Movenpick Resort and Spa Tala Bay Aqaba

This Swiss resort offers spa relaxation at Jordan’s premier snorkelling and diving spot. This relaxing resort is the perfect post-adventure tonic, best taken by the warm, lapping shores of the Red Sea. Tala Bay is a beach resort 15 minutes south of Aqaba town centre that’s known as the best spot for snorkelling and diving in Jordan. It’s the perfect place for rounding off jam-packed itineraries of sightseeing in Amman and Jordan’s rose red city, Petra – whether your idea of winding down is hanging out with the rainbow fish just off the hotel beach, exploring nearby wreck sites or browsing a menu of spa treatments. The main pool is a calming oasis so big that there are more than enough good sunbathing spots to go round, and there’s a shallow section with in-water loungers for cooling off with minimal effort. The hotel’s private sand-and-pebble beach slips into waters teeming with colourful marine life; head for one of the amazing snorkelling and diving sites close to the shore like the seagrass-filled Japanese Garden or the marine mini city at Cedar Pride Shipwreck. The modern ZARA Spa is the best in the area for body scrubs with salt from the Dead Sea and cool facilities like a crushed ice fountain. There’s a healthy menu at Najel for health-conscious guests and buffet breakfasts with live cooking stations if you’d rather indulge.