Help About Sharm (Red Sea)

[dangerousa]

HI new postee here, I am going to Sharm in late July 2003 and any recommendations for hotels and dive schools would be much appreciated. I'm going with my non-diving partner so live-aboard is not an option. Thank you all in advance for your help

 

[nickjb]

Are you all booked up yet? It depends on your partner, but Sharm is not ideal for a non diving partner. All the diving is boat diving and you spend pretty much all day on the boat. The town is pretty good for evenings, though. It is much like a European resort.

It is only a 1 hour taxi ride up the coast to Dahab. Here all the diving is shore based so you can do a dive in the morning then have a long lunch in town or on the beach before an afternoon dive. The town is far less cosmopolitan (putting it mildly), it depends what you like.

Sharm is far more expensive than Dahab, but still cheap by European standards.

The diving is pretty stunning in both locations and you will certainly enjoy either place.

What type of accomodtion are you looking for, what type of diving do you want to do?

 

[dangerousa]

Thanks for your reply.
I am looking for a fairly decent hotel (possibly All-inclusive) so my wife, a confirmed sun worshipper, can just chill out for the week.
In terms of diving, I am really into marine wildlife, Sharks in particular, but at the same time I do want to dive the Thistlegorm (can you go to the area and miss it!).
I would also like to do a speciality course while I am over there possibly Photography or maybe Nitrox so I need the name of a good dive school.
The other place I have been recommended by an Egyptian Guy was Hurgarda(?) have you been there at all.
Nothing has been booked yet so I await any advice from more experienced corrospondents.
THANK YOU

 

[Conor]

I have to agree that Dahab would be good, you can get good AI deals at the hilton through divernet etc. Haven't been to sharm but somehow I don't think it'd be my scene.

I have just posted a report on my trip to Dahab and there are a couple of threads further down that contain a lot of debate along similar lines along with some links to good sites for prices etc.


Happy hols

 

[nickjb]

Hurghada is OK. It is probably as developed as Sharm but without any planning happening first . It is basically spread out over three areas. The resort strip (just hotels), the new town (most of the resteraunts and bars) and the old town (a jumble of streets). There is a huge long strip of large multinational hotels and most of them have their own dive centre. I think most people who stay here never venture off site. I seem to recall that the Hilton had a pretty good dive centre.

The shore diving in Hurghada is pretty sparce due to the development so most diving is by day boat (similar to Sharm). The water is mostly shallower (<20m) with lot of reefs and pinacles stretching from the sandy bottom almost to the surface. There is a pretty stunning marine park here too. Most of the day boats go to the same sites but the less visited ones are well worth a visit.

In terms of marine life anywhere in the Red Sea is good. Dahab probably has the most fish per square inch but there are very few large fish. Sharm has a good mix of fish and probably the best chance of sharks. Hurghada has a fairly good mix too, there are a lot of small rays and large morays and dolphins are pretty common.

If you want Sharks and a day trip the Thistlegorm (fantastic) and your wife is happy to sit on the beach all day while you are on the boat then Sharm is probably your best bet.

I can't really help with a dive centre in Sharm. Last time I was there I dived with an Itailian dive centre who where doing the dives I wanted to do but I wouldn't recommend them for training.

Enjoy
Nick

 

[nickjb]

Conor once bubbled...
I have to agree that Dahab would be good, you can get good AI deals at the hilton through divernet etc. Haven't been to sharm but somehow I don't think it'd be my scene.

I have just posted a report on my trip to Dahab and there are a couple of threads further down that contain a lot of debate along similar lines along with some links to good sites for prices etc.


Happy hols

Conor, I'm looking forward to your report, where is it posted?

You are right about the whole 'scene' thing. Each resort has a very different vibe. I found Sharm a little too civilized for my tastes, but I can understatd why some people like that. I could happily spend several months in Dahab and did spend several months in Hurghada. My friends have just returned from a week in Hurghada and said that they can see how I managed to get 'stuck' there. Time just doesn't pass in the same way.

 

[Conor]

its just a bit further down ( link ).

I had a fantastic time there, ended up describing the centre rather than the diving. Two reasons I said so little about the diving,

1. Its been described before by better people than me.
2. Where do you start its all amazing.

I just loved the atmosphere and imagine with a non-diving partner it would be pretty good with the right centre. The other half could just sit a chill in one of the bedouin huts having some bedouin tea, while you do your dive, its just the most relaxing place I have found so far, and these little cafes just make it better ....have some tea, kit up, dive....have some lunch....kit up dive etc.

 

[divebunnie]

well I have just returned from one of my most memorable idyllic holidays in the Red Sea, so you will be sure to have a good time wherever you go.

I am not sure how your wife would be on a boat, however we were on a liveaboard, and one of the women was most definitely a sun-worshipper and doesn't dive at all. She had a fantastic holiday (and tan to match!). Most of the sites that we visited were also great for snorkelling, so she did dip in now and then, for a change of scenery and a cool down.

You may well have already booked your holiday, but if you haven't you could do worse than going through Tony Backhurst. They did our liveaboard and have got some great land-based deals going on at the moment, all of which are around the £500 mark including the diving, which can't be bad.

July will be great too, as the life will have really built up, the tiget sharks have returned to Tiran already, so you should be in for some fun. By the time you get out there the shoal of snapper in Ras Mohammed (shark and yolanda reef) will have really built up into wall!

Well, I hope you have fun wherever you go, let us know it pans out.

 

[Jonathan]

In terms of diving, I am really into marine wildlife, Sharks in particular, but at the same time I do want to dive the Thistlegorm (can you go to the area and miss it!).

I only ever saw one shark on 4 trips to the Red Sea and on the last trip we voted to miss the Thistlegorm - so yes you can miss it! If you are going defintely best done from a liveaboard.

In Sharm the two big players are Red Sea Dive College and Emperor Divers. My old place in London always recommends the former though I have never been with them. Before I used that LDS I went through Emperor Divers and had a great time - stayed at the Rosetta which was OK but if you want an all inclusive style probably better off somewhere else - not sure where though as I have not been to Sharm for 4 years....

Have a good one

Jonathan

 

[diverkim]

For diving I have to give Sharm El Sheikh a definite nod over Hurghada. Ras Mohammed, Straits of Tiran, and the Thislegorm are great. I never saw any sharks but some some devil rays in Sharm El Sheikh.
There is a site a few hours drive south of Hurghada called Elfin Stone. There I saw grey reef and hammerhead sharks. I also saw dolphins underwater swimming above a school of tuna. Current is strong at this deep site. You should be a confident advanced diver. As I remeber it the shop required that all divers show a logbook documenting a minimum of 50 dives.
There are many good shops in Sharm. Look around and find one that pleases you.