Israel to Egypt

[DCDivenut]

Hi all... I just found out that I will be going to Israel for a wedding in June. I am really interested in adding on a Red Sea trip while I am there. From my research it seems that the itinerary I would be most interested in would be the Southern (brothers, Daedelus and Elphinstone) and I know I will be doing live aboard.

My question concerns getting from Israel to Egypt. I found some flights via Jordan on Royal Jordanian Air. Does anyone have any experience with these or other ideas? I am guessing that once I get to Cairo I will be taking Egypt Air from Cairo to Marsa Alam.

 

[Red Sea Shadow]

Regarding Cairo - Marsa Alam leg, you have to check in advance because these trips are not daily.

 

[Arizona]

What about Caesarea near Tel Aviv for a unique archeological dive? If your in the area...

Israel launches world's first underwater museum at Caesarea

I always wanted to dive this site.

 

[TSandM]

Oh, that underwater museum looks like an incredible experience! I was talking to someone on the plane to Cairo who had dived off Alexandria, but he said the viz was poor and he didn't enjoy the ruins much.

 

[Arizona]

I bet the vis is not that good in Caesarea as well, but worth the dive. There are a few wrecks near Haifa as well. I imagine a dive guide with a curator type slate. The actual ruins on land are worth the trip alone IMO.

 

[ofleisher]

Agreed with Arizona....regarding the Med, but as for the med....go down to Eilat, have a day or two diving, cross the border to Taba (Egypt) and join to a bus or Taxi to Sharem El Shich (3.5 hours drive +/-) and from there- take anything you like .

In Israel dive in the Med is easy mainly June time when Vis is still good (usually) and the red is always like a bath...)

Have fun any way, If like more tips of diving the Red or Med in IL - PM me

Any way read this (all) : http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/africa-middle-east/148466-anyone-dive-caesarea.html

 

[DCDivenut]

Red Sea Shadow... THANKS! I was looking at Egypt Airs schedule online and they have numbers that correspond to the days of the week the flight leaves so once I crack that code I should be okay!! I figure that once I narrow down a boat operation they should be able to assist with the travel arrangements for that leg. Any other general thoughts or tips? I very much value your "on the ground" perspective and have enjoyed reading your other posts.

***********
Thanks for the responses, and I appreciate the tips, but I have been lucky enough to dive in some other pretty great areas and I suspect that I won't enjoy diving off Eilat and Sharm for the same reasons I don't enjoy diving in the Bahamas...
I don't like resort areas, cattle boats, or boatloads of fresh diver tourists who don't know their exhaust bubbles from farts and the generally pushy and upselling dive guides who make it all possible.

I like remote locations, pristine reefs, diverse marine life and experienced divers and guides/crew.

Am I picky... sure! Am I really this much of an a$$hole? Probably not, but that may be how I come across online

I actually dived Ceasarea the last time I was out there, and it was moderately interesting because of the historical factors but not something that I would repeat again.

 

[ofleisher]

Red Sea Shadow... THANKS! I was looking at Egypt Airs schedule online and they have numbers that correspond to the days of the week the flight leaves so once I crack that code I should be okay!! I figure that once I narrow down a boat operation they should be able to assist with the travel arrangements for that leg. Any other general thoughts or tips? I very much value your "on the ground" perspective and have enjoyed reading your other posts.

***********
Thanks for the responses, and I appreciate the tips, but I have been lucky enough to dive in some other pretty great areas and I suspect that I won't enjoy diving off Eilat and Sharm for the same reasons I don't enjoy diving in the Bahamas...
I don't like resort areas, cattle boats, or boatloads of fresh diver tourists who don't know their exhaust bubbles from farts and the generally pushy and upselling dive guides who make it all possible.

I like remote locations, pristine reefs, diverse marine life and experienced divers and guides/crew.

Am I picky... sure! Am I really this much of an a$$hole? Probably not, but that may be how I come across online

I actually dived Ceasarea the last time I was out there, and it was moderately interesting because of the historical factors but not something that I would repeat again.

In that case, go to the north, dive the Scire (the Ialian sub) + the "canyon" near Nahariyah - both are boat dive, interesting and not crowded at all

 

[Red Sea Shadow]

Red Sea Shadow... THANKS! I was looking at Egypt Airs schedule online and they have numbers that correspond to the days of the week the flight leaves so once I crack that code I should be okay!! I figure that once I narrow down a boat operation they should be able to assist with the travel arrangements for that leg. Any other general thoughts or tips? I very much value your "on the ground" perspective and have enjoyed reading your other posts.

You're most welcome my friend

 

[Jai Bar]

Hi all... I just found out that I will be going to Israel for a wedding in June. I am really interested in adding on a Red Sea trip while I am there. From my research it seems that the itinerary I would be most interested in would be the Southern (brothers, Daedelus and Elphinstone) and I know I will be doing live aboard.

My question concerns getting from Israel to Egypt. I found some flights via Jordan on Royal Jordanian Air. Does anyone have any experience with these or other ideas? I am guessing that once I get to Cairo I will be taking Egypt Air from Cairo to Marsa Alam.

I think you should check El-Al (probably elal.com or elal.co.il), they may be operating direct flights Tel Aviv-Cairo on some days of the week. If they do, this is the most sensible solution, even if you don't find a direct connection on same day for Cairo-Marsa Alam, you won't get bored spending a day or two in Cairo.

All other solutions are either really expensive or incredibly tiresome and get you to destination exhausted. It does not look reasonable to travel from Tel Aviv to Eilat (bus/airplane), then to Sharm El Sheikh (bus? taxi?), then a ferry to Hurghada, then a bus further south? It is crazy... Or flying through Jordan (or Cyprus) making additional stop and connections will just sum too much time..

Caesarea, Scire, Achziv etc. are nice dives (IMHO Caesarea is boring) but extremely lousy when compared to the places you are looking forward to go- if you are time limited don't waste it on these sites.