aqaba, jordan

[icancancan]

has anyone been to aqaba (sp?) in Jordan - considering going next year with ds 5 to meet up with friends

Becareful, read the low down on Jordanian
dare i say it islamic law, especially as a woman travelling without a man.

DH has, he worked over there for a year. Not a good place to go for females. He wouldn't go back.

I went a couple of years ago with another female friend. We had a fab time and found everyone was very nice to us, but we were perhaps lucky. We stayed in a really rubbish youth hostel, so I'm sure if you can stretch to better accommodation (we were broke and paying £2 a night) you'll have a great stay.

You could also maybe stay across the Israeli border in Eilat, which would give you a much more Western experience.

Western experience safer experience sounds like a better option.

Having lived in Amman for several years and Saudi before that, and having a sister who is cabin crew for Qatar airways and lives in Doha, I can assure you that you having nothing to worry about, obviously you need to be sensible but don't be scare mongered into not going!

Aqaba is a great place with fantastic hotels and facilites, and you must try to go to Petra it will take your breath away!

thanks for all of the replies. I will be travelling with dh too so not worried about lone female thing (plus would cover up). I am an experienced third world traveller myself but wondered really whether there would be enough to do to occupy ds 5. He is fascinated by the Dead Sea so thought we could relax in aqaba, travel to wadi rum (for the desert) and then head upwards to Petra and the Dead Sea.

How/where do you fly to?

Just found this thread, and I don't know if you've been yet, but I went with my mother and arrived 2 days after a big bombing campaign in Jordan by Al Quaeda. We were treated like royalty, and I will say it is the most polite, lovely country I have ever been too. (And I work in the travel industry and travel a lot!) You have nothing to fear there about being a woman travelling alone, any more than you would in the UK.

i have travelled to Jordan as a single female and it was absolutely fine. The Jordanians are lovely people, and its the most moderate of the Arab countries. I spent some of the time travelling with another female (we went to Petra together) and some of it alone (aftwards she went north to Amnan, I went south to Aqaba to take the ferry over to egypt.)

Honestly some people do talk out of their arses when it comes to traveling in this region. I did Israel, Egypt and Jordan and didn't have any problems either with companions or not.

kiwi have to agree with you about some of the daft comments people make about certain regions. I live in KSA and although it can be a pain in the arse at times, you just adapt.
I'm quite excited as I'm off to Jordan later this year on a charity trek assuming
A) I can lose my 3 stone of excess weight that seems to have crept on over the years and
B) I can raise around 3 grand.

many thanks for all of your replies - booked flights about three days before it kicked off in Tunisia and now getting slightly concerned about protests in Amman (we are flying into Amman). FCO advice re; heightened sense of security but not advising against going. whilst we are fairly intrepid travellers, I dont want to be foolhardy (especially with ds) and fly into a potentially hazardous region.

Anyone just been or knows what it is like 'on the ground' right now?

Sorry don't know what Amman is like at the mo, but just want to reassure you following the first couple of replies. We went with ds aged 3 last year and found it the most lovely, respectful place I have ever visited. We had nothing but positive experiences and felt safer there than back in blighty to be honest. Really refreshing!

I have been there. Had stones thrown at me by locals. I was well covered up. Men were staring at me, touching me, stroking my arms and pinching my bottom, when I was walking on the street, with my husband!

I also had my photo taken by random strangers. Babies dumped on my lap, to have picture taken of baby and me.

I would never go back.

I have been to Dubai, Egypt, Jordan and Morocco, but my view on Aqaba is very different. Though, I liked Amman and Petra was spectacular, Wadi Rum and Wadi Musa was also great. But not Aqaba. Dont know why. Possibly because it is the only place where the men were so aggressive.