Marsa Alam offers a great variety of dive sites by shore, by speed or by safari boat. Highlights are: Elphinstone, famous for its sharks: scalloped hammerhead (May- August, Oceanic White Tip (September - December) Grey Reef Sharks and other marine life like Napoleons, turtles, dolphins, morays, tuna, mackerels, manta rays (april/may), whalesharks (occasional) and all kinds of big and small fish. The reef has a lot of beautiful soft corals. Many people dive this reef in Autumn because of the abundance of Oceanic White Tips (Longimanus) at shallow depths.
Dolphin House: a horse shoe shaped reef that is the house of a large group of spinner Dolphins. Great for divers and snorkelers.
Abu Dabbab Reefs: Marsa Abu Dabbab (by shore) (marsa = natural bay) houses a dugong and many big green turtles and guitar rays. The reefs offer all kinds of hard and soft corals, fishes, including stonefishes, scorpionfishes and lionfishes, butterflies, angels...
Sharm Abu Dabbab (by speed) (sharm means shape of the camel lip) offers a spectacular cave/tunnel dive and a magnificent coral garden (Alice in Wonderland). The offshore reefs are called Gotta and Shaab Abu Dabbab and offer also great diving.
Sharm Abu Dabbour: (shore dive) starts with a small tunnel and offers a north and south reef of rare beauty, including an eel garden and a canyon.
Fury Shoals: a group of pristine offshore reefs (by speed or safari boat) with 23 dive sites, that offer all a diver could wish for.
From Marsa Alam you can also board safri's to Daedalus Reefs, St John's Reefs and the Brother Islands.
Besides the diving, the area offers desert safari's by horse/camel/car/quad, also astro tours, day trips to Shalateen and Luxor. Marsa Alam is a small town that still hasn't developed into a tourist centre. Many of the resorts offer swimming pools, beaches and sports facilities.
From Europe you can fly directly on Marsa Alam Airport (55 km from Marsa Alam, or Hurghada Airport (200 km from Marsa Alam) with many charter flights. Resorts can arrange transfer by coach or minibus.
Best time to go is in spring and fall, but it will be high season. If you don't mind the relatively mild cold in winter or the heat in summer, these will be the times that it is quiet in the resorts, except for those who service the Italian market. For them July/August is high season. Resorts range from 5-star to simple safari camps or ecolodges.
Even though Egyptian resorts offer good quality, Egypt is still an Islamic 3rd world country. It is best to behave like a traveler, to experience the country, the people, the habits. People are very open and hospitality is their second nature. Be curious, don't expect your European standards to apply. In the resorts it's ok to be in bathing clothing. Out of respect for the culture it is advised to wear at least a knee long short and decent t-shirt when you go into towns. Also know that during Ramadan (2005: October 4-November 3) people are fasting from sunrise till sundown and are extra sensitive to 'disrespectful' behaviour.
Food is most of the time a mix of local specialities and European dishes. Drink a lot of water and only drink bottled water! Take care with the usual dangerous stuff like unpacked ice cream and juices (only when really fresh)! Because of the climate and the diving, stomach problems may occur. Taking loperamide is not always the right thing when you get diarrhea, because it keeps the bad bacteria inside. An antisceptic might be better. Locally you can buy Antinal or Antocyd. Check with a doctor when the diarrhea doesn't stop in 3 days or when you also have fever, dizzyness et cetera. Check with your physician what shots to take before leaving. At least take Hepatitis-A.
Harriėt Messing
Red Sea Diving Safari
Marsa Alam
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Blue Spotted Sting Ray at Brayka Bay House Reef
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'Dennis the Dugong' at Marsa Abu Dabab.
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Octopus at Marsa Assalaya III
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Soft Coral at Shaab Marsa Alam
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Fish at Marsa Abu Dabur
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Octopus at Marsa Assalaya I
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Octopus at Marsa Assalaya II
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Nudi at Shaab Marsa Alam
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Turtle in Tiran Island
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Coming for a feed.
Brother Islands Southern Red Sea
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Turtle in Tiran Island
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Squid going gold on the Reef,Brayka Bay
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I've got the air i need!
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Location:
Marsa Alam
(Egypt)
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