News
Celebrate Diverse Travel’s new African portfolio with these incredible offers
As announced on Scubaverse yesterday, UK-based Tour Operator Diverse Travel have recently expanded their African portfolio and opened a new office in South Africa. Here are some incredible new South Africa offers to celebrate!
South Africa | 9 nights | Aliwal Shoal Diving + Cape Town Explorer
Perfect for combining diving the famous Aliwal Shoal with two baited shark dives and discovering the delights of Cape Town.
Price: £1,720 per person based on sharing a twin/double room, including:
- Return international flights to Durban return from Cape Town on Emirates (via Dubai)
- 6 nights’ Full Board in twin/double room, Blue Ocean Resort, Umkomaas
- 8 dives: 6 Aliwal Shoal reef dives (2-tank morning trips) + 2 Baited Shark dives
- Round trip airport transfers from Durban King Shaka International Airport
- One-way domestic flight Durban to Cape Town
- 3 days’ Cape Town car hire (Avis VW Polo TSI B Plus + GPS)
- 3 nights’ B&B, Suite, Rouge on Rose Boutique Hotel, Cape Town
- Government taxes
- Full ATOL Protection
Price does not include daily conservation levy of R114 (approx. £7).
These offers must be booked before 30 September 2017.
Travel must take place before 31 December 2017.
See all Diverse Travel special offers here
South Africa | 9 nights | Aliwal Shoal Diving + Big Five Game Viewing at Hluhluwe iMfolozi Game Reserve
Tick that bucket list ‘must do’ and come diving in Aliwal Shoal then drive to see the Big Five Game and discover what makes South Africa so special.
Price: £1,860 per person based on sharing a twin/double room, including:
- Return international flights to Durban on Emirates (via Dubai)
- 6 nights’ Full Board in twin/double room, Blue Ocean Resort, Umkomaas
- 8 dives: 6 Aliwal Shoal reef dives (2-tank morning trips) + 2 Baited Shark dives
- Round trip airport transfers from Durban King Shaka International Airport
- 3 days’ car hire (Avis VW Polo TSI B Plus + GPS)
- 3 nights’ B&B in twin/double Luxury Tent, Falaza Game Park & Spa
- 2 x morning guided game drive, Hluhluwe iMfolozi Game Reserve
- Government taxes
- Full ATOL Protection
Price does not include daily conservation levy of R114 (approx. £7).
These offers must be booked before 30 September 2017.
Travel must take place before 31 December 2017.
See all Diverse Travel special offers here
South Africa | 9 nights | Aliwal Shoal Diving + Great White Cage Diving, Cape Town
The best of both worlds; diving the iconic Aliwal Shoal and then onto the great magnet of South Africa, cage diving with great whites!
Price: £1999 per person based on sharing a twin/double room, including:
- Return international flights to Durban return from Cape Town on Emirates (via Dubai)
- 6 nights’ Full Board in twin/double room, Blue Ocean Resort, Umkomaas
- 8 dives: 6 Aliwal Shoal reef dives (2-tank morning trips) + 2 Baited Shark Dives
- Round trip airport transfers from Durban King Shaka International Airport
- One-way domestic flight Durban to Cape Town
- 3 days’ Cape Town car hire (Avis VW Polo TSI B Plus + GPS)
- 3 nights’ B&B, Mountain Facing Room, Quayside Hotel, Simon’s Town (Cape Town)
- 2 Seal Island Cage Dive Trips
- Government taxes
- Full ATOL Protection
Price does not include daily conservation levy of R114 (approx. £7).
These offers must be booked before 30 September 2017.
Travel must take place before 31 December 2017.
See all Diverse Travel special offers here
South Africa | 11 nights |Aliwal Shoal + Ponta do Ouro (Mozambique) Shark and Big Fish Dive Combo + Big Five Game Viewing at Hluhluwe iMfolozi Game Reserve
Shark and tiger shark dives, big fish dives, private game park and spa and guided game drive. Just wow!
Price: £2,499 per person based on sharing a twin/double room, including:
- Return international flights to Durban on Emirates (via Dubai)
- 4 nights’ Half Board in twin/double room at Scuba Addicts, Umkomaas
- 6 dives: 4 Shark dives + 2 Tiger Shark dives, Aliwal Shoal
- 4 nights’ Half Board in twin/double room at Scuba Addicts, Ponta do Ouro
- 8 dives: 8 Shark & Big Fish Dives, Ponta do Ouro
- 3 nights’ B&B in twin/double Luxury Tent, Falaza Private Game Park & Spa
- 2 x morning guided game drive, Hluhluwe iMfolozi Game Reserve
- All transfers according to this itinerary (vehicle + driver provided)
- Government taxes
- Full ATOL Protection
Price does not include daily conservation levy of R114 (approx. £7) for Aliwal Shoal, R20 (approx. £1.5) Maritime Tax for diving in Ponta do Ouro Marine Reserve.
These offers must be booked before 30 September 2017.
Travel must take place before 31 December 2017.
See all Diverse Travel special offers here
South Africa | 9 nights | Aliwal Shoal Diving + Big Five Luxury Game Viewing at Kapama Game Reserve, Kruger National Park
Just the name of Kruger National Park conjures magical images. One of Africa’s largest game reserves here are the Big Five; lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants and buffalos. And then the diving!
