Travel Information
If this is your first trip to the Red Sea on a
liveaboard boat, you will find
this page full of useful information. Try our quick
guide to speaking Arabic and be prepared with our
climate information.
At Discovery Divers our aim is for you to have a relaxed and enjoyable
time on one of our Red Sea liveaboards. To ensure that is possible, we
provide you with this travel information in order for you to know exactly
what to expect on arrival.
Transfer Times
You will be met at the airport by a member of our team, from there we
will provide transfer to you liveaboard. Please find the approximate
transfer times in the table below.
| Airport |
Hurghada marina |
Port Ghaleb |
Marsa Alam |
Hamata |
| Hurghada |
20 minutes |
3 hours |
3 1/2 hours |
5 hours |
| Marsa Alam |
|
20 mins |
1 hour |
2 1/2 hours |
Climate
The diving in the Red Sea is year round with visibility averaging 30m. See the chart below
for air and sea temperatures. Most divers are comfortable in a 3mm suit
or shortie in summer (a full suit is recommended for night dives), and a 5mm
2 piece or semi-dry in winter.
|
°C |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
| Air |
20 |
22 |
24 |
28 |
31 |
35 |
39 |
40 |
38 |
33 |
27 |
21 |
| Sea |
19 |
19 |
20 |
22 |
23 |
24 |
25 |
28 |
27 |
26 |
24 |
20 |
Time
Egypt is 2 hours ahead of GMT.
Vaccinations
Polio, typhoid, tetanus and hepatitis A are recommended. There are no
compulsory vaccinations required.
Visas
Non-Egyptian visitors arriving in Egypt are required to be
in possession of a valid passport with at least 6 months remaining on the
passport before expiry. Entry visas may be obtained from Egyptian Diplomatic
and Consular Missions Abroad (approximately $20) or from the Entry Visa
Department at the Travel Documents, Immigration and Nationality
Administration (TDINA). It is, however, possible for most tourists and
visitors to obtain an entry visa at any of the Major Ports of Entry
(approximately $15). Please check with your nearest Egyptian Consular
mission for more details concerning visa regulations applying to your
citizenship.
Currency
The local currency is the Egyptian pound or LE. Money can be changed on
arrival in the airport but you will find foreign currency and travellers
cheques are widely
accepted, both on and off the boat. There are also many ATM machines in
Hurghada accepting major credit and bank cards.
Electricity
The electrical current in Egypt and on our Red Sea liveaboards is 220volts and
the plug sockets are the round 2 pin variety used in Central Europe. You
should bring your own travel adapters if you have rechargeable lamps or
other electrical equipment.
Language
The language spoken in Egypt is Arabic. The crew on the boat speak good
English and our dive guides are multilingual, but as everywhere they do
appreciate a few words spoken in Arabic. Have a go with the list below:
Hello: salam alekum
Goodbye: ma salama
Please: min fadlak/ik(f)
Thank you: shukran
How are you?: izzayak/ik(f)
Perhaps: mumkin
Yes: aiwa
No: la
Never mind: maalish
Boat: markeb
Fish: sameka
Water: miya
Where?: feyn
When?: emta
|