Red Sea (Egypt) closed (covid-19 confined)

[P-Dog]

I just sent an email to PADI Travel telling them that I would like to rebook at a later date. I feel sick.

Call me indecisive, but I've changed my mind. It ends up that the Royal Hospital in Hurghada is approved for the Covid test by Emirates. I just booked a second flight, that is fully refundable, out of Hurghada that is two days later so that I can get the test done in Hurghada instead of Cairo. So, if the liveaboard sails for the second week, I'll spend two extra days in Hurghada so that I can get tested. If it doesn't, I'll stay at a resort for a week and stick to my original flight schedule that I haven't canceled.

I contacted PADI Travel, who I hadn't heard back from anyway, and told them that I am good to go.

Ends up that my mom isn't nervous about my trip to Egypt. She is nervous about extended time in Cairo. Go figure. She thinks the Red Sea area sounds great.

 

[Mmx06]

Lets see what happens.
I am scheduled for a liveaboard North Tour early September and then a week in Dahab early October (it was rescheduled from end of may).
Contingency plan:
If the North Tour is cancelled, I'll spent a week diving with James&Mac, staying at the Giftun Hotel and eating Camel steaks... ;-)

 

[JustSurfaceInterval]

@P-Dog

@Mmx06 ... but only with chocolate sauce!

 

[Ministryofgiraffes]

Call me indecisive, but I've changed my mind. It ends up that the Royal Hospital in Hurghada is approved for the Covid test by Emirates. I just booked a second flight, that is fully refundable, out of Hurghada that is two days later so that I can get the test done in Hurghada instead of Cairo. So, if the liveaboard sails for the second week, I'll spend two extra days in Hurghada so that I can get tested. If it doesn't, I'll stay at a resort for a week and stick to my original flight schedule that I haven't canceled.

I contacted PADI Travel, who I hadn't heard back from anyway, and told them that I am good to go.

Ends up that my mom isn't nervous about my trip to Egypt. She is nervous about extended time in Cairo. Go figure. She thinks the Red Sea area sounds great.

im actually trying to find back to back liveaboards leaving on Aug 8th now that curaçao is out. Padi travel are not really the best IMO when booking is concerned, but I’m happy to post a list of the responses from all Red Sea liveaboards ‘currently’ scheduled to depart on the 8th and 15th if anyone is interested?

 

[P-Dog]

im actually trying to find back to back liveaboards leaving on Aug 8th now that curaçao is out. Padi travel are not really the best IMO when booking is concerned, but I’m happy to post a list of the responses from all Red Sea liveaboards ‘currently’ scheduled to depart on the 8th and 15th if anyone is interested?

Is it easy to get to Egypt from Canada now?

 

[Ministryofgiraffes]

Is it easy to get to Egypt from Canada now?

I usually fly direct to Cairo from Toronto. Doesn’t appear to be any major issue.

 

[P-Dog]

I usually fly direct to Cairo from Toronto. Doesn’t appear to be any major issue.

That's great. Unless I'm flying to Fiji/thereabouts, Japan or the west coast of the USA, getting anywhere from Kona is a multi-day endeavor.

 

[Ministryofgiraffes]

I’d swap you for Fiji....

 

[Sunn]

I’d swap you for Fiji....

me too !

 

[P-Dog]

I’d swap you for Fiji....

LOL! I can't wait to get back.

I was in Fiji for my first time when the border closed and spent a couple of days scrambling to get on a repatriation flight to the US. I have never seen such beautiful coral in my life. And sharks on every dive. It was just exquisite. The coral. Just so nice. Some of the currents were gnarly, though.