Word of advice, if you choose the Sinai area (Sharm / Dahab) don't do the Thistlegorm trip from Dahab as it's a very long day and you'll be leaving Dahab around 04:00 to get to the port to catch the boat and all the best spots will be gone by then.
8 days in Egypt, any suggestions?
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JustSurfaceInterval
Contributor
With Sharm (Thistlegorm and e.g. Ras Mohamed), Dahab (e.g. Lighthouse, Blue Hole, ...) and Marsa Alam (indeed Elphinstone (*), but also the Abu Dabbab spots) you have some of the iconic Red Sea spots on the list, no doubts.
Thistlegorm and Elphinstone may be a little bit rough for the 20+ diver.
The issue i see are the tranfers from one location to another which will need at least one day, more is you have get a "no fly" from your computer.
Cairo - Sharm will be by plane (car or bus takes too long).
Sharm - Dahab - Sharm will be fine by car/taxi/bus.
Sharm - Marsa Alam is only available with Egypt Air via Cairo.
With only 8 days, and if there is a strong desire to see the Thistlegorm, i would rather skip Sharm/Dahab and stay in the Marsa Alam Area somewhere with a nice house reef and in zodiac distance of the Abu Dabbabs and Elphinstone spots first for 4-5 days (e.g. Marsa Shagra, or Three Corners Equinox, among plenty others....).
Then i would move by car/bus to Hurghada (personal prefrerence = James & Mac) for 2 days wreck diving: not only the Thistlegorm but also Carnatic, Giannis D, ... (would be worth contacting J&M upfront to know what is scheduled and when, to eventually fine tune the timing of the stay).
Thistlegorm and Elphinstone may be a little bit rough for the 20+ diver.
The issue i see are the tranfers from one location to another which will need at least one day, more is you have get a "no fly" from your computer.
Cairo - Sharm will be by plane (car or bus takes too long).
Sharm - Dahab - Sharm will be fine by car/taxi/bus.
Sharm - Marsa Alam is only available with Egypt Air via Cairo.
With only 8 days, and if there is a strong desire to see the Thistlegorm, i would rather skip Sharm/Dahab and stay in the Marsa Alam Area somewhere with a nice house reef and in zodiac distance of the Abu Dabbabs and Elphinstone spots first for 4-5 days (e.g. Marsa Shagra, or Three Corners Equinox, among plenty others....).
Then i would move by car/bus to Hurghada (personal prefrerence = James & Mac) for 2 days wreck diving: not only the Thistlegorm but also Carnatic, Giannis D, ... (would be worth contacting J&M upfront to know what is scheduled and when, to eventually fine tune the timing of the stay).
Marsa Shagra and forget everything else:
Marsa Shagra Village, Marsa Alam, Red Sea
Our gateway to the south with one of the most beautiful house reefs in the Red Sea & perfectly situated for diving some of the world’s most famous dive sites.
www.redsea-divingsafari.com
Two different itineraries that deserve two trips. Thistlegorm is one helluva dive when the conditions are right. Even people that hate wreck dives love it. Ras Mohamed is a fantastic dive –– in summer. So you won't be there when all the fish in the Red Sea gather for a big conference.
Otoh in December you might catch the tail of the Longimanus season (November being the peek month) in the Egyptian Red Sea, and Elphinstone is one reef where you see them fairly often. Normally not a dive for a less experienced diver though.
EDIT. I agree with @BoltSnap on RSDS Marsa Shagra as a very good base for experiencing the Marsa Alam region. It's a reminiscence of the old days, which is also the philosophy of Hossam Helmy who founded the Red Sea Diving Safaris, he wants his guests to experience the Red Sea like he did when he came to the area in the 1980's. Shagra is also the most convenient place for going out to Elphionstone.
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JustSurfaceInterval
Contributor
So much great info. Thank you all for taking the time to reply.
I'll chat to the wife, get in touch with some of the recommended dive shops/people, and go from there. Getting seriously excited already.
Will definitely write a trip report once we've been.
I'll chat to the wife, get in touch with some of the recommended dive shops/people, and go from there. Getting seriously excited already.
Will definitely write a trip report once we've been.
Just a little update...
The wife's friend has pulled out of the trip so it's just the wife and I. Which means we can explore the wilder sites and wrecks without worrying about her. I just booked our flights to Cairo and also 5 nights in Marsa Shagra.
FYI, I got in touch with quite a few dive shops out of Hurghada and El Gouna to organise wreck diving on the Thistlegorm, the Salem Express, and a few others. Quite a few came back saying that the shop needs to have a boat with a "Safari Licence" to access Thistlegorm and even more came back saying they don't dive the Thistlegorm or the Salem Express even with that licence. Most will only dive the four wrecks around Abu Nuhas. Also, doing a wreck dive day with three dives is a hard 'no' as the boats arent allowed to get back to the harbour after dark.
Does anybody have any other reccommendations on shops or areas to dive the Thistlegorm and the Salem Express?
The wife's friend has pulled out of the trip so it's just the wife and I. Which means we can explore the wilder sites and wrecks without worrying about her. I just booked our flights to Cairo and also 5 nights in Marsa Shagra.
FYI, I got in touch with quite a few dive shops out of Hurghada and El Gouna to organise wreck diving on the Thistlegorm, the Salem Express, and a few others. Quite a few came back saying that the shop needs to have a boat with a "Safari Licence" to access Thistlegorm and even more came back saying they don't dive the Thistlegorm or the Salem Express even with that licence. Most will only dive the four wrecks around Abu Nuhas. Also, doing a wreck dive day with three dives is a hard 'no' as the boats arent allowed to get back to the harbour after dark.
Does anybody have any other reccommendations on shops or areas to dive the Thistlegorm and the Salem Express?
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