pine nuts. Two more main dishes of Aqaba,Jordan are 'Maklouba' which is often prepared for celebrations and is made with meat, rice and vegetables and Freeke which is an ancient grain that is usually prepared with a meat such as lamb or chicken, nuts, vegetables or a yogurt based sauce.
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Aqaba can be reached by flight,taxi and bus from Amman. Regular buses are available from Amman and flights are available to Amman from all over the world.¾
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There are 607 in Aqaba which can be booked through Holidify. The most popular hotels in Aqaba are Villa Gardenya, GOLF2, Aquarelle, Villa Sigala, Fantastic sea view///Beautiful design apartment, Villa Daniela. You can see all the hotels in Aqaba here

The top places near to Aqaba are Petra which is 98 km from Aqaba, Amman which is located 282 km from Aqaba, Jerusalem which is located 249 km from Aqaba, Cairo which is located 368 km from Aqaba, Tel aviv which is located 284 km from Aqaba