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Escape to the sunshine with Scuba Travel
Us Brits love talking about the weather and, in particular, why the sun isn’t shining. It’s no surprise then that studies continue to show that we are increasingly suffering from a lack of Vitamin D. The answer? Escape to sunnier climes, of course. With that in mind and summer firmly behind us, the Scuba Travel team has picked some superb offers for you all, to bring you the very best destinations for getting that Vitamin D hit. Now is the perfect time to plan your escape for some winter sun.
Red Sea I Winter Warmer with Mario I Cyclone I 21 January I Only £995
Are you looking to shake off those winter blues? Then why not come along with Mario on his Winter Warmer™ getaway to the Red Sea for some much needed winter underwater photography! This is a dedicated photo itinerary in the Northern Red Sea and we have hand picked a select number of key sites to enable you to gain maximum time at locations that are the most photo friendly.
The Northern Red Sea in undeniably a great place to practice your skills, and on this itinerary you will learn how to shoot successful macro, wide angle, strobe and available light shots. You will be able to dive in time and time again to work towards getting exactly the shot you want. Break the bleak mid winter and discover how to get the most from each and every photo opportunity.
Click here to find out more about this trip…
Philippines I Malapascua I Exotic Island Dive Resort I From £1445
What a wonderful place for a winter getaway. Head to the Philippines this January and enjoy a 7 night break in a deluxe room with full board, 10 dives and flights from the UK for only £1445!
We love this Philippines destination for its outstanding value as well as memorable diving. Famous for thresher sharks, Malapascua is also home to some stunning reefs, amazing macro life and breathtaking scenery on the surface.
The Exotic Resort is Malapascua’s original dive centre resort, and has not lost any of its charm as it has grown to provide an increasingly high standard and service.
Click here to find out more about this trip…
Bali I Scuba Seraya Resort I From £1545 for 7 nights full board including flights
Scuba diving in Bali is an experience you will never forget! Bali is sometimes overlooked in Indonesia, but diving here is a must for anyone that loves opulent reef diving. And Scuba Seraya has built a reputation as the area’s premier dive centre. Stay here and you can dive world class sites such as the Liberty Wreck (regularly in the top 10 wreck dives of the world!) as well as critters galore.
Due to its location, Scuba Seraya really is a diver’s resort. But you do not have to forgo your creature comforts! There is a freshwater pool and beachside massage service for those chill out days. The beach is for the exclusive use of guests. The restaurant is right by the sea and serves freshly prepared Indonesian and Western meals. The whole atmosphere at Scuba Seraya is understated elegance. Relax and forget about the world as you dive from your very own corner in paradise.
Click here to find out more about this trip…
Sudan I Royal Evolution I From £1645 for 7 nights including flights
Sha’ab Rumi, the Con Shelf, Sanganeb and Wingate’s Umbria are some of Sudan’s finest dive sites. And the Sudan North itinerary focuses on these undeniable highlights. The walls are deep and plateaus an ideal stage for shark watching. Add to this the beautiful wreck dives at the unique Umbria and Con Shelf II and you are guaranteed an incredible Sudan liveaboard, packed with excitement and variety. These are classic dives and a must see for any diver in Sudan.
Combine this fabulous itinerary with the highly experience Royal Evolution team and you’ll have a holiday to rememeber
Royal Evolution is a sleek 39m. There are 8 guest cabins in the lower deck and 4 main deck cabins. All have air con, en suite, fridge, TV and video player. 2 main deck cabins are twins and 2 are doubles.
Click here to find out more about this trip…
Maldives I Scubaspa I Save up to £350
Scubaspa takes Maldives liveaboards to a whole new level. She’s a classy lady with undeniable wow factor. Total relaxation is guaranteed with first class comfort and service. Whether you are there for the diving, spa and yoga or just to get away from it all, this is an unforgettable holiday of a lifetime on board a genuinely luxurious vessel. Discover the divine world underwater or enjoy daily treatments in the sumptuous spa – this is your holiday to enjoy your way! There’s no doubting that the Scubaspa experience will remain with you long after your journey home.
We have some wonderful early bird offers on Scubaspa for next summer from only £2175 to dive the incredible Maldives on this beautful liveaboard.
Click here to find out more about this trip…
For more details of all Scuba Travel’s current special offers click here.
To find out more about Scuba Travel and the dive holidays they offer, call 0800 0728221, email dive@scubatravel.com or visit www.scubatravel.com.
Today we are diving one of the outer reefs from an inflatable. As we reach the bottom, a reef octopus eases its way into the cover of a small crack in the coral while displaying it’s incredible ability to change colour. They are arguably one of the most charismatic of reef dwellers and it is always exciting for me to simply hover and watch. I would have spent longer and waited for it to come and investigate me, but as dive time is limited we wanted to move on and find a turtle.
The waters around Somabay are well protected and hold a rich variety of marine life. The reef edges are thriving colonies of coral and shoaling fish, while nearer the sea bed plenty of wildlife is still to be found.
Then we located the turtles. They are very used to divers and so show little concern when slowly approached. In fact occasionally one will come over to see what you are doing. There is always huge excitement when diving with a turtle. The shear thrill of sharing a moment with another species.
What a fantastic way to finish a wonderful few days diving and I would like to thank SOMABAY, ORCA DIVING and THE BREAKERS for making my stay such a good one.
I had a great time, with diving everyday either on the house reef or on one of the offshore reefs by inflatable or larger day boat. Orca diving provided high quality equipment and facilities while the staff were all very friendly and welcoming. The Breakers was right on the coast with nice rooms, good food and once again friendly staff making the whole trip a real pleasure.
Soma Bay covers an entire peninsula and is home to several resorts as well as residential compounds.
As well as scuba diving, Somabay caters for many other sports and activities, and so is perfect for families as well as individuals and/or groups. And of course there is always time to lay peacefully on the beach under the Egyptian sun.
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.
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.
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