In Feb. '09 I hope to go to Red Sea for the first time and although experienced myself my dive companion has only just qualified and has less than 10 open water dives logged. If I list our requirements then perhaps the forum members, with their wealth of experience of the area, can advise where we should head?
Friendly English speaking dive centre
Good hotel / accommodation which is relatively quiet and not near to rowdy night life and loads of bars
Good nearby accessible reef for snorkelling when not off diving.
Good hotel facilities for non diver on trip
Reasonably priced and good catering and service
Restaurants nearby as an alternative to hotel
Advice as to book hotel and flights separately or go through a holiday operator such as advertised in dive mags.
I hope you will be able to come up with some good suggestions and advice for which I thank you in advance.
:)
Jack.
MarkUK
December 22nd, 2008, 07:38 AM
Taba Heights might be a good option for you. I recently took my diving wife, two-year-old son and my non-diving parents to this resort.
Diving-wise, it doesn't offer dramatic walls, strong currents and pelagics, but it does have lovely reefs, some lesser-seen stuff (frogfish, seahorses, etc), so is ideal for photography, and as most of the dives max out at 18-23m or so, it is great for relative novices.
The dive centre for the resort is Red Sea Waterworld, owned by the same guys who have Red Sea Diving College in Sharm, and it is a very well-run centre.
You have a choice of hotels, four five-stars on the beachfront, and a four-star in the 'uptown' area. As you want snorkelling as well, I'd recommend the Hyatt, as it has the best reef for snorkelling, and the hotel itself is clean, spacious and not noisy. There was plenty to keep my non-diving parents occupied, including various surface watersports, golf course, quad biking up a canyon in the mountains, etc, etc.
All the hotels own restaurants in the 'uptown' area, so you can dine there other than in the hotel for a change. There are mini-buses running every 30mins or so in a circuit around the hotels, dive centre and uptown area.
I went with Longwood Holidays and they are one of the few tour ops offering this resort, and they offer reasonable prices for a package deal.
There are other alternatives, but I think this ticks a lot of your boxes.
Mark
Red Sea Shadow
December 22nd, 2008, 08:29 AM
I think Dahab is suitable for your needs; quiet with variety of accommodation and food options. Regarding diving, I would have considered a private guide if I were in your place.
pharaoh
December 22nd, 2008, 10:23 AM
Hi Jack, if you want an authentic Egyptian Red Sea experience away from the crowds you should look to the Marsa Alam coast. Best suited to your list of needs would be El Quseir in this area but the only problem would be resturants outside of the hotels. There are 2 quality hotels the Radisson or Movenpick and the rates in Feb are very attreactive. Visit pharaoh dive clubs website for more info on the diving and hotels. The dive club is a British owned and operated 5 Star IDC centre on the beach.
samaka
December 30th, 2008, 02:38 AM
Hurghada is without a doubt the choice for you. It's got ecactly what you need and plenty of good dive centre to dive with.
Check out my Red Sea Info page at WELCOME TO AZIAB (http://www.aziab.com) and find all information you need. You can email me with questions and I'll do my best to help you out (maybe even buy you a beer when you get here)
...a...
Fionab
December 30th, 2008, 06:37 AM
Good hotel facilities for non diver on trip
Reasonably priced and good catering and service
Restaurants nearby as an alternative to hotel
Jack.
If you have a non diver on the trip, the last place I would be is Hurghada it is dreadful if you go out of the hotel. If the non diver would like to go shopping then I would recommend Sharm. I only do liveaboards so doesn't really matter where I start the trip from but if you are land based then it is obviously a consideration.
Marsa Alam is quite remote unless you choose a hotel at Port Ghalib where the new marina complex is, haven't been for a couple of years but I would think they have more shops and restaurants by now.
I haven't been to Dahab or Taba. But you might also like to have a look at El Gouna which has some good reports.
Lord Melch
December 31st, 2008, 08:31 AM
LOL - so you have the choice - Recommended
Hurghada
Dahab
Marsa
Sharm..
I'd go with Dahab - some wonderful beach based dives.. lots of info here :
PADI Dive Sites, Club Dahab, Egypt | Club Vass (http://clubvass.com/locations/club-dahab/padi-diving/dive-sites)
There are quite a few well run dive outfits, and all speak English.
One recommended is Reef2000 - http://www.reef2000.com/ - run by Brits
You can book flights and hotels direct but unless you know where/what/how how maybe best for your 1st trip is below.
A good travel agent with diving skills and great prices is :
I've been to Dahab three times, most recently in November. The diving is fantastic and the local people, mostly Bedouins, are really, really kind and honest. I had to leave a week before my boyfriend, and I gave the dive guide a pretty generous tip, (he had some hassles with our group which he didnt deserve: but thats another story) which he pocketed without looking at. That evening he spoke to my BF and worriedly said that I must have made a mistake; he tried to give the tip back!
