Marsa Alam vs Dahab - recommendations needed

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Hi all,

I am planning a week of solo diving vacation in the Red Sea at the beginning of June and I am having a hard time to make up my mind.

I've tried to narrow down my options to the below:
  • Land-based diving in Dahab
  • Land-based diving in Marsa Alam
  • Liveaboard in Marsa Alam: South & St. Jones route (downside is that the boat I am looking at is almost fully booked and I will have to share a cabin with another person)

About me: AOW with 30 dives; already dived in Thailand, Philippines, Bali and Mexico.

Dahab so far seems to be the cheapest option but I would like to get the best diving so I'm fine spending a bit more if it's worth it. Do you have any recommendations?
I lived in Egypt and dove most of the places you can dive from Dahab, Sharm el Sheikh, and the coast from Hurghada to Marsa Alam. As a caveat, when I dive I usually stay in dive lodges and so on, not five-star resorts. I go for clean, comfortable, as opposed to luxe; so if you want your towels folded into swans and chocolates on your pillow, you can ignore my recommendations.

As another poster said, 'best' is subjective. In terms of 'Bang for the buck' and quality for the cost, Marsa Shagra near Marsa Alam is a good value for a very professionally run dive operation that offers instruction and diving that works for anyone from a newbie to a tech diver. This place is focused, 100% on diving. Red Sea Diving Safaris operates Marsa Shagra, and they have three locations Marsa Shagra, Marsa Nekari, and Wadi Lahmi. Wadi Lahami was closed during COVID and I am not sure if it has re-opened. You can dive famous sites like Elphinstone, Dolphin house, etc. from Marsa Shagra, and if you buy the dive package, dive the house reef an unlimited number of times without extra cost. I was there last in July 2021 and dove from shore or zodiac an average 5 times a day. They have accommodations from tents to private chalets with en suite bathrooms that are clean, comfortable, and nice.

As someone else said, there is nothing to do outside of the diving in most of the towns along the mainland coast, unless you are in Hurghada, which is a city.

I like diving in Dahab, there are dozens of good operators there, and the famous sites like the Blue Hole and Canyon are interesting. I use Dahab Divers when I dive there. For apres-diving, Dahab is fun, with a laid back vibe, lots of English speaking Egyptian service staff.

Sharm el Sheikh is a giant machine for separating tourists from their cash. That said, the diving is good and it is possible to both enjoy some terrific diving and not go broke. I use Oonas Dive Lodge to dive, and if I go solo or 'wth the guys' I stay there as well. There is a nice bar/restaurant with friendly staff. It is run by a British couple and the instructor, Pete, knows Sharm as well as anyone.

I have done one live aboard trip, with Dive Mania, which I enjoyed.

You can find all of these places and lots more on the net. Diving in Egypt is generally affordable compared to other places, and unlike Mexico, the government doesn't try to extort money from you for bringing a camera.

Good luck. No matter what you chose, I am certain you will enjoy diving in Egypt.
 

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