tamarinda
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Hi!
I will be in Tel Aviv in April, and would love to tack on a dive trip to the Red Sea beforehand. I'm looking for tips...
1) Looks like Egypt or Jordan are better than Israel, in terms of quality of dives. Although there's a recent trip report about Sharm that is disconcerting: 25 boats at dive sites, and not a lot of fish, crowded resorts (we're the quiet types). I'm used to Bonaire, 3 years in a row, and again this upcoming January. Am I going to be disappointed no matter what? I would like some coral architecture, which Bonaire lacks and I've only experienced snorkeling in Belize and Honduras...
2) Thoughts on diving from land vs doing a live-aboard? Will a live-aboard mean better access to remote sites, and therefore fewer people? Are the boats big? How many passengers and crew, usually?
3) Any advice on how to get there: seems to be different options.
a. Tel Aviv round trip from the US, then fly to Eilat (which means a 24-hour no dive time at the end), and overland to Jordan or the Sinai. Could overland to Eilat to avoid the no-dive delay, but not sure the extra 5 hours of bus time is worth it.
b. Three-way flight, from US to Egypt or Jordan, then to Tel Aviv, then back to US. Not sure if there are direct flights from Egypt to Tel Aviv...Expedia didn't have them, ElAl doesn't either.
4) If we do a three-way flight, what are recommendations for the BEST place to dive the Red Sea (since we might have more options, including further south than the Sinai)?
Thanks!!!
I will be in Tel Aviv in April, and would love to tack on a dive trip to the Red Sea beforehand. I'm looking for tips...
1) Looks like Egypt or Jordan are better than Israel, in terms of quality of dives. Although there's a recent trip report about Sharm that is disconcerting: 25 boats at dive sites, and not a lot of fish, crowded resorts (we're the quiet types). I'm used to Bonaire, 3 years in a row, and again this upcoming January. Am I going to be disappointed no matter what? I would like some coral architecture, which Bonaire lacks and I've only experienced snorkeling in Belize and Honduras...
2) Thoughts on diving from land vs doing a live-aboard? Will a live-aboard mean better access to remote sites, and therefore fewer people? Are the boats big? How many passengers and crew, usually?
3) Any advice on how to get there: seems to be different options.
a. Tel Aviv round trip from the US, then fly to Eilat (which means a 24-hour no dive time at the end), and overland to Jordan or the Sinai. Could overland to Eilat to avoid the no-dive delay, but not sure the extra 5 hours of bus time is worth it.
b. Three-way flight, from US to Egypt or Jordan, then to Tel Aviv, then back to US. Not sure if there are direct flights from Egypt to Tel Aviv...Expedia didn't have them, ElAl doesn't either.
4) If we do a three-way flight, what are recommendations for the BEST place to dive the Red Sea (since we might have more options, including further south than the Sinai)?
Thanks!!!