Egypt or Jordan Diving??? I Cannot Decide! PLEASE HELP

[bubblegirl1976]

HI!!
I am planning a trip to Egypt and Jordan next year around Sept/Oct. I am going on a tour that starts in Egypt but ends up in Jordan. I have then about a week or so to dive. I don't know if I should dive the Red Sea in Jordan at Aqaba or fly back to Egypt and dive the Red Sea at Sharm/Hurghada. I know that they will go to different sites etc, but as for more 'bang for my buck', is there any advise out there on which one is more preferred out of these two locations?

I am also contemplating a live aboard when I am there. Can anyone recommend any? Or should I just stick to day trips?

And just one more thing, I will be traveling by myself – SWF! So safety is very paramount to me in my decision. So I need to go to a place where single, female travelers are treated respectively and where they can feel safe.

Any help/advise would be much appreciated!

 

[Mako Mark]

The Jordanian coastline is pretty short compared to the Egyptian one, however it is easy to get from Aqaba to Dahab or Sharm in a few hours. I would head for Dahab or look into livaboards from Sharm.

As a SWF I think you would feel far more comfortable in Dahab than Aqaba.

 

[Jai Bar]

Aqaba has nice dive sites and you'll love diving there, but I think Sinai offers better diving.

Either in Dahab, Sharm or the straits of Tiran- all of them are not really comparable to Aqaba (and in my opinion nicer than sites in Hurghada's neighborhood ).

 

[Bubble Junky]

Have you looked into Taba too ? http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=198790

 

[Christian]

A liveaboard out of Sharm will give you most "bang for the buck". I don't have any specific boat to reccomend, but you can't go wrong with one of the following operators: Sinai Divers, Emperor Divers, Tony Backhurst...

/christian

 

[MarkUK]

I agree with Christian - you could go for something like Whirlwind, a Tornado Marine Fleet boat, or VIP One, run by Red Sea Diving College. You get to dive the Tiran reefs and Ras Mohammed, as well as the Thistlegorm wreck, etc.

Diving in Aqaba is good, but it can't hold a candle to Ras Mo, etc. It is totally different diving. Mostly from shore, lots of marine life and coral, but no real walls, no currents, and thus no chance of pelagics, etc.

Go for a liveaboard from Sharm, and then if you have an land-days either side of the liveaboard, there is plenty to do in Na'ama Bay.

Mark

 

[Scared Silly]

I would agree with most everyone and dive out of the Sinai rather than Jordon.

As for being a SWF, I traveled with a gal from Canada for a few days who was traveling alone throughout the Middle East. She had just come from Syria and Jordon when we meet up in Egypt. She noted that she had no problems but dressed conservatively - no she did not wear a burka but kept herself covered and was assertive when approached by men. Not so much a problem around the Sinai and the resort areas but in less traveled areas.

 

[Red Sea Shadow]

If it's your first time in Egypt, I would recommend diving Sinai and also enjoying other activities like desert safaris. You can have a mix of boat diving, shore diving, camel dive safaris, Jeep dive safaris, and some desert trekking (if you like). Being a SWF is no problem.

 

[Jai Bar]

Mostly from shore, lots of marine life and coral, but no real walls, no currents, and thus no chance of pelagics, etc.

Actually there are some nice walls in Aqaba, like in the Saudi border and the power station. As for pelagics it is true, but I know of a friend who happened to see four mantas in Aqaba (Lucky $#!@X* ). There are several Napoleons here and there (I think the biggest in the Saudi Border) and chances to meet turtles, eagle rays etc.

True, It is not RasMo. But if looking for "most bang for the buck" combined with diving easyness (just an easy stroll from the beach), Aqaba is the place.

Less crowded dive sites too. By far less crowded...

If I was ending my tour in Aqaba (and flying from there home), and have only one week left for diving, I would chose to do the dives in Jordan instead of taking the long trip back and forth to Sharm.
Of course, one can fly but then there is the no-flying-after-diving, and I don't know how frequent there are flights Sinai/Jordan.

 

[MarkUK]

Actually there are some nice walls in Aqaba, like in the Saudi border and the power station.

Saudi Border and Power Station dives are nice walls of a sort, but I did say 'real walls', and for me that is the likes of Ras Mo and the Tiran Reefs.

Aqaba diving is fine, it is quieter and the Cedar Pride is a cracking wreck, but for me Sharm offers more diversity.

Mark