The Red Sea, most often a rivalling alternative, offers a wealth of diving experiences to suit all scuba diving enthusiasts. Whichever destination you choose within the red sea, your diving holiday can be a great combination of outstanding diving, beach relaxation and cultural discovery. With over seven centuries of history, there is so much more to do in Egypt than just dive!

Nevertheless, Egypt has over the last 10-15 years become a regular holiday destination for thousands of divers in Europe and the Rest of The World. Whether it is a liveaboard diving holiday in the Egyptian sea or a shore based holiday, scuba divers of all qualifications and know-how with be offered a wealth of diving experiences to match their credentials.

With numerous PADI certified dive centres scattered around Egyptian coastlines, scuba divers diving in Egypt will have a variety of diving courses and daily diving packages that will suit and are also available to be pre-booked.

At Oceans Divers we use an accredited dive centre with a reputation for great daily diving locations and fabulous onboard diving experiences for both certified and non-certified divers alike.

For divers new and unfamiliar to the Egyptian Red Sea, the choice of varied daily diving itineraries, the ample and varied sea life within the Red Sea, together with the historic landmarks Egypt has to offer, diving holidays in Egypt are a ‘must have’ experience!

Away from costal reefs, the red seas is inhabited by schools of barracuda and an array of shark species ranging from grey reef sharks and leopard sharks to hammerhead sharks. Not only filled with varied corals and pelagic sea life, the red sea is scattered with a variety of wrecks.

The wreck of the ‘Umbria’ (a big passenger and cargo ship) lies perfectly preserved in the red sea along with its cargo of 300,000 bombs. The ‘Blue Bell’ is another wreck which divers like to visit and this ship is still loaded with Japanese cars. The Thistlegorm, sunk by German bombers in World War Two, is an underwater museum, a war grave and a piece of military history, allowing all scuba divers to travel through time and experience the dictatorial regimes of modern times.

All red sea wrecks have become legendary with divers and photographers around the world.

For a red sea diving holiday to suit your needs, choose from a host of varied diving and holiday locations within Egypt. From Hurghada being the largest holiday resort by size, to El Gouna where the rich and famous tend to locate, to Marsa Alam (Egypt’s southernmost resort with its virgin coral reefs) to the more well known and renowned holiday resort destination of Sharm El Sheikh. The Red Sea has lots to offer to both holiday travellers and scuba diving enthusiasts alike.

Whether you are looking for a superb diving experience and/or a holiday diving combined with all the facilities a modern resort has to offer, Hurghada is populated with a host of outstanding hotels. Coupled with all the amenities you may require and being close enough to town, Hurghada provides the perfect base for all scuba divers.

For the holiday visitors, there is again everything that you would need. Pharmacies and chemists, international banks and various shopping outlets and markets stalls. For scuba divers there are two resorts complete with decompression chambers and a fully equipped hospital…just in case!

Scuba diving in Hurghada is surrounded by many reefs and wrecks. The local wreck of the Elmina (the Egyptian navy minesweeper sunk in 1970 by Israeli fighters) just 10 minutes from the Hurghada harbour, lies between 17 and 32 metres depth. Not only a captivating piece of history but also offers great drift diving due to its strong currents surrounding its location.

Giftun Island lies just off the Hurghada shoreline, providing excellent reefs and walls. Not only fascinating and unrivalled scuba diving for both experienced and non-experienced scuba divers but it is home to dolphins, which regularly play in its lagoons, and some other sought after pelagic creatures of the deep blue.

• Hurghada is located on the West Coast of the Red Sea, with a coastline that stretches for approximately 36 km
• Population of 55.000, which includes around 7.000 foreigners
• Plays host to approximately 200 hotels
• Attracts around 70.000 European tourists every week
• Benefits from 99% days of sun throughout the year
• The hottest months are July and August
• The coldest months are January and February

Location
Located on the West Coast of the Red Sea, Hurghada provides the perfect strategic location within the Red Sea, offering a coastline stretching 40km. Hurghada is un-commercialised and free from excessive scuba diving. The Hurghada sea front proves just that!

