As promised, please find enclosed a commentary on diving in Taba.
1) Taba or Taba Heights: Firstly, there are two Tabas: there is Taba which is where the Moevenpick and Hilton hotels are located, just on the Israeli border, and there is Taba heights located approximately 20km south and the home of Hyatt, Marriot, etc. Boats from all dive centres in the area access the same sites, but a few divers said that the shore dives from Taba was better, in particular outside Hilton (Canyons, Zacs tables, Black corals etc).
2) Moevenpick hotel: new resort located next to the Hilton hotel, with large spacious rooms, big outdoor pool and unlike some of the other local hotels offering good food on the all-inclusive package. (http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Re...npick_Resort_Taba-Taba_Red_Sea_and_Sinai.html)
3) The diving: We didnt have any previous experience from the Red Sea, but have dived in Asia, Europe, Caribbean and the Middle East and it is easy to understand why the red sea has the reputation it has. Beautiful corals, fascinating sea life (octopus, turtles, blue spotted rays, large (!) triggerfish) and very good visibility normally (25m+). Wont dwell on this since there is an abundance of reports about the RS diving in general. Favourite sites in the area: Canyons, Zacs tables, Sallahdins island. From what other divers told us, Taba is very suitable for less experienced divers since most dives are easy and currents are minimal. If youre into more challenging dives or want to do more technical diving, it seems better to go to Sharm.
4) Dive centres: We used Aqua Sport (http://www.aqua-sport.com) at the Hilton hotel (AS also has a centre in Eilat across the border). Very good team of guides and DMs and top quality dive boats. Boat dives go out every day with two dives included in the price (70/85) and a 3rd optional dive available at 20. Price included food (real nice) prepared on board. The centres manager, Hugh from Wales, was a really friendly chap as was local staff. Only minor drawback was the fact that rental equipment was cheapest available. BCDs without vents, and my girlfriend was given fins which would have been just about sufficient for snorkelling, and definitely not suitable for diving where there were some current. Suspect this will improve as the area develops and competition increases with new dive centres.
5) Eilat (and the dolphin reef): From Taba its easy to walk over to Israel literally walk the border is 5min walk away from the Hilton, and once one gets the hang of the procedures and paperwork the crossing can be made in 20min. Just smile and answer all questions politely. Just on the other side of the border is the Israeli town of Eilat, with a very different feel to it. While the heat is the same, Eilat town resembles your normal Mediterranean sea town: there are big air-conditioned shopping malls with all products you find in Europe or the US, and an additional benefit is that Eilat is in a tax-free zone, so shopping is cheap! More interesting though is the Dolphin Reef: (http://www.dolphinreef.co.il) a small nature reserve where 9 semi-wild dolphins have made home within a large under-water-fenced area and qualified divers can go on a guided dive (35-40min) on the local reef with them for ~$50 incl equipment rental. Very relaxed and nice environment with restaurant, small private beach, dive centre, and extraordinarily nice and helpful staff (especially Estelle in the dive centre who helped organise our diving on very short notice and the instructor Drol). Bit crowded in July Sept, and always advisable to dive as early in the day as possible for better visibility.
If you have any more questions, feel free!
Rikard & Belen
1) Taba or Taba Heights: Firstly, there are two Tabas: there is Taba which is where the Moevenpick and Hilton hotels are located, just on the Israeli border, and there is Taba heights located approximately 20km south and the home of Hyatt, Marriot, etc. Boats from all dive centres in the area access the same sites, but a few divers said that the shore dives from Taba was better, in particular outside Hilton (Canyons, Zacs tables, Black corals etc).
2) Moevenpick hotel: new resort located next to the Hilton hotel, with large spacious rooms, big outdoor pool and unlike some of the other local hotels offering good food on the all-inclusive package. (http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Re...npick_Resort_Taba-Taba_Red_Sea_and_Sinai.html)
3) The diving: We didnt have any previous experience from the Red Sea, but have dived in Asia, Europe, Caribbean and the Middle East and it is easy to understand why the red sea has the reputation it has. Beautiful corals, fascinating sea life (octopus, turtles, blue spotted rays, large (!) triggerfish) and very good visibility normally (25m+). Wont dwell on this since there is an abundance of reports about the RS diving in general. Favourite sites in the area: Canyons, Zacs tables, Sallahdins island. From what other divers told us, Taba is very suitable for less experienced divers since most dives are easy and currents are minimal. If youre into more challenging dives or want to do more technical diving, it seems better to go to Sharm.
4) Dive centres: We used Aqua Sport (http://www.aqua-sport.com) at the Hilton hotel (AS also has a centre in Eilat across the border). Very good team of guides and DMs and top quality dive boats. Boat dives go out every day with two dives included in the price (70/85) and a 3rd optional dive available at 20. Price included food (real nice) prepared on board. The centres manager, Hugh from Wales, was a really friendly chap as was local staff. Only minor drawback was the fact that rental equipment was cheapest available. BCDs without vents, and my girlfriend was given fins which would have been just about sufficient for snorkelling, and definitely not suitable for diving where there were some current. Suspect this will improve as the area develops and competition increases with new dive centres.
5) Eilat (and the dolphin reef): From Taba its easy to walk over to Israel literally walk the border is 5min walk away from the Hilton, and once one gets the hang of the procedures and paperwork the crossing can be made in 20min. Just smile and answer all questions politely. Just on the other side of the border is the Israeli town of Eilat, with a very different feel to it. While the heat is the same, Eilat town resembles your normal Mediterranean sea town: there are big air-conditioned shopping malls with all products you find in Europe or the US, and an additional benefit is that Eilat is in a tax-free zone, so shopping is cheap! More interesting though is the Dolphin Reef: (http://www.dolphinreef.co.il) a small nature reserve where 9 semi-wild dolphins have made home within a large under-water-fenced area and qualified divers can go on a guided dive (35-40min) on the local reef with them for ~$50 incl equipment rental. Very relaxed and nice environment with restaurant, small private beach, dive centre, and extraordinarily nice and helpful staff (especially Estelle in the dive centre who helped organise our diving on very short notice and the instructor Drol). Bit crowded in July Sept, and always advisable to dive as early in the day as possible for better visibility.
If you have any more questions, feel free!
Rikard & Belen
