Albasha Restaurant, Aqaba 06-2021

Before the long drive from South Garden toward the hotel near the airport, we needed fuel. Food fuel that is. After one final morning Red Sea dip and snorkel, we decided the short detour to Aqaba for a decent lunch was worth the effort. Luckily even though it was the middle of the day, traffic wasn't too bad and we found a parking spot very near the falafel joint I had noted on Google Maps. Even though there weren't many reviews (4.7* from 11 reviews) it seemed like a nice spot a bit further away from the main road areas just to make access a little easier.

The cafe in a wall sits near a bunch of shops and locals (I assume) were about their day wondering why were there - maybe a combination of summer, Covid and the less central part of Aqaba.

The menu at this place is completely in Arabic. Unfortunately the owner (I assume) who was the falafel maker didn't speak English either. There was a man sitting at the door who helpfully translated for us. I thought he might have been an employee or cashier, but in the end realised he was a regular customer just helping us and the shop out.

I suppose being in a falafel place means you know what you're going to order anyway.

Bread, fol, falafel which were lightly crisp with a strong chickpea flavour, hummus, tahini salad. Everything had a lot of oil (hoping it was EVOO). A tasty meal washed down by their homemade ultra fermented ayran. And the price was JD4.

I can't say it was the best falafel I've ever had (probably at this point it's between this mysterious one I remember in Amman in 2009 although no idea where it was now, London's pilpel or my most recent local discovery Tahini in Fitzroy was phenomenal) but it was a good one and a great overall meal.

Khubza & Seneya, Aqaba 06-2021

After a hard afternoon of snorkelling against the strong Japanese Garden current (worth it though), we freshened up at the accommodation. Given the real limit of food places here, a trip to Aqaba and to watch the sunset was on the cards.

Aqaba traffic was so busy compared to what we were used to (ok, not that bad, but the main roundabouts are a pretty mess). We wanted to go to the beach promenade to see the sunset but there is nowhere to there. Every bit of strip is occupied by restaurants and their tents, only allowing guests to sit. It really makes it quite unpleasant for the casual stroller. It didn't take long to leave that area and head to my choice of restaurant (using Google for inspiration).

Although others have reported difficulty getting a table, the quieter summer meant we had an immediate table outside near the sidewalk. Large outdoor airconditioning units (what's the point really?) hummed away in the background without any real noticeable cooling. And that menu with those prices - I wanted to try it all...

- Hommus with meat (topped with ground beef & almond) JD2.85 - deeply savoury hummus with almonds crunch and tasty mince beef;
- Tabulle salad (chopped parsley, tomatoes, bulgur wheat mixed with olive oil & lemon) JD1.85 - well balanced tangy tabbouleh;
- Tahini salad (chopped parsley with cucumber, tomato & tahini sauce) JD1.65 - decent;
- Lamb with vegetables (well spiced lamb with garlic, onion, carrots, oven baked) JD5.50 - tender lamb pieces and baked potato and vegetables in a salty meaty sauce, with some tangy sweet tomatoes for contrast;
- Fresh orange juice JD1.75.

I could have (given an extra stomach) gone for mutabal, eggs with mix cheese, and araayes.

Next time... (altough a third time in Aqaba this lifetime seems unlikely. Then again I probably thought a second time was too).

Bedouin Garden Village, Aqaba 06-2021

After the amazing Red Sea experience in Egypt, we weren't intending to go see the Jordan side of it as we thought it might just be too much time to drive down and then back up toward Amman/the airport. However during the enduringly hot afternoon in Wadi Rum spent indoors keeping cool and reading about it, we decided one last bucketlist swim and snorkel (hopefully won't be the last regardless) was worth the trip. Although not in Aqaba itself, the South Beach area is known for the best snorkelling in the area, particularly the Japanese Garden.

Our accommodation nearby was one of a few located directly across the road which triple as accommodations/resorts, dining facilities and dive centres.

We ate a nicely grilled fish with local savoury spices and crisp crinkle chips, and a local dish (can't remember the name now) of tomatoand  chicken mix with bread which was decent. It did take a while to cook, but probably because an American family with a very large number of children with large appetites were there just before us. In any case it gave us fuel to spend the next few hours on the beach, snorkelling against the relatively strong current, seeing the miracles of life there. Afterwards a quick dip in the pool to refresh was a nice touch.