Sharm el-Sheikh is an Egyptian resort town on the Red Sea and is popular for scuba diving and snorkeling. Diverse marine life, rich coral reef and low prices lead to one of the best value dive destinations in the world.
My Red Sea dives:
I have been to Sharm El-Sheikh 3 times in different years and every time the dives were good and enjoyable. World famous sites like SS Thistlegorm shipwreck, Gordon Reef and Jackson Reef or Ras Muhammad National Park make of the Sinai area a place where everyone can find it`s own preferred dive.
You can read detailed review for Thistlegorm here.
Check my Red Sea diving experience in the following clip:
Getting there:
Fly to Sharm El Sheikh International Airport. The airport is reachable through various charters or direct international flights from all over Europe. Also 1 stop via Cairo or Istanbul is available.
When to visit:
Red Sea can be dived all year round but best time is March to May and September to November with water temperature up to 27°C / 80°F. During summer the outside temperature can reach 35°C / 95°F and can be to hot for most of us. Visibility is good with values from 20 to 30 m / 65 to 100 feet.
What you`ll see:
Orange Anthias, Purple Anthias, Napoleon Wrasses, Fusiliers, Giant Trevallies, Surgeonfish , Lionfish, Triggerfish, Crocodilefish, Morey, Manta Rays, Red Sea Anemonefish, Turtle, Dolphins, Reef Sharks.
Sharm El-Sheikh is good for inexperienced divers as most of the spots are easy with almost no current and very good visibility. Shore dives are available for those who want to discover scuba diving.
DIVETIP
Accommodation:
Almost all the hotels in Sharm area are all inclusive resorts with dive center and house reef. I would qualify their rating as facile so I recommend choosing a 4 star hotel at minimum. Most Red Sea tourists are in the area for diving or snorkeling.
For those who want to explore and dive more liveaboards are available.
Sharm el-Sheikh touristic area (including airport and surrounding) is generally safe with a lot of military supervision and controls. We never felt at risk.
Diving center:
I recommend Mr.Diver as their service was excellent . The dive guides are good and dives are never crowded.
Dive rating:
Snorkeling:
Most of the hotels have house reef accessible from their private beach making the snorkeling sessions easy and fun. Diving boats are large enough and can accommodate divers and non divers. Most of the dive sites are also good for snorkeling.
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