There is diving for almost all skill levels, lots to see.
We stay in a family-owned hotel, Mirage Village. It has a nice atmosphere. It is not, however, at all fancy, and is therefore very inexpensive. I'm not sure if it would be the best choice if you have non-divers with you. There are a number of great-looking hotels in the southern part of Dahab; these would probably be more attractive to you.
Have a wonderful trip!
Lord Melch
January 2nd, 2009, 09:14 AM
I've been to Dahab three times, most recently in November. The diving is fantastic and the local people,Dahab's diving and it's people are ACE !! I've lost count how many times I have been there :D
There is diving for almost all skill levels, lots to see.I'd say all skill levels myself..
As far as hotels it depends on budget. You have the poshest hotels 5 mins out of town - Swiss Inn, Hilton, etc.
Or you can stay cheaper at different ones there is a wide range..
Some dive centres have attached hotels, like Reef2000 for example, and some hotels (most in fact) have associated dive centres :D
Acrobat
January 13th, 2009, 02:42 PM
I would definitely say: El Gouna, The Sheraton, TGI diving
TGI is based in the Sheraton. El Gouna is nice and quiet (is has a few bars if you must:) with good restaurants and a nice new marina (with shops) (Abu Tiq) nearby.
I,ve been diving with TGI now for 6 years and they're great, nice staff, multilingual, nice boats (which leave from a private jetty at the Sheraton) good prices and good fun too.
And...good diving off course;) (Abu Nahas wrecks, Rosalie Moller)
alchemist117
January 13th, 2009, 05:15 PM
Last year at Easter we booked flights and accommodation separately- Justtheflight.com and Camel Dive Hotel. It worked out really well, but since XL went bust, I wouldn't do that again. We would have been screwed had it happened before we went or when we were there.
samaka
January 19th, 2009, 12:22 PM
Deep South Egyptian Red Sea. Either you go on a Liveaboard or you go to Hamata, which is a small place just north of Ras Banas and there you dive on world class dive sites like Fury Shoal and Wadi Gamal even with daily oats. There are only two hotels there at the moment so the amount of divers/boats at the sites are minimum. Compared to Sharm and other more well known destinations this s outstanding (so far).
Checdk out info on my website WELCOME TO AZIAB (http://www.aziab.com) and let me know if you have any questions.
.....a.....
Lord Melch
January 20th, 2009, 01:36 PM
Checdk out info on my website WELCOME TO AZIAB (http://www.aziab.com/) and let me know if you have any questions.Nice site - love the Batman Outfit :D
How can I order one of your ACE T-Shirts ?
samaka
January 26th, 2009, 05:45 AM
Nice site - love the Batman Outfit :D
Aww... Thanks for that mate...
How can I order one of your ACE T-Shirts ?
Well... as it is now I only have them here in Egypt but there will be someone in UK and someone in Scandinavia selling them soon... The same goes for the Dive Site Guide Books (40 Dive Sites in Hurghada & 40 Dive Sites in El Gouna). The only place you can get them from outside Egypt is Sweden... I know it sucks and many people have told me so but there will be someone in UK selling them soon.
I'll keep you posted.
...a...
Lord Melch
January 26th, 2009, 07:27 PM
Well... as it is now I only have them here in Egypt
Easily fixed, I will have to buy in Egypt
Swiss Icebear
February 14th, 2009, 05:02 PM
I personally think that some waters around Soma Bay should fit in. Not that many boats from Safaga and Hurghada and some 30 minutes in front of any other dive operater. Try out the Sheraton or the Cascade with the Orca Dive Center. First class with german operaters. As you expect, first class organized and strictly by the book. Therefore no stupid stunts!
Iron Mike
February 21st, 2009, 09:57 PM
Hello Jack,
We dove with Emperor Divers in Sharm El Sheikh. The diving was amazing and the staff and boats were all first rate. We stayed at the Hilton Sharm Waterfalls Resort which was also first class. We had excellent snorkeling right off the shore of the hotel. There was a dock that you could swim from. There was also a dive shop on site but we did not use them. I'm quite sure that a beginner would have no problem diving any of the sites we went to. As far as non diving activities there were more shops and restaurants then you could possibly go to. I hope this helps.
Enjoy,
Michael
waxymud
February 23rd, 2009, 04:59 AM
Hi,
Yet anothe "where would you recommend" post, but I would appreciate any ideas as every person looking for recommendations has a different set of criteria, so here is mine!
Looking to go in Mid May 09.
I have CMAS* which I passed in May 07 but would like to change over to PADI and get my AOW while out there. BTW, my logged dives are only 7 to date.
My wife does not dive or swim that well!
We were looking for 1 week, may be 2 weeks dependant on hotel costs.
