ppina
Contributor
I'm thinking of going back to the Red Sea in September. As I take family it has to be a resort and not a LiveAboard. What is your advise?
Red Sea Resort (September)
- Thread starter ppina
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JustSurfaceInterval
Contributor
More information would be convenient: You diving holidays will not really be fun, if your family is not happy. So, the usual recommendation e.g. Marsa Shagra will not fit.
What does your family expect? how old are the kids? are family members diving? snorkeling? looking for water parks? and so on, and so on....
What does your family expect? how old are the kids? are family members diving? snorkeling? looking for water parks? and so on, and so on....
scubajasonr
Contributor
Without any other information I would suggest Jaz Lamaya at Coraya Bay (or one of the other hotels around the bay).
Coraya Divers on site are very good and lots of the diving is by zodiac or speedboat straight from the jetty, so you aren't away all day diving. They do have the option of day or half day trips if you want to visit some of the better sites in the area. Also quite a few early morning dives if you want to go diving while everyone else is asleep!
The hotel complex has plenty for kids and the beach area is nice for playing in the sea. There is a also a waterpark that all the hotels around the bay have free access to. Also lots of easy snorkelling straight from the jetty.
We have stayed there twice as a family, and found it worked well for us. Downside is that ideally you need to fly into Marsa Alam, or it is a 2.5hour transfer from Hurghada Airport - although with the new road this isn't too bad.
Coraya Divers on site are very good and lots of the diving is by zodiac or speedboat straight from the jetty, so you aren't away all day diving. They do have the option of day or half day trips if you want to visit some of the better sites in the area. Also quite a few early morning dives if you want to go diving while everyone else is asleep!
The hotel complex has plenty for kids and the beach area is nice for playing in the sea. There is a also a waterpark that all the hotels around the bay have free access to. Also lots of easy snorkelling straight from the jetty.
We have stayed there twice as a family, and found it worked well for us. Downside is that ideally you need to fly into Marsa Alam, or it is a 2.5hour transfer from Hurghada Airport - although with the new road this isn't too bad.
We stayed a week at Ft. Arabesque in Hurghada a couple years ago before Covid, and really enjoyed the resort, diving and snorkeling. For an AI, the food/and drinks were very good, and their beach is excellent, with shallow entry/exit and some very nice coral heads with a lot of fish. Their house reef for shore diving is quite nice as well, and I Dive, the on-site dive op, is excellent for shore and boat diving. The resort is very well set up for families, but also has a wing for those without children, or who prefer a little less "activity." Ft. Arabesque appeared to be very safe during our much too short visit. We will return there for any future Red Sea adventures.
My experience with iDive, the on-site dive shop at Fort Arabesque, was underwhelming in December 2021. Two of my children and I took a Nitrox specialty course which we felt was poor value. Their panga (used to ferry divers to nearby sites) was not in good shape at all. Worst of all, full and empty cylinders were left hanging around in the same spot, with no tape over the valve for full tanks. This led to confusion and frustration. The Italian manager seemed to think that good management was down to smiling and patting people on the back.
In short, it's not a dive shop we'd consider again. But I fully appreciate that we might have been unlucky.
In short, it's not a dive shop we'd consider again. But I fully appreciate that we might have been unlucky.
diverLux
Contributor
no need to dive with I-Dive, there are plenty of dive operators next door, my favoured is
Diving in Makadi Bay - courses, daily diving, snorkeling
Abu Dabbab bay, Malikia Resort
Radisson Blu near El Quseir
Aurora Bay Resort near Marsa Alam (town ?), take the family to Marsa Egla nice beach and good chance to meet the dugong
. . . . oh this is an end-less Red Sea
Diving in Makadi Bay - courses, daily diving, snorkeling
Abu Dabbab bay, Malikia Resort
Radisson Blu near El Quseir
Aurora Bay Resort near Marsa Alam (town ?), take the family to Marsa Egla nice beach and good chance to meet the dugong
. . . . oh this is an end-less Red Sea
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