- Gallery
- Includes & Excludes
- Itinerary
- Liveaboard Details
- Diving Highlights
- Optional Extension
- Destination Information
Includes:
- Return flights
- All scheduled transfers
- 7 Nights’ accommodation on the luxurious Liveaboard
- Day use room in a 5* hotel inclusive of meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner & Snacks
- All tea, coffee, bottled water & soft drinks
- FREE UNLIMITED BEER
- Unlimited DIVING
- Nitrox
- Hire of 12L Tanks & Weights
- Marine Park Fee and Fuel Levy
- Port Fees
Excludes:
- Airport Taxes (Approx. R8,000.00)
- Dive equipment other than tanks & weights
- 15L Cylinder – €45
- Onboard Service Fee – €100 pp (Divided amongst crew)
- Travel and Dive Insurance (Approx. R 1,085.00)
Cabin Upgrades:
- Main Deck Twin Cabin (2): R1,275.00 per person for the week
- Main Deck Double Cabin (2): R1,275.00 per person for the week
optional extension:
- Cairo Day Tour: R2,690.00 per person
Where is the Red Sea?
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden.
Itineraries
DAY 1
DEPART JOHANNESBURG
Check in at Johannesburg International Airport at 18h00 for your flight to Cairo departing at 21h45. Dinner is served onboard.DAY 2
ARRIVE IN CAIRO
On arrival in Cairo at 05h35, stay in transit for your flight to Hurghada. Upon arrival at Hurghada airport, you’ll be transferred to the resort to freshen up and relax, before moving onto your final destination to embark the liveaboard. Once there, you will step into your luxurious cabin and unpack to unwind for the week. Soon after that, you will be submerging yourself into the warm, crystal-clear waters of the Red Sea with its wonderful sea life. Once the check in procedure is complete i.e. dive gear unpacked, safety briefings complete & all guests on board the Liveaboard will depart. In the event of late arrivals, the Liveaboard may return to port after the check dive to collect remaining guests or alternatively only depart on the following day.DAYS 3 - 7
CAIRO | HURGHADA | LIVEABOARD
The luxury Liveaboard offers 5* service, exceptional cuisine, a friendly crew and unlimited diving opportunities. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served daily and tea, coffee, soft drinks, beers and bottled water are freely available on board. North: Unlimited diving on only the best dive sites in and around Ras Mohammed National Park. Also including the famous Thistlegorm, Sha'ab Nuhas and Gubal Wrecks. Tiran Islands: Dive the incredible wall diving of the Tiran Straits (4 undersea Mountains – Jackson, Woodhouse, Gordon & Thomas Reef). Dahab: Before heading back, the journey will extend to the Gulf of Aqaba to dive. the well- known Dahab Dive Sites incl. Gabr-el-Bint, Blue Hole and Canyon. The mountains rise up from the ocean bed making for dramatic scenery.DAY 8
HURGHADA
After 2 morning dives, you will return to the port. The evening can be spent shopping and exploring, dinner is provided on the Liveaboard where you will overnight.DAY 9
TRANSFER TO HOTEL
Transfer to hotel for day use room with late check out. Where you can unwind with access to both the beach as well as the swimming pool on an all-inclusive basis. Enjoy lunch before heading back to Cairo for your flight home. *Please see Optional Extension for Cairo Day Tour*DAY 10
ARRIVE IN JOHANNESBURG
Arrive in Johannesburg at approx. 07h10.DECK / CABIN SPECIFICATIONS: CONTESSA MIA
Cabins: 12 (8 Lower Deck | 4 Upper Deck | 2 Double | 2 Twin)
M/Y Contessa Mia can accommodate 24 pax in 2 double and 10 twin cabins. It has two salons providing its guests with bigger rooms, a relaxing salon on the main deck equipped with a top-notch Audio & Video system as well as a dining area on the upper deck with a magnificent 360 degree view of the open sea. The half-shaded sundeck is an ideal place to relax and enjoy the cool evenings while the top deck offers a perfect tanning spot for sun lovers.
Diving Highlights and Bucket List Dive Sites
Thistlegorm Wreck
The famous SS Thistlegorm World War II wreck is one of the highlights of this cruise. The SS Thistlegorm sunk in 1941, having been bombed by the Germans while on a mission to deliver a cargo of trucks, motor bikes, ammunition and war materials to the British troops in North America.
Ras Mohamed National Park
Ras Mohamed has been described as one of the best diving sites in the world. Located at the tip of Sinai, famous for its breath-taking walls rich in soft and fan corals and populated with huge shoals of fish. Nutrient-rich sediments from the Golf of Aqaba attract many fish species and also feed the coral polyps creating a paradise for divers.
