# Which to choose: Oasis Resort Marsa Alam (WL) or Orca Diving Club Hamata? #

[Topper1972]

Hi all!

I have a diving holiday planned October 22 - November 5 (14 days).

Instead of going back to Sharm (Werner Lau) for the 3rd time this year I am thinking about going a bit further south.

My preferred travel agent (Danish Atlantis Rejser) operates with 2 diving centers in the south...but which should I choose?

Oasis Resort Marsa Alarm (operated by Werner Lau)?

or...

Orca Diving Club Hamata?

Or should I better go liveaboard...or book something else through a different travel agent?

I would love some input from you who have been diving the Red Sea in southern Egypt

Cheers,

Henrik

 

[Red Sea Shadow]

If you're a hardcore diver, then the best thing for you is to go live-aboard. The better dive spots of the southern Egyptian Red Sea are not reachable via daily boat trips. These spots include the Brothers, Daedalus, Rocky, and Zabargad. Those 4 are called marine parks. Also St. Johns (deep southern Egyptian Red Sea) is very nice. The best selection of those IMHO is Brothers and Daedalus, in addition to Elphinstone.

 

[Topper1972]

I wouldn't exactly call myself a 'hardcore diver'...'novice diver' would be a much better fit

Though I must admit I don't get people going to the Red Sea for anything but the diving.

I think that I can book a combo of 7 days southern liveaboard and 7 days southern dive resort.
It would be about 30-40% more expensive compared to 14 days diving in Sharm...but I suspect that the quality of the diving in southern Egypt could make up for it?

 

[Topper1972]

If you're a hardcore diver, then the best thing for you is to go live-aboard. The better dive spots of the southern Egyptian Red Sea are not reachable via daily boat trips. These spots include the Brothers, Daedalus, Rocky, and Zabargad. Those 4 are called marine parks. Also St. Johns (deep southern Egyptian Red Sea) is very nice. The best selection of those IMHO is Brothers and Daedalus, in addition to Elphinstone.

If I book a southern liveaboard through my preferred travel agent I have 2 options:

A) DAY 1: Abu Dabab+Shaab Sharm. DAY 2: St John's Reef+Big Gota+Small Gota+Habili Gafar. DAY 3: Erg Sataya+Sataya Pinnacles+Sataya Outside. DAY 4: Fury Shoals. DAY 5: Wadi Gimal+Elphinstone.

B) DAY 1: Gota Abu Ramada. DAY 2-4: Brother Islands. DAY 5: Ras Toronbi+Elphinstone.

Which sounds the best to you?

Also...from where do the southern liveaboards usually depart...Marsa Alam?

 

[Red Sea Shadow]

If I book a southern liveaboard through my preferred travel agent I have 2 options:

A) DAY 1: Abu Dabab+Shaab Sharm. DAY 2: St John's Reef+Big Gota+Small Gota+Habili Gafar. DAY 3: Erg Sataya+Sataya Pinnacles+Sataya Outside. DAY 4: Fury Shoals. DAY 5: Wadi Gimal+Elphinstone.

B) DAY 1: Gota Abu Ramada. DAY 2-4: Brother Islands. DAY 5: Ras Toronbi+Elphinstone.

Which sounds the best to you?

Also...from where do the southern liveaboards usually depart...Marsa Alam?

If I were in your shoes, I would have chosen itinerary (B).

South live-aboards depart from several ports (Hurghada, Marsa Ghalib, Marsa Alam, or Hamata). Regarding the itineraries you mentioned, I think the first one departs from either Marsa Alam or Marsa Ghalib, while the second departs from Hurghada (but might disembark at Marsa Ghalib).

 

[Red Sea Shadow]

I think that I can book a combo of 7 days southern liveaboard and 7 days southern dive resort.

Good idea, although I won't go for it.

If you have the 7 days live-aboard, then go for something different for your land-based vacation. Southern dive resorts are about diving only with very limited entertainment activities outside the resort (if any). I'd rather drop this part and go Hurghada, Sharm, or Dahab instead.

 

[Topper1972]

I have 14 days off...and I think that I want to make use of that.

But I think that you are quite right about those southern dive resorts...when looking eg the Orca Diving Club in Hamata up on Google Earth there really doesn't seem to be anything but the desert around...and it seems quite far from Marsa Alam.
At least in Sharm you can always take a pleasant stroll around town in the evening.

Do such a thing as 10-12 day liveaboards exist in the Red Sea of southern Egypt?

 

[Red Sea Shadow]

There's some 2-weeks trips but they're a bit uncommon.

 

[Topper1972]

I just emailed my travel agent asking about the possible combinations...also if during my 16 day holiday window in Oct-Nov doing both the Brother Islands liveaboard AND the St. John's liveaboard is a possibility.

Though I suspect doing two 7 liveaboards during a 14-16 day long holiday could prove a tad logistically difficult.

 

[Red Sea Shadow]

Since you won't call yourself a hardcore diver, I think 2 successive 7-days live-aboards is too much diving.