Tourism
Tourism is now a huge part of Hurghada and each year, many tourists choose to combine their holidays here with visits to other prominent locations along the Nile Valley. Hurghada is perfectly based to visit other famous cultural sites like Cairo, Luxor and Alexandria (approximately 4 hours by car). Sharm el Sheikh another ‘Sun & Sea’ resort is only a 2 hour boat ride from the new Hurghada Marina. Hurghada is an up and coming resort with transportation links to other major cities can be made either by boat or by road. Since June 2008 Hurghada Marina now offers the City of Hurghada a new look and a place where both tourist and residents alike can enjoy nights away from the hustle and bustle of Sakkala. Whenever you feel like having a rest on the sea side in a cosy restaurant admiring the splendour of luxurious yachts and enjoying live music every night, the new Marina is the place to be. With many of Egypt’s finest restaurants, unique cafes and stylish bars, Hurghada Marina Boulevard offers the best in food and beverage for all tastes. This traffic free waterfront setting is a must for all visitors into Hurghada. Hurghada also provides access to other attractions and activities such as desert camel rides, quad biking and trips to nearby Cities…………

……………Hurghada has it all!

Climate & Temperature
Hurghada has a subtropical-desert climate, with mild-warm winters and very hot summers. The summer season, pretty much, lasts all year round.

Temperatures in the period December, January and February are moderately warm, while November, March and April is comfortably warm. May to October is hot, whilst July and August give way to the hottest periods. In fact, sunshine hours are around 3,800 per year (one of the highest in the world); from an average of 9 hours sunshine per day in December to an average of 13 hours in July.

Average annual sea temperatures are approximately 24 °C (75 °F), from 21 °C (70 °F) in February and March to 28 °C (82 °F) in July and August.

Flight Time

• 5 hours direct from the UK
• 3-4 hours direct from European locations
• 6 hours direct from Scandinavia
• 11 hours direct from US (East coast)
• 14 hours direct from US (West coast)

Time

• GMT + 2 hour (Wintertime)
• BST + 2 hours (Summertime) *

(*From the end of March to the end of April it is BST + 1 hour due to Egyptian Summertime which starts later)

Passport and Visas

• Passports must be valid for at least 6 months
• All visitors must obtain a tourist visa upon arrival which allows them to stay in Egypt for 1 month
• Divers wish to dive in Conservation Areas must obtain a diving visa. Diving Visa can be purchased within Hurghada Airport on arrival

Language & Ethnicity

• Arabic Language
• Muslims and Christians

Currency

• The Egyptian Pound (LE)
• www.xe.com

Electricity

• European two-pin, 220V / 50Hz

Water and Sanitation

• Unfortunately, Hurghada is still not fully developed and water sanitation still has to be improved.
• We advise all to drink only from bottled water and likewise brush teeth with bottled water.
• Imodium tables are a must for holidays in Egypt so as to assist with potential Diarrhea

Telephone

• Egypt has a reasonably efficient telephony service and mobile network coverage (www.etisalat.ae)
• Country code for Egypt is +20 or 0020
• Hurghada code is 65
• Dial +44 or 0044 (remove the first 0 from the area code before the number required to direct dial UK)

Hurghada was founded in the early 20th century, and since the 1980s has been continuously developed becoming the largest and leading seaside resort on the Red Sea. Holiday sport facilities range from sail boarding, yachting, snorkelling and above all scuba diving.

Hurghada stretches for about 22 miles (36 km) along the seashore. This vast holiday resort is a destination for Egyptian tourists from Cairo, the Delta and Upper Egypt, as well as package holiday tourists from Europe, particularly Serbians, Italians, Russians, Poles, Czechs and Germans.

