The Red Sea is the world's most northern coral reef system and while several countries border this unique marine realm, the majority of what is easily accessible to scuba divers lies within Egypt's boundaries. There are masses of reefs to explore and masses of towns to do that from. This is a very busy destination that attracts all sorts of tourists. However, there are plenty scuba diving operations to choose from.

By way of a contrast, tiny Jordan nestles at the tip of the Gulf of Aqaba, which has just a small sliver of the Red Sea coast. These reefs nearby are close to shore and far less dived than those in neighbouring Egypt, yet this small space packs in some truly interesting dives and a fair deal of unusual marine life that you simply won't see elsewhere in the region. Plus, amazing land sites like ancient Petra are easy to reach from Aqaba.