£2,599 per person based on sharing a twin/double room, including:
- Return international flights to Durban return from Johannesburg on Emirates (via Dubai)
- 6 nights’ Full Board in twin/double room, Blue Ocean Resort, Umkomaas
- 8 dives: 6 Aliwal Shoal reef dives (2-tank morning trips) + 2 Baited Shark dives
- Round trip airport transfers from Durban King Shaka International Airport
- One-way domestic flight Durban to Nelspruit
- 3 days’ car hire (Avis VW Polo TSI B Plus + GPS)
- 3 nights’ Full Board in twin/double Standard Room, River Lodge, Kapama Game Reserve & spa in the Kruger National Park
- 2 days of guided game drives (2 drives per day), Kapama Game Reserve
- One-way domestic flight Nelspruit to Johannesburg
- Government taxes
- Full ATOL Protection
Price does not include daily conservation levy of R114 (approx. £7).
These offers must be booked before 30 September 2017.
Travel must take place before 31 December 2017.
For more information or to book, call Diverse Travel on Freephone 0800 915 4436, email info@diversetravel.co.uk or visit www.diversetravel.co.uk.
Free Octopus with every purchase of a SCUBAPRO regulator system
Just in time for the spring season, divers can save money with the FREE OCTOPUS SPRING PROMOTION! Until July 31st SCUBAPRO offers an Octopus for free
with every purchase of a regulator system!
Get a free S270 OCTOPUS with purchase of these combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with A700
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with S620Ti
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with D420
MK25 EVO Din mit S620Ti-X
Get a free R105 OCTOPUS with purchase of the following combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with G260
MK25 EVO or MK17 EVO with S600
SCUBAPRO offers a 30-year first owner warranty on all regulators, with a revision period of two years or 100 dives. All SCUBAPRO regulators are of course certified according to the new European test standard EN250-2014.
Available at participating SCUBAPRO dealers. Promotion may not be available in all regions. Find an authorized SCUBAPRO Dealer at scubapro.com.
More information available on www.scubapro.com.
Jake Davies boards Ghazala Explorer for an unforgettable Red Sea diving experience…
Overnight, the wind picked up, making the planned morning dive a bit bumpy on the Zodiacs to the drop point on Thomas Reef. There, we would dive along the reef before descending through the canyon and then passing under the arch before ascending the wall with a gentle drift. The site provided great encounters with more pelagic species, including shoals of large barracuda, tuna, and bigeye trevally.
Once back on the boat, it was time to get everything tied down again as we would head back south. This time, with the wind behind us, heading to Ras Mohammed to dive Jackfish Alley for another great gentle drift wall dive before then heading up the coast towards the Gulf of Suez to moor up at the wreck of the Thistlegorm. This being the highlight wreck dive of the trip and for many onboard, including myself, it was the first time diving this iconic wreck. I had heard so much about the wreck from friends, and globally, this is a must on any diver’s list. Fortunately for us, there was only one other boat at the site, which was a rarity. A great briefing was delivered by Ahmed, who provided a detailed background about the wreck’s history along with all the required safety information as the currents and visibility at the site can be variable.
Kitting up, there was a lot of excitement on deck before entering the water and heading down the shoreline. Descending to the wreck, there was a light northerly current which reduced the visibility, making it feel more like the conditions that can be found off the Welsh coast. At 10m from the bottom, the outline of the wreck appeared as we reached the area of the wreck which had been bombed, as our mooring line was attached to part of the propeller shaft. Arriving on deck, instantly everywhere you looked there were many of the supplies which the ship was carrying, including Bren Carrier tanks and projectiles that instantly stood out.
We headed around the exterior, taking a look at the large propeller and guns mounted on deck before entering the wreck on the port side to take a look in the holds. It was incredible to see all the trucks, Norton 16H, and BSA motorcycles still perfectly stacked within, providing a real snapshot in time.
Overall, we had four dives on the Thistlegorm, where for all of the dives we were the only group in the water, and at times, there were just three of us on the whole wreck, which made it even more special, especially knowing that most days the wreck has hundreds of divers. Along with the history of the wreck, there was plenty of marine life on the wreck and around, from big green turtles to batfish, along with shoals of mackerel being hunted by trevally. Some unforgettable dives.
The final leg of the trip saw us cross back over the Suez Canal to the Gobal Islands where we planned to stay the night and do three dives at the Dolphin House for the potential of sharing the dive with dolphins. The site, which included a channel that was teeming with reef fish, especially large numbers of goatfish that swam in large shoals along the edge of the reef. These were nice relaxing dives to end the week. Unfortunately, the dolphins didn’t show up, which was okay as like all marine life they are difficult to predict and you can’t guarantee what’s going to be seen. With the last dive complete, we headed back to port for the final night where it was time to clean all the kit and pack before the departure flight the next day.
The whole week from start to finish on Ghazala Explorer was amazing; the boat had all the facilities you need for a comfortable week aboard. The crew were always there to help throughout the day and the chefs providing top quality food which was required after every dive. The itinerary providing some of the best diving with a nice mixture of wreck and reef dives. I would recommend the trip to anyone, whether it’s your first Red Sea liveaboard in the Red Sea or you’re revisiting. Hopefully, it’s not too long before I head back to explore more of the Red Sea onboard Ghazala Explorer.
To find out more about the Northern Red Sea reef and wrecks itineraries aboard Ghazala Explorer, or to book, contact Scuba Travel now:
Email: dive@scubatravel.com
Tel: +44 (0)1483 411590
Photos: Jake Davies / Avalon.Red
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