Egypt - We Need Help!

Sorry about the alarmist headline, and also if I'm double-dipping the Question... but have little time... let me explain:

Have promised girlfriend to book holiday in Egypt, and short notice(!) is the word! So if anyone with knowledge would share a minute's advise, we would be immensely grateful!

Im AOP, but she has only Open Water - so we'll adapt to her. She has some experience, but not a lot and is still a little nervous. So, what we're looking for is a place to go where diving is good; not too deep; preferrably not too crowded (she wants to feel cose to the DM... in case); and where we can also enjoy the "non-diving" part of the holiday (beach, sightseeing, food etc).

Where should we go? I'm confused between Sharm.... Hurgada... Taba... etc.

Advise very very warmly welcomed.

Rikard

Sharm and Hurghada both offer some good boat diving and are tourist areas.

If you go to Hurghada it would be easier for you to visit Luxor in the south, temple of queen Hatshepsut, the Valley of Kings and still have the pyramids of Giza and Cairo Museum within reach. Best diving in my opinion is Giftun islands - suitable for beginners. It's where I got certified.

From Sharm you can still visit the pyramids, but Luxor is too far away to fit in a standard holiday time frame. Best diving (again, personal opinion) is Ras Mohamed and of course Thistlegorm wreck. If your girlfriend is still unsure about her diving skills perhaps you shouldn't be going to Thistlegorm. Overhead environment and heavy currents plus overcrowded dive site can be too much.

I haven't been diving in Taba so, I can't comment on that...

But you should consider Dahab! It's more relaxed, less crowded, and has many of the best dive sites in the Red Sea! Diving is done from shore in Dahab and many sites are very shallow but still breathtakingly beautiful - rich in corals and all kinds of marine life even at shallower depths. You literally take two or three steps from the beach in the water and that's it - the reef is there for you to discover!

From Dahab you can visit Sharm, Cairo, Giza, monastery of St. Catherine.

So, my personal recommendation would be - go to Dahab.

Hurghada is better. Dives are much easier there than in Sharm or Taba (there most dive sites have currents, sometimes strong). But each of thess places is crowded - you have to accept it. She still can stay close to DM - it's enough to tell him that she is a newbe and still nervous and DM should take care of her.
Hurghada - as every other places offers all possibilities for holiday - nice beaches, night clubs, bars, restaurants, as well as old city - where you can get the feeling of normal Egypt.
Mania

Mislav - thank you very much for this: very apreciated!
Other comments, please keep them coming people - in particular if you have experience from centres which would be suitable for an inexperienced diver like Miss.

Mania - thank you for taking the time to post this! Slowly.. a picture is emerging

mania:

Dives are much easier there than in Sharm or Taba (there most dive sites have currents, sometimes strong). But each of thess places is crowded - you have to accept it.

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I worked at Taba for 3/4 months and never once experienced any current. The diving there is very easy, nice gentle slopes starting v. shallow, excellent vis, mooring lines for ascent/descent and no current. There are also a couple of shore dives to start you off too (The Radisson has a beautiful house reef). Good varied sea life there - frogfish, spanish dancers, stonefish, eagle rays etc etc. I was also lucky enough to see two whale sharks whilst there. The dive sites are no where near as crowded as Sharm, in fact compared to Sharm they are positively desserted, more often than not you're the only boat on the site (except Farun Isand maybe). Check these sites too - Taba Heights & Red Sea Waterworld. From Taba you can also easily fly up to Cairo for the pyramids (check your visa though !!), or pop accross on an excursion to Petra or the Dead Sea.
Check Longwood Holidays for bookings.

Hurghada dive sites are easy but very crowded and not to be compared with those of Dahab or Sharm. Moreover, almost all of the dive sites in Hurghada have the same topology; a main reef with a shallow plateau.

On the other hand, Dahab dive sites are all unique! Every site offers a totally different experience. Dive sites in Sharm are excellent as well but a bit crowded.

IMHO, if it's your first time in Egypt then go Sinai (Dahab and may be Sharm). All dive centers are suitable for inexperienced divers. If you need a private guide it's also possible. Just drop me a line as soon as you make your decision and I can get you a private guide where you want to dive.

Thanks Shadow - it starts to feel as if this is coming down between Dahab and Hurghada. Appreciate what you say about Hurghada, though; it seems that Hur... has more to offer than Daha... in terms of "other stuff"? I.e. its more of a place where one can also do more than the diving? Wihle this IS a scuba board, I have to be attentive to this since missus is slightly less manic about the diving than I am.

Seems we're going for a 7 night stay, so I suppose that lends itself to 5 days diving.

Anyone has experience of good (i.e. not too crowded and nice people suitable for someone alittle unsure about her capability) DC offering "packages"? Basically, we'd need to rent full equipment and, of course, do the dives.

PS: thanks all for so generously sharing - its very welcome. If anyone needs hints for Oman or Indonesia - I'll be glad to reciprocate!

Dahab has its other stuff as well. Also you'll not lose much time diving in Dahab because it's shore diving. In Hurghada, you normally come back exhausted to the jetty at 5:00 PM.

Anyway, Hurghada is not a bad decision either. Any DC will give you the package and they're all suitable for inexperienced divers. But the sites are usually crowded.

scoufr:

Anyone has experience of good (i.e. not too crowded and nice people suitable for someone alittle unsure about her capability) DC offering "packages"? Basically, we'd need to rent full equipment and, of course, do the dives.

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Hi, i have used Divepoint in the past, website http://www.dive-point.com/home_e.htm, they will usually do deals if you book in advance via the web. You can usually do your first dive around the house reef at the Coral Sea resort, helps those who have not dived for a while to get back in gently. When we went with them, we dived mainly to the south of hurghada, whereas many other operators went North, therefore not so crowded. It may depend where you are staying in Hurghada, as it does sprawl, but they do run a minibus pickup as part of the service.

My wife and I had only passed our open water 6 months prior to our first Red sea trip and they supplied at a little extra cost a personal guide for the first few dives just to make sure we were comfortable. I would highly recommend them.

Thanks