Sharm - good luck to you!

[Red Sea Leonfish]

The official line from ABTA is that British tourists in the Red Sea resorts are still safe. The UK foreign office is said to be reconsidering evacuation flights to Sharm on an hourly basis but that they have also decided that the resorts are safe at the moment.

However, the BBC reporter in Sharm is reporting (on BBC News 24) that all western tourists have been confined to their hotels, that regular roadblocks have been set up preventing all movement around the resort and that all shops have been shut down. As a result of the roadbloacks and the breakdown in transport, the main hotels are also known to be experiencing staff and food shortages.

Further, there are unconfirmed reports of bandits having entered Naama Bay from the foothills and of at least one shooting (prompting an 11pm confined to rooms curfew last night at Naama Bay hotels).

Basically, I think it's safe to say that the issue of shark attacks has just become very academic!

 

[texswamper]

Yes, the sharks are now the least of our concerns! We've now decided to forget about Sharm for our spring dive trip and instead head to Inhambane, Mozambique. I wish everyone in Egypt the very best and hope that one day I will dive in the Red Sea and experience the beauty of that area!

 

[Bobspadger]

we're still planning on heading to el gouna unless the foreign office start telling us not to

 

[kelpkrawler]

I have been monitoring twitter a few times per day:

"All Egypt's Red Sea resorts are open and diving as normal, troubles elsewhere have not occurred in Sharm El Sheikh, Dahab, Taba" [cameldiveclub]

"BBC reporter live from Sharm el Sheikh: "erm, nothing to report here other than a party going on next door!" #Egypt"

"BBC reporter in sharm el sheikh: people anxious but not rushing to airport to go home"

"BBC's Sharm reporter: News of looting in Sharm Elshakh is utterly rubbish"

"Lots of loose reporting re tanks in Sharm. There are no tanks in Sharm. A beach yes, but no tanks."

Who knows, it may be a good time to have no crowds, and the reef to yourself. We'll see what happens in coming days.

 

[Jai Bar]

Yes, the sharks are now the least of our concerns! We've now decided to forget about Sharm for our spring dive trip and instead head to Inhambane, Mozambique. I wish everyone in Egypt the very best and hope that one day I will dive in the Red Sea and experience the beauty of that area!

Last time I was in Mozambique (many many years ago ) most roads were clustered with landmines, and one could travel only in caravans escorted by the military, and bombs squads used to block the road for hours until all the mines were supposedly cleared.

We could never believe that one day it all will be over and tourists will come again, but the years passed by and nowadays nobody considers Mozambique a dangerous place (although landmines are still a problem in many Mozambican area and mosquitoes still carry malaria parasites...).

I don't think it'll take as long to stabilize the situation in Egypt, there are mosquitoes but not malaria and landmines are less of a problem (at least in touristic areas), so probably you won't have to wait too much to book again vacations in Sinai :cool2:

Anyway, I hope you are not concerned with sharks, as in Mozambique you'll have great chances of encounters with sharks probably in all dives , mantas and other big stuff so it is in many aspects better diving

 

[Jai Bar]

"Lots of loose reporting re tanks in Sharm. There are no tanks in Sharm. A beach yes, but no tanks."

It is partially true- there ARE tanks in Sharm beaches- on the seaside

You can find some more underwater photos here Welcome to ScubaShotz.com

...