- Messages
- 2,580
- Reaction score
- 87
Can you give us some info about diving at those places? What to expect, how good is the dive operation, what are the safety precautions, medical facilities, etc...
Hamata. Any advice appreciated please.
- Thread starter shortcuts
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
Waterbaby09
Registered
Hi, sorry about the slow reply.
On Pemba we stayed at a place called Manta, right at the top of the island. It's quite a few years ago and was a little run down but I understand it's been done up since. The dive operation was fine, friendly DM and I don't recall any issues that would make me think it was less than safe. The night dives were great, fabulous critter life and some of the small walls around the little islands were lots of fun. It's only a couple of hours from Mombasa by boat for any facilities. Zanzibar was more upmarket and touristy more like Sharm or Hurghada with big hotel complexes all along the coast. We did a lot of diving and I liked the dives around Mnemba Atoll the best. The dive operator was called One Ocean and they were very good, a lot of back-packer type divers, less serious ones, but we had a lot of fun as we were given a divemaster just for us as we were taking pictures. He really looked after us. Hope this helps. If you want any further/specific details please contact me with a private message!
Marie
On Pemba we stayed at a place called Manta, right at the top of the island. It's quite a few years ago and was a little run down but I understand it's been done up since. The dive operation was fine, friendly DM and I don't recall any issues that would make me think it was less than safe. The night dives were great, fabulous critter life and some of the small walls around the little islands were lots of fun. It's only a couple of hours from Mombasa by boat for any facilities. Zanzibar was more upmarket and touristy more like Sharm or Hurghada with big hotel complexes all along the coast. We did a lot of diving and I liked the dives around Mnemba Atoll the best. The dive operator was called One Ocean and they were very good, a lot of back-packer type divers, less serious ones, but we had a lot of fun as we were given a divemaster just for us as we were taking pictures. He really looked after us. Hope this helps. If you want any further/specific details please contact me with a private message!
Marie
- Messages
- 2,580
- Reaction score
- 87
Thanks Marie.
I'm looking for the ideal combination of good food, good diving ( shore or boat) and good accomendation.
I have head mixes stories on Hamata especially the hotels/eats. CAn some of you comment on recent experiances?
thanks
I have head mixes stories on Hamata especially the hotels/eats. CAn some of you comment on recent experiances?
thanks
Waterbaby09
Registered
We were in Hamata about 18 months ago. We stayed at Zabargad and dived with Orca. The resort is mid-range, rooms clean, lots of hot water, air-con worked. The furnishings were looking a bit shabby but it was all OK. Pools and exterior space well laid out, nice bit of beach. The food in the resort was good, a big selection of hot and cold dishes for the dinner buffet with plenty of choice for vegetarians as well as meat and fish dishes. Perhaps a bit bland, we like Egyptian food but it was mostly international style. Never got bored with it (stayed one week) but might have done if we had been there longer. Breakfast was a bit dull but acceptable.
Diving was very good, you can leap in off the end of the jetty and dive any time, good house reef, with lots of life. Boat dives leave from the marina about 10 minutes away. Very professional german run dive centre, no worries or negatives from them.
As a summary, not knowing where you have been, I can say that we really liked it there because it was winter and the far south location meant no other divers. We were a long way from the mess at Hurghada or Sharm, never met another dive boat on the same reef. However, this isn't a posh luxury trip or a rough, horrible resort so you have to compare cost to value and I would say it was very good.
Hope that helps... oh and check this report.... Fury Shoals and Elphinstone Reef, Egypt ? scuba diving review, images and information These people seem to think the same way but they went to Abu Dabab and we didn't so can't comment on that.
Diving was very good, you can leap in off the end of the jetty and dive any time, good house reef, with lots of life. Boat dives leave from the marina about 10 minutes away. Very professional german run dive centre, no worries or negatives from them.
As a summary, not knowing where you have been, I can say that we really liked it there because it was winter and the far south location meant no other divers. We were a long way from the mess at Hurghada or Sharm, never met another dive boat on the same reef. However, this isn't a posh luxury trip or a rough, horrible resort so you have to compare cost to value and I would say it was very good.
Hope that helps... oh and check this report.... Fury Shoals and Elphinstone Reef, Egypt ? scuba diving review, images and information These people seem to think the same way but they went to Abu Dabab and we didn't so can't comment on that.
If you only have one week, you're pretty much stuck with the Red Sea or something in the same time zone. Pemba is an alternative as mentioned. It was a few years since I was there, but I remember the diving to be very good. Extremely diverse marine life and coral growth, very good viz but extremely strong currents. And the diving was only good on incoming tide, which ment that you could only do two good dives a day. Otherwize it was very murky.
I also stayed on Manta Reef Lodge. It was a little run down, but not bad. And the location is very special. It is since taken over by a Swedish dive center and as I understand it, they have been investing some money in it. But even before (One Earth), the organization was good and safety oriented. Had own equipment, but rentals looked good as far as I could see. They had only one boat (one was in need of repairs) but we where only 5-6 guests, so it didn't matter.
Mozambique could be another alternative, but I think it would be very stressful since it takes some time to get from either Johannesburg, SA or Maputo to the dive areas like Tofo.
good luck
I also stayed on Manta Reef Lodge. It was a little run down, but not bad. And the location is very special. It is since taken over by a Swedish dive center and as I understand it, they have been investing some money in it. But even before (One Earth), the organization was good and safety oriented. Had own equipment, but rentals looked good as far as I could see. They had only one boat (one was in need of repairs) but we where only 5-6 guests, so it didn't matter.
Mozambique could be another alternative, but I think it would be very stressful since it takes some time to get from either Johannesburg, SA or Maputo to the dive areas like Tofo.
good luck
Similar threads
- Question
