Enjoy Relaxation, Romance, and Rejuvenation at the
Mövenpick Resort & Spa Tala Bay, Aqaba, Jordan

 Mövenpick Resort & Spa Tala Bay Aqaba

Enjoying the gorgeous swimming pool at
Mövenpick Resort & Spa Tala Bay Aqaba. Fitness results courtesy of the 30-Day Health & Fitness Challenge (click on photo to learn more).

Disclosure: We received a complimentary stay at the Mövenpick Resort & Spa Tala Bay Aqaba in exchange for our honest review.

When you think of vacationing in Paradise, what countries come to mind?

If you’re anything like I once was, you may think of a few relatively cliched locations when you think of vacationing in paradise. When I was a kid growing up in the United States, my family did not travel overseas. We made brief visits to Mexico and Canada, and that was the extent of my foreign travel as a youth. The one shining exception is that when I was a senior in high school, I participated in a home stay exchange program to Tokyo, Japan.

Mövenpick Resort & Spa Tala Bay Aqaba

Our first sunset at Mövenpick Resort & Spa Tala Bay Aqaba was absolutely spectacular. We loved sitting on the balcony of our suite overlooking the pool and the Red Sea.

Growing up, we thought of Hawaii, maybe also Cancun and the Caribbean, as the places on the planet with nice beaches and a tropical climate. I still remember feeling shocked after graduating from law school to learn that there were other beautiful beaches on this planet. One day when I was visiting my boyfriend’s family in New York, his brother showed us the photos from his trip to Thailand. I was blown away by the beauty of the azure seas and dazzling white sands. It was not long after that sharing of photos, that my then-boyfriend and I also decided to visit Thailand. It was my first trip to Asia other than Japan. And I learned there was so much more to this world than Hawaii and the Caribbean!

Since then, I have always been fascinated to learn about new and less cliched destinations for travel. So this journey to Jordan a couple weeks ago – my first trip ever to the Middle East – was absolutely a thrill.

Moving from the Mystique of Petra to the Luxury of Paradise

red sea parting the waters

Haha … parting the waters of the Red Sea … didn’t quite work the same as it did for Moses ;)

As I shared in the last installment, my travel companion and I had an amazing time exploring the Lost City of Petra near the beginning of our journey to Jordan. Our next stop was to venture south to the Mövenpick Resort & Spa Tala Bay Aqaba.

We were not prepared for just how wonderful our three days at Mövenpick Resort & Spa Tala Bay Aqaba would be … I am probably not overstating it to say these were my favorite three days of our entire journey!

It began with the reception. The staff was so friendly. We felt very welcomed. The staff whisked us to our suite by a golf cart.

The suites at Mövenpick Resort & Spa Tala Bay Aqaba are definitely worth the splurge! Our balcony overlooked both the pool and the Red Sea. It was fun remembering the Bible story about Moses parting the Red Sea, and feeling this bit of history as we gazed into our first sunset over the Red Sea.

Mövenpick Resort & Spa Tala Bay Aqaba

Gotta love this tantalizing view of the pool and the Red Sea from our suite balcony at Mövenpick Resort & Spa Tala Bay Aqaba

The rooms were very luxurious, and I love the Mövenpick Resort & Spa Tala Bay Aqaba attention to detail. Indeed, all of the Mövenpick hotels at which we stayed had wonderful touches like magnifying mirrors in the bathrooms, mini espresso makers in the rooms, and my absolute favorite … blackout curtains so you can sleep.

I ventured to the spa, and received an excellent Thai massage. The buffet dinners each night were excellent. We appreciated the themed dinners. The first night we arrived was Asian night, and we did not miss out on sushi, made-for-you-as-you-watch noodle dishes, and so much more.

As for what to see around Mövenpick Resort & Spa Tala Bay Aqaba … my vote is simply to enjoy the resort.
My travel companion ventured to Bedouin country … and I simply took the opportunity to relax and rejuvenate in a truly epic spot on the planet. The sea is lovely, the pool is refreshing, there are bars and restaurants aplenty. The views soothe the eyes and the soul. It’s a great place to do … absolutely nothing.

Who knew that the desert in the exotic land of Jordan could be just as amazing a destination as the Caribbean or Hawaii? And certainly more interesting!

When will you make your first (or second or third …) trip to Jordan to check out this beautiful country and the Mövenpick Resort & Spa Tala Bay Aqaba? I’d love to hear from you in the comments.

Love,

erika awakening