Somewhere with non diving visits and tours not too far off.
hotel not too expensive.
Ideally through a tour package operator like Thomas cook etc as I want it all sorted easily with little room for hick ups.
Dive centre needs to be close to hotel or in it, as I dont really want the wife to get pissed off being left alone for ages. Ideally if there is a centre with a beech area she can wait on it would be great.
Bearing in mind the bombs yesterday in Cairo, some where not over populated by tourists and for the wifes peace of mind, away from the capital city.
Dive sites that are not crowded or barren due to over diving. I dont want to have to try to fight my way through shoals of other divers!
Well theres my list of criteria. long I know, but if you want to make a great holiday its worth tailoring to your needs.
Thanks for any pointers.
Waxy.
Red Sea Shadow
February 23rd, 2009, 05:54 AM
Waxy,
CMAS is good and internationally recognized so why do you want to change to PADI? I'd rather save the AOW course price and spend it enjoying more dives :)
Dahab is a good place for you and your wife. She could even escort you to the dive sites during daily diving trips as no boats are invloved. However, the city is relatively small and simple but more laid back than Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada. Diving wise, the dive sites are world class but if you fancy boat diving them go Sharm or Hurghada.
waxymud
February 24th, 2009, 10:04 AM
Has anyone had any experiance of "easy divers" in the red sea? They have 4 or 5 centres scattered around the region. Wanting to know if anyone has used them or has anything good or bad to say about them.
PS, medical certificates and egypt; where is there info on the rquirements on this forum please?
Thanks.
annlaur
March 3rd, 2009, 12:34 PM
Hi Waxymud
I just came back from Dahab and had a great time there.
Here (hhttp://www.scubaboard.com/forums/red-sea/274740-trip-report-dahab-inmo-divers-home-single-female-begginner.html#post4249994) is my trip report if you want more info.
Things to do in Dahab besides diving and snorkeling include chilling on the beach, going for a camel ride, horseback riding, driving a cart... Most places can arrange day trips to Petra, the white desert or Saint-Catherine, among others. Your wife could also take yoga classes, have a massage in one of the parlors on the boardwalk... Just south of town is a fancy hotel called Bayview Resort & Spa, probably very expensive but maybe the spa is accessible to non-guests for a daily fee.
If you have two weeks, why not spend one visiting sites such as Louxor then go diving and chilling in Dahab for example ? This way everyone is happy.
I wouldn't worry about the bombings. What are the chances of that happening to YOU ? A lot less than exploding your skull on the bathroom tile while getting out of the shower. From the little that I saw, Egypt is a safe and friendly country for visitors... as long as you don't get in a car at night (their driving is insane), drink tap water (the turista is not deadly, but sure bothersome) or step barefoot onto a stone fish.
You don't necessarily have to go through Thomas Cook to "save the hassle".
I bought my flight on the Internet, dealt directly by e.mail with the (rather small) hotel/dive op, they picked me up/dropped me off at the airport at Sharm el Sheikh and they had all the facilities on the premises. I'm sure most medium range places will organize transfers for you.
Wherever you choose to go, just make sure you book your diving with a reputable, long-established and safety-oriented dive center. Red Sea Shadow and Samaka can help you with that depending on your destination.
waxymud
March 4th, 2009, 01:23 AM
ann,
Thank you for the information and feedback. Sadly your link is not working this morning. I would liked to have read it.
Dahab is getting a lot of good feed back here so I might be trying to get our holiday there if possible.
What are stone fish? I had seen alot of brouchures advising guests to wear 'beech shoes', but thought it was down to stoney beeches or other low water hazards. Not fish...
Thanks again.
Waxy.
annlaur
March 4th, 2009, 04:37 AM
Sorry about the link, I am not very good with html codes.
Here (http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/red-sea/274740-trip-report-dahab-inmo-divers-home-single-female-beginner.html) it is again.
Stone fish or scorpion fish hide on the bottom of the sea and look just like rocks, hence their "nickname". They have venimous spines on their back to defend themselves against predators, but they're only dangerous if you step on them. They don't attack or anything. That's why you need to wear plastic shoes, booties or tennis shoes while going in the water... in the Red Sea but also in many other places accross the world. There are varieties of scorpion fish in the Mediterranean as well.
For more info on Dahab or Egypt, I'd recommand you get a copy of the Lonely Planet (http://shop.lonelyplanet.com/index.jsp)
(If you choose to buy only a chapter of the Egypt book online, know that the info about Dahab is located in the Sinai section, not the Red Sea)
One thing I forgot to mention : Dahab is also a top destination for windsurfing.
For the medical certificate, if you don't already have one that is less a year old, just have your regular doctor fill up and sign a form like this one (http://www.mauidiving.com/padimed.pdf) (second page).
If you have a risk condition to diving, you should go to a physicist who knows about diving and have him fill it up.
