News
Sharm: How to Get There
As you may have read from our previous posts about Sharm el Sheikh here on Scubaverse, the diving is great, the reefs are healthy and the dive sites are uncrowded. We had a wonderful 10 days staying and diving with Camel Dive Club and Hotel. So how can you get there?
Many people believe that Sharm is closed, but this is not the case. The current government advice (Jan 2017) is that staying in Sharm el Sheikh is fine, but for “precautionary measures” Sharm airport is not advised apart from essential travel. The UK and Russia are the only two countries in the world that still have flight restrictions to Sharm airport, so we can only hope that these are lifted soon. At the moment, you cannot get a direct flight from the UK to Sharm el Sheikh, but there are plenty of other options for travel and there are great deals to be had once you are there too.
We flew from Heathrow to Cairo, and then an internal flight from Cairo to Sharm, using Egypt Air. There were no long waits at the airport between flights and we got a whopping 46gk (two 23kg bags) each of check in baggage on top of the usual hand luggage. This meant that we could happily pack all our dive gear, including warm winter suits, all our underwater photography equipment and still have room for more; a real luxury for the traveling underwater photographer!
There are plenty of other options with Turkish Airlines (again with good baggage allowance, and an extra bag for divers) from lots of regional UK airports, and you can also fly via lots of European airport too, so you can use up some air miles should you want to, or stop to have a nice weekend city break to recover on the way to or from your diving trip. Here are some options to consider:
Flight options from UK to Sharm:
- Turkish Airlines (via Istanbul)
- Pegasus Airlines (via Istanbul)
- EgyptAir (via Cairo)
Direct regular flights to Sharm:
- Italy – Meridiana and Neos (from Milan, Bologna, Verona and Rome)
- Germany – Germania (from Dusseldorf and Munich)
- Belgium – TUIfly (from Brussels)
Ornella and the team at Camel Dive Club are happy to help you find the best flights to join them as part of the service when you book.
Many people contacted us via social media when they saw that we were out in Sharm to ask how we got there, but mainly about travel insurance. Many divers believe that because of the government advice, you cannot get insured, but this is also not true. Friends of Scubaverse, Westfield Sub Aqua and Marine Insurance Services, offer cover for travel and diving in Sharm. We are sure there are others offering this too, but most people we spoke to had used this option.
Finally, many are put off because they think the price of a trip diving in Sharm will be too high now that the package trips and cheap flights have stopped. But, whilst the flights might be a little more (and there are certainly some great deals out there) the diving and hotel packages have come down to try to encourage more divers to return. This means that overall, there are some great deals to be had.
Camel Dive Club have the following offers:
7 nights at Camel Hotel + 5 days diving for only 311 Euro per person sharing
7 nights at Camel Hotel + 1 day diving + PADI Advanced Open Water course for only 377 Euro per person sharing
7 nights at Camel Hotel + PADI Open Water Course for only 350 Euro per person sharing. SPECIAL PRICE for 2 people booking together
NO SINGLE SUPPLIMENT in selected dates
Packages include:
- Seven nights in a double/twin room at 4 star Camel Hotel, including buffet breakfast
- Guided diving (two boat dives a day, tanks and weights) / PADI Open Water Course / PADI Advanced Open Water course
- Free nitrox (two 12lt tanks per day, 32%)
- Airport transfers
For bookings and more information contact info@cameldive.com. All the above offers have LIMITED AVAILABILITY.
We felt completely safe while we were there and during our transits through the airports. Security is as tight as we have seen anywhere on our travels, with our bags being checked several times throughout the process. Many Europeans, who have access to direct flights, are heading back to Sharm, and if you want to go back and dive the Thistlegorm, Ras Mohammed and the Strait of Tiran, then we hope this helps you plan your trip.
www.egypt.travel/diving-in-egypt
For more from Nick and Caroline visit www.frogfishphotography.com.
Gear News
Scubapro Free Octopus Promotion 2024
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.
Blogs
Northern Red Sea Reefs and Wrecks Trip Report, Part 3: The Mighty Thistlegorm
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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