Red Sea Scuba Diving Vacations

Egypt: Sharm el Sheikh, Hurghada, Dahab, Taba and other Resorts

Mar 24, 2007 Karen Lotter

The Red Sea Rivera has magnificent resorts and varied accommodation to suit every pocket for scuba diving, snorkeling and for sun lovers all year round.

Looking for an all inclusive resort hotel in Sharm el Sheikh? Fantasizing about wild Egyptian boogy nites in Hurghada? Dreaming of a peaceful scuba diving adventure in Taba? What about a camel safari to a dive site, a beautiful dive and lunch at a Bedouin village?

Red Sea Scuba Diving Vacations

All divers and would-be divers dream of a Red Sea scuba diving vacation. Well, the Red Sea Rivera has a dream holiday to suit every pocket.

The resort hotels along the Red Sea are spectacular, with swimming pools and their own beaches. For those with simpler tastes, budget accommodation is available in one of the many well equipped camps, hostels, guesthouses or B&Bs. Visitors who want to spend more time there, should think about renting an apartment.

Sahara Desert and Golden Beaches

With Sahara desert backdrops and golden beaches lapped by warm waters, this area of Egypt is paradise for sun worshipers. The high visibility waters (up to 50 m) of the Red Sea contain an underwater world of vibrant colors, tropical marine life and spectacular corals – reputed to offer some of the best dive sites in the world.

The excellent year- round weather in Egypt, and the short flying time (3 or 4 hours) from Europe make this a perfect holiday destination for magical Red Sea Scuba Diving Holidays.

Top Resorts on the Red Sea in Egypt

Here is a list of the top resorts with a map. Divers can spend their whole holiday at one resort or move around. Remember there are plenty of choices when choosing where to spend a diving vacation:

Dahab the famous hippy town of the Red Sea Riviera. Great for the experienced diver and for newbies.
El Gouna is a new purpose-built resort often referred to as Egypt's answer to Venice, with a beautiful marina. Downtown El Gouna (known as Karf el Gouna) has activities and entertainment to suit all.
Hurghada was once a small fishing village. Great beaches with snorkeling and scuba-diving topping the list along with windsurfing and other water sports. Also a frantic nightlife and wonderful shopping.
Marsa Alam is popular with the international diving crowd - fewer divers, healthy reefs, impressive drop-offs, interesting caves and coral covered shipwrecks. What is called Marsa Alam is a stretch of coast some 100 km long.
Nuweiba, a sleepy Bedouin town on the Gulf of Aqaba, offers a beautiful and relaxed Red Sea diving holiday destination. Get away from the crowds.
Quseir, a renovated historical town, is a relaxing place to dive with plenty to see. Excellent shore diving, north and south.
Safaga’s offshore reefs offer great diving and there are shallow, easy dive sites for beginners. But experienced scuba divers come here for the impressive sheer walls such as the fabled Abu Qifan.
Sharm el Sheikh. Here most hotels have their own beaches with coral reefs, which are excellent for snorkeling and diving. Sharm el Sheikh consists of three bays - Naama, Shark's and Nabq - and together they combine to make this a water sport paradise.
The Taba coast offers some very rare marine life in an uncrowded environment. Typical to the area, for example, is a rare species of frogfish, and many species of seahorses.
Makadi Bay is a dreamy beach side vacation resort located in one of the most beautiful bays along the Red Sea Riviera. Its sandy, protected beach also means it's an ideal destination for families with kids.

Egypt’s Red Sea Virtual Dive Center has useful info about Scuba travel, packing scuba gear, medical supplies and also dive centers.

The copyright of the article Red Sea Scuba Diving Vacations in N Africa Travel is owned by Karen Lotter. Permission to republish Red Sea Scuba Diving Vacations in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.