Initially a small fishing village, today Hurghada counts 248,000 inhabitants and is divided into three parts: Downtown (El Dahar) the old town; Sekalla the city centre, and El Memsha (Village road) the new town. Sakkala is the relatively modest hotel quarter. Dahar houses the town’s largest bazaar. Furthermore, the recent renovation of the Hurghada’s new marina has launched this town into the 21st century and has given it a real cosmopolitan feel.

With arguably some of the best diving and tourist sites in the World and a rich cultural history (Egyptian Pyramids in Cairo for example), Egypt is the perfect holiday destination for both divers and non-divers alike.

Beneath the crystal blue waters of the Red Sea lies a rich and diverse ecosystem, just waiting to be discovered. Located between the continents of Africa and Asia, these warm tropical waters are home to more than 200 species of corals and 1000 species of fish. This rich diversity is mainly due to the large expansion of coral reef that extends along Egypt’s coastline.

Famous for its superb diving opportunities, Hurghada is a unique marine paradise and is the perfect location from which to visit the most popular dive sites in the Red Sea. Hosting some of the most spectacular diving in the world, Hurghada is well positioned to facilitate all divers to experience an array of marine life.

With miles of beautiful coral reef, numerous wrecks and a vast array of aquatic life from brightly coloured starfish and minuscule Nudibranchs (sea slugs) to tropical fish, varying from graceful butterfly and angel fish, to large predators like Oceanic white tips and hammerheads (approximately 44 species of shark);

Exploring this fantastic marine paradise is a must for all oceanic lovers. Being home for a multitude of marine life, the Red Sea offers additional treasures like playing home to turtles and dolphins, mantas and moray eels, napoleons, tuna and even giant whale sharks.

Whether you are a complete beginner or an experienced scuba diver your Oceans Divers Red Sea experience will be one that you will never forget!

Giza Pyramids and the Sphinx: The Pyramids of Giza represent one of the greatest architectural achievements of man. The Great Pyramid of Giza (the last surviving member of the Seven Wonders of the World) is one of the world’s oldest tourist attractions and attracts vast numbers of tourists every year. Each of the three main pyramids’ in Giza (the Great Pyramid of Khufu, The Pyramid of Kafhre and the smaller Pyramid of Menkaura) is a tomb to a different Egyptian King. The Sphinx lies in front of the pyramids and is carved out of a single block of stone. This enormous cat-like sculpture is another ‘must-see’ attraction and over many decades has captivated millions.

Tutankhamun’s Tomb and The Valley of the Kings: The Valley of the Kings (the home of Tutankhamun) is situated on the ancient site of Thebes and is where the Pharaoh’s were buried. Another great attraction to see whilst visiting Egypt. To see Tutankhamun’s treasure you will have to visit the National Museum in Cairo. Amongst Tutankhamun (who was relatively a minor king) there are many more impressive tombs to discover in the Valley of the Kings.

Abu Simbel Temples: Next to the Pyramids of Giza, the twin temples Abu Simbel are also possibly the most recognised monument of ancient Egypt. These two enormous rock temples, originally carved out of the mountainside during the reign of Pharaoh Ramesses II in the 13th century BC as a lasting monument to himself and his queen Nefertari, have been attracting visitors to Egypt since the Victorian times.

The River Nile: Generally regarded as the longest river in the world, the Nile is a major flowing river in North Africa. Approximately 4,130 miles (6,650 km) long, it runs through eleven countries – Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Uganda and Egypt. The northern section of the river flows almost entirely through desert, from Sudan into Egypt (a country whose civilisation has depended on the river since ancient times). Most of the cities of Egypt lie along these parts of the Nile valley and nearly all the historical and cultural sites of Ancient Egypt are found along its riverbanks. The Nile eventually ends and empties into the Mediterranean Sea.

The Temple of Luxor: Travelling to Luxor it is hard to miss the spectacular Luxor Temple which is situated in the city centre, close to the east bank of the River Nile. Principally built by Amenhotep III and Ramesses II around 1400BC, remains a place of worship for Christians and Muslims. The Luxor Temple is beautifully lit at night and is well worth visiting at sunset.

12►