Red Sea Diving Safari Marsa Shagra Marsa Nakari Wadi Lahami

[BoltSnap]

I'd like to hear from somebody who has been to one of the villages: Marsa Shagra, Marsa Nakari, Wadi Lahami recently and what village they recommend for better diving and better overall resort please. What do you think of their dive operation, Delux Chalet (with A/C), quality and variety of diving, restaurant, etc.

 

[Bubble99]

I have been to Marsa Shagra in 2018 it is great. Best house reef I ever saw and interesting boat dives such as Elphinstone, the site where you can nearly always see a Dugong, and Dolphin reef. But really the house reef is so interesting one can just stay there most times. Food is also great. We took the Delux Chalet which was good as we were there in August so very hot. Also it is the only one with own bath room if I am not mistaken. The common bath rooms are very clean but I do prefer my own. It is really a dive resort and not that much else to do (or to be paid such as riding horses/camels, quad) and very small beach but if you are aware of that and does not expect the typical Egyptian all inclusive charter destination, it is perfect. Great to meet lots of other divers.
The other two are smaller, and wilder, at one of them I think one does only boat rides but can't remember which one it was.
I really recommend and hope to be able go there again one day!

 

[BoltSnap]

We took the Delux Chalet which was good as we were there in August so very hot.

Planning for a trip early June. Choosing the Deluxe Chalet with A/C. Does the A/C work well in the heat? (I can't stand heat and won't be able to sleep if the room isn't "cold").

Was the heat too much and bothersome to go out to go diving or to go to the restaurant?

at one of them I think one does only boat rides but can't remember which one it was.

I got to find out which one, I prefer shore diving.

I am looking at spending one week in Marsa Shagra and one week at Wadi Lahami. Will have to find out if there is shore diving at Lahami, if not, I'll change to Marsa Nakari.

 

[Bubble99]

Just checekd - for Wadi Lahami it states:
"In Wadi Lahami we dive by high-performance RIB (ridged inflatable boats) only.

Red Sea Diving Safari - Marsa Alam - Diving

Diving at Red Sea Diving Safari is suitable for all levels at our PADI diving centres. Dive world famous sites such as Elphinstone, Marsa Abu Dabab, Dolphin House, Fury Shoals and more, plus our world-class house reefs.

www.redsea-divingsafari.com

so for shore diving it is only at Marsa Shagra and Marsa Nakari

Weather wise June especially beginning is colder than July August, so you should be ok, also with the hut and the restaurant being A/C and a huge space to set up /clean your diving equipment in the shade directly next to where you enter, don't worry !

 

[MightyDuck]

I've been at Marsa Shagra and Nakari too a few times. (The llatest was in Nakari in October, and I going next week to Shagra actually.)

The main difference between Shagra and Nakari is in their size. Shagra could have around 200+ ppl, Nakari around 80 max. This means a lot less of a crowd in Nakari both on land and definitely in water too. You need to weight how much do you love crowd.

Nakari has smaller distances to cover between house/tent, restaurant, diving stuff, "even to the pier". You wouldn't think, but it matters if you want to do 4 or more dive a day, because all those little minutes just adds up.
At Nakari the pier is about 4 meters from the lockers (and the whole locker building is around 20 meters long), while Shagra its around 30 meters from a ~100 meter long building and the pier is also longer about 20 meters. It could be a thing when you are geared up.
(Btw, at Nakari the deluxe chalets are further from the shore then the huts, I don't like them. )

I usually go for a normal hut, since I'M usually going in May and October and the weather is perfectly fine without an AC at the evening. (Of course if you actually hate warm weather, you are better with a deluxe chalet ofc.)
(Btw tents are fine too, but if you got rain (2-3% chance isn't zero), it could flow in under it.)
The public bathrooms are very clear, so I'm fine with them too.

The meal is quite good at both places. It doesn't hurt a little if you like drier meats, but you can be a vegatarian and you still won't stay hungry either, so totally fine for anyone from Europe or USA.

Shagra has a little better home reef imho. But from Nakari you can still go to Shagra (by the bus of the bases) for a day to have a few dives at Shagra's home reef, or you could do the same for a trip to Elphinstone for example, so you can have that sites while sleeping at Nakari too.

If you would like to dive a lot without a crowd (in water or on land), go to Nakari.
If you want to mingle a lot with other divers while diving, go to Shagra.

 

[BoltSnap]

I've been at Marsa Shagra and Nakari too a few times. (The llatest was in Nakari in October, and I going next week to Shagra actually.)

The main difference between Shagra and Nakari is in their size. Shagra could have around 200+ ppl, Nakari around 80 max. This means a lot less of a crowd in Nakari both on land and definitely in water too. You need to weight how much do you love crowd.

