Tala Bay is a resort town on the Red Sea in Jordan, 15km south of Aqaba.
Understand
[edit]Tala Bay is a fairly new development and consists entirely of holiday apartments and upscale hotels, built around a large marina. It's too expensive for most locals, so occupants tend to be foreign tourists.
Compared to Aqaba, a stay in Tala Bay is likely to be quieter and more relaxing. The flip side is that you'll pay tourist prices for everything and miss out on some of the local flavor.
Get in
[edit]- See also: Aqaba#Get in
By taxi
[edit]From the centre of Aqaba, a taxi will cost around 10-15JD, from the airport expect to pay 25JD. Per kilometre this is expensive for Jordan, but taxi drivers will assume (probably correctly) that you can afford to pay the "tourist price".
By boat
[edit]If you happen to own a yacht, you're in luck: the 1 Tala Bay Marina is fully equipped for border formalities. If not, you'll have to go to Aqaba, as there are no ferry services.
Get around
[edit]Tala Bay is around 1km end-to-end, so on foot.
If you're walking to or from the Mövenpick hotel at the southern end of Tala Bay, Google Maps will send you along the highway. This isn't necessary; just cross on the beach instead. When heading into the Mövenpick, a security guard stationed on the beach might check that you're staying at the hotel and not smuggling in any alcohol.
See
[edit]Do
[edit]Go diving
[edit]- See also: Aqaba#Scuba diving for details of other dive centers in the area.
Within Tala Bay
[edit]- 1 Sinai Divers Aqaba (located within the Mövenpick resort), [email protected]. Dive center with shore dives to a coral reef, as well as daily boat dives to sites along the coast towards Aqaba. Full range of courses available including technical diving. Very convenient if staying at the Mövenpick as it's located on the hotel's beach.
- 2 Deep Blue Dive Center.
Outside Tala Bay
[edit]These dive centers are nearby but not within walking distance of Tala Bay. Some dive centers offer pick up from your hotel, if not then you'll need to take a taxi.
- 3 Arab Divers, South Beach Road (South Of Aqaba), ☏ +962 7964 120 32, [email protected]. 24/7. Established and well known dive centre, with air conditioned bungalow accommodation on site (40/50/65 JD for Single/Double/Triple, good discounts on offer when taking a dive package as well). Breakfast included, free wifi in public areas, on site pool and shuttle bus down to the beach (5 min). Many dives on offer, including technical dives to the Taiyong and some deeper reefs, as well as beginner-friendly coral garden dives. Also run an active litter clean up programme on the reefs. PADI training available from Open Water to Divemaster and technical courses. Dive packages include air fills, tanks and weights. Nitrox and Trimix available. Full kit hire and boat dives available, though almost all dives can be done from shore. 1/2 day shore (1 dive) 30 JD; 1 day shore (2 dives) 40 JD; 2 days shore (4 dives) 76 JD; 3 days shore (6 dives) 108 JD; 4 days shore (8 dives) 136 JD; 5 days shore (10 dives) 160 JD.
- 4 Red Sea Dive Center, South Beach Road (south of Aqaba), ☏ +962 3 2022323, fax: +962 (3) 202 2323, [email protected]. 24. 40 JD for introduction dive, 50 JD for 2 dives.
Watersports
[edit]- 5 Sea Jet Water Sports (located on the jetty just north of the Movenpick hotel). Jet skis, parasailing, inflatables and other similar activities. Good for kids, a little expensive.
Boat rides
[edit]- 6 Neptune Submarine Boat (trips leave from the southern end of the Marina). Semi-submerged boat with windows looking out underwater. Good if you want to see the wonders of the Red Sea but don't fancy diving.
Buy
[edit]- 1 Marina Market. Tala Bay's only supermarket. Small but well-stocked. Expensive by Jordanian standards. Has an ATM outside.
Eat
[edit]Around the Marina
[edit]Along the southern edge of the Marina there are 3 restaurants, all with fairly similar menus. Expect to pay around 8-12JD for a main course, and 6JD for a cocktail.
- 1 DeSoto. Pizza, pasta, grills and local specialties, plus a wide range of reasonably-priced cocktails. Generous portions, service can be a little slow.
- 2 Suzana. Sandwiches and grills, as well as pizza and pasta.
- 3 Sea Bass Resto Bar. Nautical-themed restaurant. Specializes in fish, but also serves a similar range of dishes to the above restaurants.
In the hotels
[edit]- 4 Casalingo (located in the Mövenpick hotel). High-class Italian dining. Expensive but worth the money. Featuresa live cooking counter and wood-fired pizza oven. Guests can dine on the terrace or in the air-conditioned restaurant.
Drink
[edit]All the hotels have bars, expect to pay fairly high prices.
Sleep
[edit]- 1 Arab Divers Bed & Breakfast (11 km from Aqaba city centre along South Beach. A few km north of Tala Bay itself.), ☏ +962 3 203 1808, fax: +962 3 203 1808, [email protected]. Check-in: 14:00-22:00, check-out: 08:00-12:00. TVs in rooms, free Wi-Fi, deep and shallow pool, full diving equipment available including PADI courses. Extremely relaxed, chill out spaces and loungers by pool, 800 m from the beach and chilled atmosphere. Extremely good value for money, but expect basic room provisions. It is a drive out of town, really quiet, great escape from bustle of Aqaba city. Shipwreck to dive at and corals.
- 2 Mövenpick Resort & Spa Tala Bay Aqaba, South Beach Road - Tala Bay Area, ☏ +962 3 209 0300, fax: +962 3 209 0301, [email protected]. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. 302 rooms, including 145 family rooms, various suites and two Grand Suites all share a modern design and light-coloured furnishings. All rooms have air-conditioning, TV, coffee and tea making facilities, direct dial phone/voice-mail, wireless LAN throughout the resort as well as hairdryer, 24-hour room service, in-room safe box. Superior rooms and suites allow for added comfort. Non-smoking rooms and rooms for the physically challenged are also available upon request. A special benefit is the free minibar, available in all rooms. It has a contemporary Mediterranean decoration, with Zara Spa offers a sauna, steam room, hydro pool with skylight and spa facilities. Included is an "ice fountain" designed to stimulate circulation and tighten the skin. A variety of fragrances and coloured lighting effects are available for showers and also supposedly designed to increase blood circulation. A hair salon, a nail studio and a shop with a variety of beauty care products are also on premises. Casalingo Italian restaurant (see Eat above) is worth a visit, the other restaurants on site serve standard hotel fare. From 150 JD.
Connect
[edit]Free wifi is available throughout Tala Bay, but is often slow. Cellular coverage is very good.
Stay safe
[edit]Watch out for venomous fish if swimming or snorkelling. The sea around Tala Bay is home to stonefish, lionfish and various other creatures that are best viewed from a distance. Consider wearing sandals when you go in the water.
Go next
[edit]Aqaba is worth a visit, although you can easily see all the sights in a day.
Wadi Rum is a spectacularly scenic desert valley that is around 1h15 from Tala Bay. In summer, trips tend to depart around 3pm to avoid the worst of the desert heat; this leaves the morning free to lounge on the beach.
Petra is around 2 hours' drive. A pre-booked taxi will cost around 120JD return, perhaps slightly higher if booked through your hotel.