Sharm: Dive Center and Cairo excursion recommendations?

[Thorz]

My wife and I have already booked a week on the Hilton Shark's Bay at the start of january 2007

We have not reserved any dives yet and I am wondering if it is smart to book them in anticipation. I don't like to stress and use a lot of time looking for a good dive center when we are already there. We are novices and don't have many dives yet. We went OW NAUI certified last summer in South America and have only 6 dives each. We will dive now during this summer but it will be on cold watter (Nord Norway) while we take a dry suit course.

Can someone here give me advice on a good diving center in Sharm that can take good care of us? I guess a package of 6 dives for each one us us can be enough as we will only stay one week and want to also enjoy other things on Sharm as the beach for example.

I have to point that we don't own any equipment and must rent everything at the diving center.

The other thing that we like to do is a one day excursion to the Pyramids and other Cairo interesting stuff. I have searched here in Norway without success until now. We have been offered a 2 days excursion by bus but we don't like to use so much time on transportation. We like a excursion by plane that can take us back to Sharm the same day. I have been reading on the net and it looks like you can book this kind of thing when you are there but have read that the planes that they use sometimes are not the best and can be usually overloaded. I really don't like to take that risk and will be very grateful if somebody can help me to find something good.

I like to thank you in advance for all the help.

 

[Red Sea Shadow]

A package of 6 dives is 3 days.

Regarding diving, I believe you need some personalized service. PM sent.

Regarding Cairo, the only internal flights in Egypt are through Egypt Air. You can book them when you're here. It is very difficult to arrange this from now. However, I could help in booking the flights for you directly before you arrive

 

[bubblemonkey]

there is a dive centre called Sinai dive club affiliated with your hotel, we used them when we dived in sharm in may of this tear and they were fantastic, excellent guides who were very knowledgable regarding the dive sites, the boats were top notch with all facilitys and areas for relaxing, brilliant cant recomend them enough.

www.dive-club.com

 

[Thorz]

there is a dive centre called Sinai dive club affiliated with your hotel, we used them when we dived in sharm in may of this tear and they were fantastic, excellent guides who were very knowledgable regarding the dive sites, the boats were top notch with all facilitys and areas for relaxing, brilliant cant recomend them enough.

www.dive-club.com

Thank you. I will check this.

 

[paschen]

Your travel agent should be able to book your egypt air flights no problem.
As for Cairo - my advice is to hire a taxi for a couple of days... Hotel wise - depends what you are looking for and the location.
I highly recommend Indianna Hotel in Dokki. Good english - good rooms and not too expensive. Also it is close to the metro (so you can see a number of sites without taxi'ing as the metro is fantastic).
You could easily hire a taxi for a day and do the outter sites of Cairo, then on the second day (before flying out) you could do the museum, old cairo, the markets and the pyramids... though that is a HUGE day.
Let me dig my book out - I was there 6 months ago - and will check the names of what was good etc.
Cheers
Tae

 

[Thorz]

Thanks a lot paschen.

 

[paschen]

Sorry - I keep forgetting to take the book out of my car as I do the dash to the train each morning.
So from memory unfortunately....
A day trip alone - as in flying from Sharm first flight out to Cairo and then last flight back is going to be hard to really get a feel for all you can do in Cairo - and it is a shame to be so close and not do at least some of the main things (and not always overly touristy).
Things that I would recommend if you have time and you can decide which way you want to go....
Museum of Antiquities. A shame to rush - I did three trips for a total of 10 hours and still didn't see everything. You can sort of do it in 2 hours, but don't expect to walk out having touched your inner pharoah.
Coptic Cairo. 1-2 hours - nice place to step back from the hussle and bustle - get their by Metro - super cheap, fast and clean
Pyramids and Sphinx. If you want to go in one, add an hour. 2 hours will get you in and out but I went twice and spent almost 8 hours all up.
Saqqara. MUST see. It is about 40 mins there from downtown, but totally worth it. Most ppl go and only see the Step Pyramid. That is impressive, but what are REALLY impressive are the myriad of mastabas. Also, you can see multiple other pyramid sites from Saqqara which are closed to the public but it gives you a good feel to look left and right and see pyramids in the distance raising out of the sand. The mastabas are so incredible because they give you an incredible insight into how how the tombs were decorated. If you are lucky the spot that is filled with the bull mummies - the sepparium or something will be reopened.
Memphis is ok but you can skip - there is a cool ramses 2 statue there thought. I also went to Madium but that was a big trip out and back and Saqqara and madium would be a whole day.
So - one day....
Get a taxi and hire it for the day from the ranks at the airport. Be prepared to haggle but be fair.
I would beline it to Saqqara - see the step pyramid, go to 1-2 mastabas - there are two must sees but can't remember what they are called but they are very famous. Your taxi driver will drive you from the step pyramid to the mastabas. Then get him to drive you to the pyramid of the pharoah's mum or something which isn't that far away - you can go in for free, there is no line and it isn't a huge crouch in or out.
Taxi now drives you to the pyramids/sphinx. He drives you up to the spot where the palace used to be, you get your photo taken, then get him to drive you back to the main carpark by the pyramids. Explore, head down hill, see sphinx. Meet taxi by Piza Hut (go into Piza Hut, tip a waiter and go onto the balcony for awesome photo). Jump in taxi and go to Museum. Stay till closing. Get taxi to take you back to aeroport or if time, go to the Khan El Khalili (MUCH cheaper than Sharm). Jump in taxi, go to aeroport, tip taxi driver, get on plane and sleep back to Sharm.
Ahhhh I am jealous just thinking about it.

 

[Bubble Junky]

Red Sea College in Sharm seems to have lots of good and friendly instructors - Red Sea College. Might be woth doing your adventure/advanced diver course for 1/2 of your days there so you can get out to Ras Mohammed National Park too.

 

[Thorz]

@paschen: Thank you very much m8, that post was amazing. I will surely take what you said in account.
@Bubble Junky: I am thinking in doing the advanced PADI course here in Norway before traveling for not using any extra time on courses in Sharm and just dive. Thanks for the idea.

 

[Bubble Junky]

@Bubble Junky: I am thinking in doing the advanced PADI course here in Norway before traveling for not using any extra time on courses in Sharm and just dive. Thanks for the idea.

Sweet - even better idea. You need advanced or to be an advanced student to go to Ras Mohammed.