Dutchy1
March 5th, 2009, 05:15 PM
Does anybody have any advice on diving in Sharm? We are going on Sunday for a week. I have PADI Advanced and my partner has PADI open, we last dived in Greece in Oct'07, do all companies out there require you to do a refresher course?
Ev
annlaur
March 6th, 2009, 03:12 AM
Don't know about Sharm, but I think a refresher course is a good idea, especially to get your weights right, as the Red Sea is really salty and they use AL tanks there. Besides, from what I've seen, even the easy shallow sites off the Sinai coast have many things to see.
waxymud
March 15th, 2009, 02:10 PM
doing a full circle now and we are now looking at Hurghada again.
So what do people recommend? Sharm or Hurg?
Not bothered about going out dancing every night, but would like to be near a town for somewhere to look around to get out of the hotel occasionally. neither has much tourist attractions it would appear, by way of historical stuff. Sharm is about 20 years old so relativly new and hurg has more "history" to it. Sharm is moderm , sharm is more traditional. Might come down to which ever is least crowded both on the beach and in town..
Vote now please!
ArthurGerla
March 15th, 2009, 07:23 PM
Waxymud, from Hurghada the closest site of historical interest is Luxor, a 8 hour bus ride away across the desert. Hurghada itself is a dump. Trust me on this.
You will be more at home in Sharm or Dahab. They have day trips to Mount Sinai and the St. Catherine convent, Coloured Canyon, as well as all the usual desert quad trips, camel riding, 'visit the bedouin' stuff, all very worthwhile. Better diving and snorkeling too.
annlaur
March 16th, 2009, 04:37 AM
Not bothered about going out dancing every night, but would like to be near a town for somewhere to look around to get out of the hotel occasionally. neither has much tourist attractions it would appear, by way of historical stuff. Sharm is about 20 years old so relativly new and hurg has more "history" to it. Sharm is moderm , sharm is more traditional. Might come down to which ever is least crowded both on the beach and in town..
Vote now please!
Definitely Dahab. Nice small town, quiet, great little bedouin cafñÔ and restaurants, relaxed atmosphere, not overcrowded, friendly local people, many different types of accomodation to choose from, from the basic camps to the small hotels on the boardwalk to the plush resorts outside of town.
morad_diver
March 16th, 2009, 08:19 AM
hi
theres many peole told you about egypt but no bodu told you about the real mgic place in aqaba
aqaba its the best any way you can going to my web page international arab divers village (http://www.aqaba-divevillage.com) and read more out about the dive sites
or contact me at info@aqaba-divevillage.com
annlaur
March 16th, 2009, 04:08 PM
Never been to Aqaba, so can't comment on the diving and life there, but it's a great location if you want to go visit Petra.
According to what I've read on the Internet, day trips to Petra from either Sharm or Dahab cost at least 200 euros a person and take over 15 hours, most of them spent travelling by bus and ferry.
So if you're planning on visiting Petra, it might be worth comparing airfares and deciding to stay in Aqaba.
Another option is to book a cheap flight and hotel package to Hurghada, spend a day there, then take the ferry to Sharm (about 2 hours and 40 dollars one way, I think), and heading to Dahab (if you book a hotel in Dahab ahead of time and ask them to pick you up, they should charge you around 25 euros per person for this. Or you can take a local bus).
Spend a few days in Dahab then go back to Hurghada the same way and do some boat dives.
This way you get to visit both places, do both boat and shore dives, and possibly save money (as you know in France all inclusive trips to Hurghada are often cheaper than just a flight ticket to Sharm).
Bon voyage. PM me in either French or English if you want more info.
Anne-Laure
Jack Tripp
March 21st, 2009, 04:06 PM
Well we requested advice and decided to go with the consensus and had a brilliant week. We stayed at the Hilton, Dahab and dived with Reef 2000. Organised the trip with Regaldive and flew Thompson. The diving we organised ourselves.
The hotel was very good and the staff were brilliant. The only slight fault found was with their sea food restaurant: it does not live up to its publicity; the food was bland.
Reef 2000 is a great dive centre and thanks to all the staff (especially Å*ittle and Å£ig Mohamed who were excellent dive guides). The Bedouin Moon hotel is obviously a great place if you are there in a group, to just dive but the advantage of the Hilton was that it had much more atmosphere when not diving and our non diver was very happy to be left on the beach (literally) at the hotel. The hotel was full to capacity while we were there but we were surprised to discover this as due to the layout and design it was never giving the impression of being crowded.
Did all the signature dives and they each turned out to be exactly what was said on the packet. The weather was very pleasant and the sea temp at 23 degrees warranted the 5mm semi dries and hoods we dived in.
Ultimate test: would we go again? Most definitely ÅÚes if we want a nice diving break in winter.
Jack Tripp.
