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You can have it all in Malta with Regaldive
For those who happily settle for the ‘you can’t have it all’ line on their dive holidays, then it’s time to reassess says diving holiday specialist Regaldive. With no need to compromise on price, the distance travelled, above the water activities and below the water variety, Malta offers the all-round package for divers. Just three hours from the UK by plane and costing from just £323 per person for a seven night stay including flights, there’s every reason to plan a visit.
Best visited in the season between May and October, Malta and Gozo’s clear, calm waters and sheltered bays offer the ideal conditions for divers looking to enhance their skills. The islands’ diverse award-winning dive sites offer exciting and challenging dive opportunities. Divers can take advantage of the varying depths ranging from 12 to 50 meters, while those looking to explore something unique can explore the fascinating underwater topography or admire WWII wrecks and historical artefacts.
Above the water, the Maltese islands offer plenty to keep visitors entertained after an exciting days diving. Guests can make the most of the lively atmosphere in the cosmopolitan areas, or explore the ancient streets which hide more than 7,000 years of history. With sandy beaches, pretty coves, picturesque seascapes and ample walking and cycling routes, Malta and Gozo are particularly suited to those who want to make the most of their holiday.
For those looking to immerse themselves in history both above and below the water then the wreck diving hub of Malta is the ideal base. Seven nights’ at the Sands Apartments, located in the village of St. Paul’s Bay, cost from £323 per person. The apartments are ideal for travelling divers and are located just 100 metres from the dive centre. The cost includes flights, transfers and seven nights’ room only accommodation. A six shore dive pack costs from £162 per person, to include a guide, air tanks, weights, belt and road transport, if required. Dives may be spread over the course of a holiday or combined with a day’s diving in Gozo (additional supplement payable locally €25).
For divers wanting to get away from it all, the smaller and more tranquil island of Gozo combines stunning caverns and swim throughs, with a simple rural charm. Seven nights’ at the St. Patrick’s Hotel, located on Xlendi’s bay in Gozo, cost from £401 per person, to include flights, transfers and seven nights’ B&B accommodation. A six day shore diving dive pack costs from £79 per person to include air tanks, weights and belt.
For further information or to book, visit www.regaldive.co.uk or call +44 (0)1353 659 999.
Day three of my trip to Somabay and we were spending the day on the Lady Christina and diving on the wreck of the Salem Express.
Diving wrecks for me is always one of mixed emotions. The excitement of diving a wreck is more than often tempered by the thought of loss of life when she sank. The Salem Express was a passenger ship and a roll-on/roll-off ferry travelling from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to Safaga, Egypt. Most passengers were of poor class travelling home from their holidays while around 150 people were returning home from their pilgrimage to Mecca.
The ship struck a reef and sank within 20 minutes. Passengers were trapped below deck and the ship was filled with fear and panic.
The wreck area is strewn with personal belongings from the crew and passengers such as a transistor radio and a flat iron for clothes. A diver at sometime has put them in a prominent place to be seen.
Tragically only one life boat was launched while the others went down with the ship. More than 600 men, women and children lost their lives here.
It’s a stark reminder that the sea can be unforgiving and so when we dive on such wrecks we should do so with humble regard.
Returning to the surface, shoals of fish are gathered under our boat and seem to be welcoming us back into the light.
Back at the Breakers I sat in the dining area with a beer and a very good meal while my thoughts still remained with the day’s dive on the Salem Express.
Check in for part 3 tomorrow for Jeff’s last day of diving with Somabay on the off-shore reefs looking for turtles.
Book your next Red Sea dive adventure with SOMABAY! For more information, visit www.somabay.com.
Stay at the Breakers Diving & Surfing Lodge when you visit! For more information, visit www.thebreakers-somabay.com.
Find out more about ORCA Dive Clubs at SOMABAY at www.orca-diveclubs.com/en/soma-bay-en.
For a week at the end of February I was invited to sample the diving with Orca Dive Club based at the Breakers Diving and Surfing Lodge by courtesy of SOMABAY.
Somabay covers an entire peninsula and is home to several resorts as well as residential compounds. Somabay caters for scuba diving as well as many other sports, including windsurfing, golf, sailing, go-carting, horse riding and many other activities.
All the activities are of a world-class standard and any or all of these can be booked directly from The Breakers.
I took Easyjet from Bristol (UK) to Hurghada. Easyjet are not by any means my favourite airline but the flight was cheap and direct (except for the surprise extra £48 I was charged at the gate for my carry-on bag).
I was met at Hurghada airport by a driver and car and taken to the Breakers 28 miles (45Kilomaters) south along the coast. Once at the hotel I was too late for an evening meal and so a basic meal was delivered to my room. That and a beer from the fridge and I was fast asleep.
Early the next morning after breakfast I arrived for my rep meeting at the Orca Dive Center for 8.00am. I was immediately made to feel welcome, and after brief introductions I got some dive gear from the store, had a chat with my dive guide Mohamed and got ready to try the house reef situated at the end of a very long wooded pier where all diving gear and divers are taken out by buggies.
Once at the end of the pier, a helping hand from staff makes sure your gear is set and then it’s a short walk to the very end where you can either climb down a ladder of simply jump in the water next to the reef. The house reef extends both north and south giving a very easy and safe dive with plenty to see. At this time of the year the water temperature was a constant 22 degrees Centigrade and there was little or no current, so there were no issues in swimming back to the pier.
Quite a few divers were in dry or semi-dry suits, but being from the UK and used to the cold I found a 3mm wetsuit with a 3mm neoprene vest quite comfortable. Even after 50 years of diving I still find that first dive of a trip slightly nerving until I am actually underwater and then all becomes relaxed and I ease into auto diving mode. There was plenty to see with many of the Red Sea favourites along the way.
After the dive and a buggy ride back to the hotel for a very good buffet lunch I was back in the water, once again on the house reef for an afternoon dive.
Check in for part 2 tomorrow when Jeff gets on a day boat and dives a few of the off-shore reefs.
Book your next Red Sea dive adventure with SOMABAY! For more information, visit www.somabay.com.
Stay at the Breakers Diving & Surfing Lodge when you visit! For more information, visit www.thebreakers-somabay.com.
Find out more about ORCA Dive Clubs at SOMABAY at www.orca-diveclubs.com/en/soma-bay-en.
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