Jeddah, population 4 million, is the main Saudi seaport on the Red Sea. The city’s architecture is a mixture of ancient mud houses, historic souks that sell everything from automobiles parts to the best chocolates imaginable, and multiple shopping malls with the latest designer products. Add this to the 30 km boardwalk – The Corniche - along the Red Sea, and you have a city which is exotic and yes, romantic.

Jeddah is hot and humid during most of the year, but one gets used to temperatures of between 30-40C (86-104F). During cooler months, families picnic along the Corniche, where the lights of the city and of anchored ships illuminate the night.

In addition to scuba diving (some say, the best in the world), there are a large number of recreational options: desert hiking and desert camping trips, tennis, team sports (e.g., baseball, soccer, rugby, cricket, etc.), swimming, horseback riding, etc.