Abu Nuhas Wrecks
Dive the famous wrecks of Abu Nuhas, the Ships Graveyard. This reef lies close to the ship-lane toward the Suez Canal and has claimed more ships than any other in the Red Sea. The wrecks are very scenic, covered in corals and they are fantastic for photography, especially the Carnatic, having sunk in 1869.
Tiran Islands
Tiran is made up of four reefs – Gordon, Thomas, Woodhouse & Jackson, offering beautiful wall dives alive with corals and various fish species. Big schools of groupers, snappers, barracudas, tuna and sharks can be sighted in surrounding waters.
Blue Hole, Dahab
The Blue Hole which is a submarine sinkhole, with a shallow opening to the sea, knows as “the saddle”. On the seaward side the depth drops steeply to over a thousand metres and has an abundance or coral and reef fish. The dramatic wall makes for an interesting dive.
Canyon, Dahab
The Dahab Canyon snakes its way up from 30m to emerge through a coral dome filled with glass fish. An easy dive and the light effect caused by the sun rays are fantastic. The coral gardens in this area are teaming with marine life including Butterflyfishes, Unicornfishes, Octopus, Pufferfish and of course Red Sea Anthias, which can only be fully explored after several visits.
Gabr El Bint
This dive site is accessible by boat or by camel and as a result is less frequently dived and the corals are in pristine condition. The reef features a steep drop off with sandy ravines and overhangs attracting fish, rays and a variety of marine life. Game fish and turtles are often seen.
R2,690.00 per person sharing
Day 9: Check out of liveaboard in the morning of day 9 and transfer to the airport for a morning flight to Cairo. You will be collected in an airconditioned vehicle and taken for a tour of the Pyramids, Sphinx & Civilization Museum with an English-speaking Egyptian guide (includes lunch). Transfer to the Hotel to freshen up before continuing to the airport for your flight back to JNB departing at approx. 00h10.
INCLUDES
• Scheduled Transfers
• Sphinx & Pyramids
• Civilization Museum
• Entrance Fees
• Lunch
• English speaking guide
• Day use room at a 4 - 5* Hotel
EXCLUDES
• Cairo Tour Service Fee: €10 per person
LANGUAGE
The official language is Arabic, however English is widely spoken.
TIME ZONE
Same Time as South Africa.
CLIMATE
Temperatures in Egypt vary considerably from winter to summer.
Ave. Temps: April: 23°C ; May: 27°C ; June: 31°C; July/Aug: 35°C; Sep: 30°C; Oct: 28°C
WATER TEMPERATURE
The Red Sea is warm enough to visit throughout the year, with an average water temperature of 19°C, even in December and January. This goes up to an 29°C average in the summer months, making the sea’s shallow parts as warm as bath water. A 3mm wetsuit is most commonly used.
POWER SUPPLY
Charging facilities are available for lights and cameras, standard 220/240 volts with round 2 pin sockets, similar to SA Cell phone chargers. All batteries and necessary spares should be taken along.
STAYING IN CONTACT
There is WIFI onboard, however please note, it is not guaranteed as it may be unavailable for long periods and intermittent at times due to location and other conditions. You will be Able to buy a local sim card either at a booth at the airport or you can ask they transfer driver to stop at a data and cell service provider en route to the liveaboard to purchase one.
WHAT PAYMENT METHOD IS ACCEPTED
Latest Exchange Rate: EGP 1 = ZAR 0.79 (Oct 2022).
The recommended currency is Euro €1 = R18.14 (Oct 2022)
Credit cards are accepted at all major establishments, but please note that an extra charge (between 2,5% and 5%) can be levied with each transaction. Travellers Cheques are NOT widely accepted.
DRESS CODE
Liveaboard: dress code is extremely casual i.e. Shorts, t-shirts, swimming costumes.
Resorts and Public Areas: Casual and Smart Casual in Hotels.
Religious Sites: Women are expected to wear a long skirt and long-sleeve blouse.
WHAT NOT TO BRING
Drones are not permitted
PHOTOGRAPHY
There is usually an additional charge to take photographs/video footage when entering various tourist attractions. Photographing harbours, airports, military installations and military personnel are prohibited.
DIVING
- Certification must be presented as well as a log book and dive insurance
- Safety: Chamber in Hurghada, Sharm-el-Sheikh & Dahab
- Please be sure that your dive insurance is comprehensive & up to date before departing on your diving trip.
- Always follow safe diving practices at all times.
- Alcohol Consumption: If alcohol is consumed in between dives by an individual then they will be required to refrain from diving for the remainder of the day
- Flying After Diving: A minimum surface interval of 18 hours must be allowed prior to flying or going to altitude
