20 replies to this topic

[grouper]

Hi everyone,

I've been looking at options for my Mar 7 - 15th vacation, when I want to get my AOW + Nitrox certs.
I think I've pretty much decided that for the money, a place called Red Sea Relax Resort in Dahab, Eqypt is the way to go.

Flight (UA/Egyptair to Sharm el Sheikh)	$1348.00
Depart: UA950 ORD to IAD, UA966 IAD to FCO, EgyptAir718 FCO to SSH
Return: EgyptAir717 SSH to FCO, SAS682 FCO to CPH, SAS943 CPH to ORD
Transfers to/from Red Sea Relax Resort and SSH	130.62
Red Sea Relax Resort, Dahab (7 Nights, Superior Single)	347.83
TOTAL	1826.45

That's pretty cheap for an experience like this. From Chicago, I have layovers in Washington, D.C., and Rome, Italy on the Way there and Rome and Copenhagen on the way back.

The resort offers boat diving, PADI courses, camel dive safaris and interactions with the bedouin. I won't be able to book this until I get my bonus check around the 10th, but I am 99% certain that this is the trip I want to take. 100% if I can find someone to come with me. (Plan B is Dominica.)

Of course, I don't think anyone I know will want to come with me. They're all so boring!! You guys are not.

Any takers?

--Peter aka grouper

[Victoria]

Wait, they have camels that dive??









I've been eyeballing Dominica for a while now. MUCH closer...less jet-lag!

[grouper]

Wait, they have camels that dive??

I've been eyeballing Dominica for a while now. MUCH closer...less jet-lag!

Hi Victoria,

Apparently so! ;-)

I just priced a Dominica trip too and the flight + 6-night dive package at a place called Castle Comfort came to $2,047.00. But double occupancy would only be $1,855.00. So it's close I guess.

I hate those long transcontinental flights in cramped economy-class 747s, but getting to Dominica is a little convoluted as well. The cheapest option on cheaptickets.com was a flight to, like, Miami, then to San Juan, PR, followed by a flight in a turboprop that stopped in Anguilla and someplace else (but with no plane changes).

Would you be able to go to Dominica on March 7th-14th?

--Peter

[Victoria]

I wonder if those camels have Spare-Airs implanted in their humps.. I mean, that's where they keep their water reserves, so it stands to reason.........



As for going anywhere in March, I dunno. Right this moment I'd have to say no, but that has to do with finances rather than scheduling.

[Landlocked Dive Nut]

Hey Peter, when WW gets back from the Grenada trip, why don't you have her see if she can get you a deal on either of those trips? Part of SD is travel services, and sometimes she can negotiate a better deal for you. And if she books for you, you can claim the $25 trip rebate when you get back.....helps to cover your Premier Membership dues!

Something to think about, anyway. I'd love to do the Red Sea, but this March it's the Fiji trip for me!

[peterbj7]

I'd love to join you - haven't been there for 11 years - but not currently economically possible.

As to your proposed trip, I suggest you check into package holidays from London, assuming you can get to London easily and cheaply. The Red Sea is the diving back yard for the UK and there are some amazing bargains - my last one cost GBP300 including direct flights from London, transfers, and B&B at a 4* hotel. There are several operators, but I've often used www.explorers.co.uk & www.emperordivers.com.

[shadragon]

Follow Peter's and LLDN's advice. If you want a place where you don't need to take a boat for decent diving then look here...

Red Sea Diving Safari

Money well spent.

[peterbj7]

Actually most diving at Dahab is from the shore, and I would never take a boat trip from there. But Marsa Alam is also superb.

I well remember the first time I dived Elphinstone Reef, in the mid-'90's, when seven of the twelve divers on the boat (myself included) went down to and through the arch at 60mtr. The DM on the boat (by law a local) unusually hadn't gone down with us and clearly hadn't thought this would happen, or he would have prohibited us beforehand - there's a blanket ban in Egypt on diving below 30mtr unless the operator has a special "technical" licence. When he found what we'd done he had a tantrum, then sulked for two days.

Mind you, later on that trip we dived the Salem Express and again he said he wouldn't go down, but wouldn't elaborate on why. After the dive I asked him privately what it was about that wreck in particular that made him not want to dive it - I knew the overall story - and it emerged that he had known most members of the crew, and his own brother had been one of the passengers. And all members of the crew of our liveaboard had similar stories. I asked him why then they brought us to dive it, and his answer was predictable yet sad and depressing - "money", he said.

[grouper]

Thanks for all the tips, everyone!

--Peter

[WreckWench]

I'd love to join you - haven't been there for 11 years - but not currently economically possible.

As to your proposed trip, I suggest you check into package holidays from London, assuming you can get to London easily and cheaply. The Red Sea is the diving back yard for the UK and there are some amazing bargains - my last one cost GBP300 including direct flights from London, transfers, and B&B at a 4* hotel. There are several operators, but I've often used www.explorers.co.uk & www.emperordivers.com.

We are booking agents for Emperor and can get you BETTER than rack rates and/or beat any deal you find if we book for you and Tammy is correct...we can also save you money, you qualify for your $25 member rebate and more!

We can also easily book other operators. Just let us know who, what, when and where! -ww

[peterbj7]

Case solved!

[grouper]

Hmm... Those operators you guys linked to seem a bit more professional than the one I found, and the rates are comparable, though I would definitely book through SD.

Does anyone know what sort of water temperatures I can expect in early March? I just noticed that the air temp avg. for Cairo in March is 72F, though it is still in the low 70's in Marsa Dalam right now...

Thanks again!
Peter

Edited by grouper, 02 January 2009 - 09:49 PM.

[peterbj7]

Sadly I can't remember, tho' I do know I used a 5mm suit for diving in December and wasn't too hot! At night in winter it can get really quite cold, and you want long trousers and a good fleece. I think by March the air has warmed up a good bit, though the sea still isn't that hot.

Hopefully someone who's current can respond.

[weescot]

Hmm... Those operators you guys linked to seem a bit more professional than the one I found, and the rates are comparable, though I would definitely book through SD.

Does anyone know what sort of water temperatures I can expect in early March? I just noticed that the air temp avg. for Cairo in March is 72F, though it is still in the low 70's in Marsa Dalam right now...

Thanks again!
Peter

Hi Peter,

I lived in Cairo for a year and dived Sharm and Dahab regularly at weekends. March will still be a little chilly - you can expect around 22/23C in Dahab (5mm full). Nice diving - all shore as previously mentioned. The camel dive safari is riding camels to the dive site. Amazing to see tanks and kit strapped on the back of camels behind you. The operator I always went with is Poseidon but their accomodation is very basic... although you can stay anywhere in in Dahab. Emperor are also very good as Kamala suggests. Equally well establlished. It is also worth considering travelling 1 hour south diving in sharm el Sheikh a couple of days - Straits of Tiran and Raz Mohamed. taxis are cheap and your operator can arrange. Sharm is now over developed tourstically and the diving is on an industrial scale, but it is still world class diving IMHO. Bigger stuff than Dahab.

Good luck!

[peterbj7]

If I were to go to Sharm again I'd restrict all my diving to Tiran. Really superb fast drifts, with a heck of a lot of wildlife and no big crowds.