0:00
Akaba is located on the Red Sea
0:11
As Jordan's only port city, it's been an important hub for trade
0:16
Akaba really began to take off as a travel destination when in 1965, Jordan made a deal
0:22
with its neighbor, Saudi Arabia. King Hussein of Jordan gave Saudi Arabia a big chunk of the interior desert in exchange for
0:29
a small but beautiful piece of the coast. The additional shoreline gave Jordan room to develop the beaches and access to the coral
0:37
reef we're headed to see today. We take to the water to get a sense of what makes Acaba such an important city for Jordan
0:46
So this area is a big crossroads because there are so many countries bordering Aqaba
0:50
Yeah, we have four countries sharing this area. We're talking about just behind you is Egypt, and that's Eilat, the state of Israel
0:59
This is Jordan. And just behind us over there is Saudi Arabia
1:03
The fish can just swim from country to country. You don't need a visa
1:08
Most Jordan didn't swim, by the way, because Acaba is the only place you can swim
1:13
The whole country. It's all desert. The only place you can swim is here
1:21
After exploring Jordan's desert, Uprohim and I can't wait to jump into the cool waters
1:26
of the Gulf of Acova. The water is clear and calm. and with a thriving coral reef just offshore
1:32
Agaba is a popular place to snorkel. I would have never guessed I'd be snorkeling in the Middle East
1:38
but this trip to Jordan would be full of surprises
