Red Sea Diving

The Red Sea - The Divers' Dream

Forster describing the Gulf of Suez, 1923 said, "That exquisite corridor of tinted mountains and radiant water... here and nowhere else, is the vestibule between the Levant and the Tropics."

You won’t find many places in the world that can capture your imagination in as many ways as the Red Sea. The name "Red Sea" comes from the explosive growth of a blue algae, Trichodesmium erythraeum, that notwithstanding its name, every few years or so, dyes the normally blue-green water of the Red Sea an orange-red!

Surrounded by awe-inspiring desert scenery, home to some of the most ancient and remarkable human civilizations, the Red Sea with its unique underwater treasures, exists thanks to a geological miracle.

Despite the harsh desert climate with its lack of water and with its strong winds, humans have joined many plants and animals in their effort to make a living along the shores of the Red Sea. As in Antiquity, local coastal communities rely mainly on fishing, while Bedouins live from herding and from the management of the scarce water sources inland. Already in Pharaonic times, the Red Sea coast and even the island of Zabargad, were well known for their copper or precious stone mines. The colourful reef fish must have impressed the Ancients, as quite a few of them are readily recognisable on the reliefs of ancient monuments, as for example on the walls of the Temple of Hatshepsut in Luxor.

The Red Sea was also situated at the most important commercial cross-roads between north and south, east and west, and ancient traders coming by sea travelled through it on their way to the Nile, to Sinai, and to the Mediterranean. Romans, Christian Monks, Crusaders and Ottomans left their traces along its shores, and many Muslim pilgrims have crossed it to get to Holy Mecca, and still do. From the 14th century onwards, explorers and scientists have travelled and studied its shores and waters.

For the last three decades, another type of traveller has discovered the coast of the Red Sea , the tourist. The countries around the Red Sea offer not only remarkable historical, cultural and naturalist interests, but also unique diving, optimal winds for windsurfers, and sandy beaches with palm trees under an ever blue sky for sun seekers. The last ten years in particular have seen a very rapid development of tourism infrastructure all along the coasts of Sinai and the Egyptian mainland, and while is slowly opening to tourism, the Sudanese reefs are visited by ever increasing numbers of live-aboard boat tourists.

Egyptian Part of The Red Sea

For thousands of years, Egypt has been one of the most fascinating and mysterious lands… and the good news is that this hasn't changed much. The great thing about Egypt is its fabulous mix of cultures and traditions. Nowadays, Egypt invites you to visit Ancient Egyptian civilization, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Coptic Christians and, of course, Islamic civilization. French, then British occupation introduced Egypt to Europe and vice versa. Since that time, the love affair continues…

This blend of cultures and civilizations throughout the country's the history can be felt and tasted in all aspects of Egyptian daily life.

Beside that great mix in culture and civilization, you can also experience a wide range of differences in Nature - between the beautiful green areas with crops and fruits in the northern regions of the Nile Delta, to the roughest desert in the whole world in the south west of Egypt near the borders of Sudan and Libya. There are also the mountains in the east of Egypt and Sinai… and a coastal area more than 2 million kilometres long, showcasing many different lifestyles and local cultures.

When you get to Egypt for diving, you won't be able to separate the diving activities from the experience of all of these cultures and lifestyles... specially when you go to a place like Dahab, where you can experience a Bedouin village whilst enjoying luxury tourist facilities!

Diving in Egypt:

Egypt is one of the most naturally endowed countries when it comes to diving and beach holidays. Egypt has a variety of diving interests, such as coral reefs, dive sites, wrecks, marine life....etc.

Dahab... The Golden Land!

Dahab is one of the most attractive beach resorts in South Sinai, located half way between Sharm el Sheikh in the south and Nuweiba in the north. The fine golden sand that is characteristic of its beaches may have given Dahab its Arabic name: "Gold."

Dahab consists of two bays. El Qura Bay and Ghazala Bay. In the latter, the Bedouin village El Assalah is located. Over the years the area has developed into a tourist center with camps, motels, restaurants, and bazaars. The newly constructed beach promenade is the core of Dahab's activities, where globetrotters from all over the world meet in a lively atmosphere. A large variety of restaurants offer international and local cuisine at reasonable prices. The spirit in Assalah and Masbad reminds of the late 60s. In the southern bay of El Qura is the town center, below on the golden beaches of the bay, the hotels are situated. Further south near the entrance to the Nature Protectorate of Nabq new hotels are built offering luxury in most stunning location. A new asphalt road connects Assaleh to the Canyon. Along the road more hotels are being established - the most spectacular coral reefs just in front.

Due to the strong wind, Dahab is an excellent place for water sports and a perfect location for windsurfing. Dahab is famous for its deceptive deep dive sites such as the Blue Hole, the Canyon and the Lighthouse.

Dahab has so much to offer for divers, as there are so many divesites in Dahab and surrounding areas...

Some of the divesites are just easy shore dives ... others are to be reached by boat or by Camels through Camel Diving Safaris which is the unique thing about Dahab!

Dahab is the only place in the whole world where two of its greatest dive sites are reachable only by camels.

There are two national parks: one lies 8 km to the north of Dahab and is called "Abu Galum," and the other is in the south of Dahab, called "Gabr El Bent."

The last reachable point by car in the north is the Bills/Blue Hole and that's also a nice optional dive that could be made on the way to "ABu Galum." From there, divers start carrying their equipment on camels and go for a 90 min ride all the way to "Abu Galum." Usually the day starts in the early morning so you can do two dives in the national park and come back the same day, but it is also possible to arrange an overnight (or more) there, or use camels to dive further north... the unique thing about those areas is that they are totally virgin in nature and that they also have real Bedouin villages, with the rare opportunity to experience real the Bedouin lifestyle.

Same is to be done with the south trip to the "Caves," the last point in the south, and then use the camels to "Gabr El Bent."

To find out more about Red Sea diving holidays, visit:

www.redsea-rangers.com or
www.global-diving-holidays.com or

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