Nakari has smaller distances to cover between house/tent, restaurant, diving stuff, "even to the pier". You wouldn't think, but it matters if you want to do 4 or more dive a day, because all those little minutes just adds up.
At Nakari the pier is about 4 meters from the lockers (and the whole locker building is around 20 meters long), while Shagra its around 30 meters from a ~100 meter long building and the pier is also longer about 20 meters. It could be a thing when you are geared up.
(Btw, at Nakari the deluxe chalets are further from the shore then the huts, I don't like them. )

I usually go for a normal hut, since I'M usually going in May and October and the weather is perfectly fine without an AC at the evening. (Of course if you actually hate warm weather, you are better with a deluxe chalet ofc.)
(Btw tents are fine too, but if you got rain (2-3% chance isn't zero), it could flow in under it.)
The public bathrooms are very clear, so I'm fine with them too.

The meal is quite good at both places. It doesn't hurt a little if you like drier meats, but you can be a vegatarian and you still won't stay hungry either, so totally fine for anyone from Europe or USA.

Shagra has a little better home reef imho. But from Nakari you can still go to Shagra (by the bus of the bases) for a day to have a few dives at Shagra's home reef, or you could do the same for a trip to Elphinstone for example, so you can have that sites while sleeping at Nakari too.

If you would like to dive a lot without a crowd (in water or on land), go to Nakari.
If you want to mingle a lot with other divers while diving, go to Shagra.

Thank you so much for your kind feedback.

I have about two weeks to spend there, do you recommend splitting the week between two villages or the diving isn't different and I should in one only?

If you recommend to split the two weeks between to villages, which two knowing that this is my first time there?

Is Internet easily available in the rooms in all 3 villages?


Note: I am focused on U/W photography in this trip.

 

[BoltSnap]

Just checekd - for Wadi Lahami it states:
"In Wadi Lahami we dive by high-performance RIB (ridged inflatable boats) only.

Red Sea Diving Safari - Marsa Alam - Diving

Diving at Red Sea Diving Safari is suitable for all levels at our PADI diving centres. Dive world famous sites such as Elphinstone, Marsa Abu Dabab, Dolphin House, Fury Shoals and more, plus our world-class house reefs.

www.redsea-divingsafari.com

so for shore diving it is only at Marsa Shagra and Marsa Nakari

Weather wise June especially beginning is colder than July August, so you should be ok, also with the hut and the restaurant being A/C and a huge space to set up /clean your diving equipment in the shade directly next to where you enter, don't worry !

Yes, Lahami is only boat diving, I am rethinking my preferences now. I'd consider Lahami only if their boat diving takes me to very special dive spots that make it worth it. I usually prefer shore diving much more unless boat diving is very special.

Thank you very much for your help!!

 

[MightyDuck]

Thank you so much for your kind feedback.

I have about two weeks to spend there, do you recommend splitting the week between two villages or the diving isn't different and I should in one only?

If you recommend to split the two weeks between to villages, which two knowing that this is my first time there?

Is Internet easily available in the rooms in all 3 villages?


Note: I am focused on U/W photography in this trip.

I think this could be a viable option. It totally up to you, they are quite flexible there.
I would start in Shagra, and after that try Nakari. From Nakari you could go to Shagra by microbus for a day, if you dont like it.

In Nakari there is easy to just go and spend hours in the water without being disturbed by other divers. I especially love the southern side of the bay, thats the better one there.

There is no built-in internet, but internet via mobile networks is cheap and fast enough, especially compared to USA “standards”. ( there are about 5 packages, 8-15 GB is around 10-20 euro.
You can buy a SIM card at the airport, but you can buy at Shagra too for almost the same price if the store on the airport would be closed.
And dont worry, activating it could be a little intersting, take a photo of the steps at the store, and give it max 5-6 hours to it.

 

[Blackcrusader]

I have been to Marsa Shagra in 2018 it is great. Best house reef I ever saw and interesting boat dives such as Elphinstone,

One of my dive buddies witnessed a deceased diver being loaded onto a LOB Sea Serpent last week.
The man had been diving from Sea Serpent Grand
Elphinstone was then closed for a week He said the diver had been nibbled on by a tiger shark
On a brighter note he was reading The SAA Buhlmann Deep Stop System Handbook on his LOB. An elderly gent lounging nearby came over and chatted with him. Turns out he was the author of the book and autographed his book.

‘Tiger shark didn’t kill Red Sea diver’

scuba diver whose body was recovered from a Red Sea site having sustained a shark-bite appears to have drowned before the shark came across him.

divernet.com

 

[Centrals]

One of my dive buddies witnessed a deceased diver being loaded onto a LOB Sea Serpent last week.
Elphinstone was then closed for a week He said the diver had been nibbled on by a tiger shark

‘Tiger shark didn’t kill Red Sea diver’

scuba diver whose body was recovered from a Red Sea site having sustained a shark-bite appears to have drowned before the shark came across him.

divernet.com

The diver was already dead before the tiger shark took a bite of the body.