Kategorie: News
Small hotel with high standards and individual diving
There is hardly a place in Egypt that is as controversial among divers. On the one hand, there are still intact reefs, especially at the more demanding and beautiful dive sites, but on the other hand, there is talk of mass processing and diving factories.
An offer at this year's Interdive fair in Friedrichshafen is very accommodating! A small, upmarket hotel with an affiliated diving center that should enable individual diving.
Report by Jan Finsterbusch
We are accordingly curious and set off for Hurghada. One advantage of this trip is the consistently short transfer times, and so we reach the hotel from the airport within 15 minutes. With around 40 rooms and 4 suites, the complex is a rather small hotel. Of course, as a city hotel, you shouldn't expect scattered bungalows or long, drawn-out residential buildings with opulent gardens. The complex is built five stories high. The dive center and the breakfast room are located directly on the ground floor, while the gym and spa are in the basement. There is also a dermatological practice. In addition, there is a private beach with a restaurant and café that can be reached in just a few steps.
But what is the real advantage of the facility? The complex is set back a little way from the road, so that the noise of Sheraton Road, which continues throughout the day and night, cannot be heard. At the same time, however, it is still close enough to the center of Hurghada, so that all relevant destinations such as shops, other restaurants and the marina are within walking distance or can be reached for a few cents by taxi.
Well, that's not why we're here though! It's all about diving. After a short conversation at the dive center, however, we are somewhat disillusioned. Due to the changes in the rules shortly before Christmas in Egypt, the base's own boat does not yet have a permit. Not that we are against safety regulations, especially considering last year's absolute necessity, but the retroactive tightening of the rules, coupled with excessive bureaucracy, sometimes leaves you a bit at a loss. During our stay, the rumor repeatedly arises that the CDWS is closing the sea. Depending on the source, between three and five days? The term alone: “The sea is closed” leaves a bad feeling! It should be noted that the information comes from official channels and is then partially revised only hours before it comes into force. Reliable planning is difficult to do, and especially planning and not repeated improvisation due to government measures would sometimes also contribute to safety.
The solution for us is then one of the big boats on which we are checked in by our diving center, with our own guide. Maybe it's a good thing to see the differences and get an idea of the diving factory and mass diving. We have also avoided Hurghada so far because of the prejudices.
So a little later we relax and drop into the water at Fanadir. At the long steep face, almost everything that lives in the Red Sea can be seen. Fellow divers report dolphins, whale sharks and other marine animals. Unfortunately not on our first dive, so we have to be content with playing with the octopuses and photographing them. To be honest? There are much worse things than interacting with these clever squids!
Rays, rays and more rays
A little later, the situation is different at Fanadir South. Dozens of stingrays sleep on the shallow reef here. We also repeatedly encountered eagle rays, but they would not let us get within photo distance. Of course, the situation was different for the stingrays. If only they didn't keep spreading sand around when they woke up. Nevertheless! For the first day, we are totally satisfied with the yield and the dive sites and are excited for more.
The next day, we see that such a large boat, in addition to the general hustle and bustle and the back and forth on it, can have its disadvantages. The groups, which consist of different bases, decide to dive at Abu Ramada. Maybe we are just having a bad day, but at least there is nothing spectacular to see.
A trip with the day boat
On the fourth day, the base's own boat finally received the necessary permits, and now everything is much more relaxed and calm. Although the “Panta Rhel” is licensed for 24 people, a maximum of 14 people are taken, so there is plenty of space everywhere. Of course, with only one boat, it is always a challenge to find the appropriate dive sites for the individual groups. Beginners are not really in good hands at drop-offs and experienced divers will not have fun in the long run if they are repeatedly dropped off in shallow lagoons.
However, this is where the Zodiak comes into play: it makes it possible to take the experienced divers to the drop-off around the corner and pick them up again, even if the dive for training takes place in a bay.
So in the coming days we will see the more challenging dives like “Small Giftun Cave” and similar. There are also interesting dive sites for beginners and less experienced divers. So we also visited the “Underwater Military Museum”. Here you can admire the relics of a bygone era, as we all hoped, at shallow depths (up to nine meters). A Soviet T34 tank, a BMR 600 armored personnel carrier from Spanish production, and some other military vehicles were sunk here and can be admired by divers. Unfortunately, recent years have made it clear that these vehicles are still necessary. However, the photographer in us is thinking of a photo series with a mermaid and these weapons of war to capture and depict this contrast photographically. The problem? Where do you get a mermaid on short notice when you need one?
Dolphins in Small Giftun
We also particularly remember a dive at the steep face of “Small Giftun”. We relaxed as we rolled backwards off the zodiac, handed over the camera and dived down. We found two dolphins below the surface within petting distance. Of course, they both knew only too well that more than 10 seconds were needed to prepare the photo equipment (remove the cover, turn on and align the flash, turn on the camera), especially when the camera was not even secured. Anyone who has read our last Egypt reports knows that we have our problems with these mammals anyway. What can we say, even this time the grinning robbers provide us with more ammunition to fuel this attitude. Of course, the moment the camera is set up, you no longer see any of these nuisances – as if they were doing it on purpose. No, they are doing it on purpose!
New Year's Eve is already beginning and it's time to recap the trip. Due to its central location, this small resort is ideal for a wide range of interest groups. It is certainly a good alternative after a diving safari if you want to spend a few more days on site and relieve the stress of the safari with a few dives and relaxing massages in the spa area belonging to the hotel. The hotel is also suitable for groups of divers with different levels of knowledge who just want to be among people after the dives. Overall, Hurghada is certainly better than the reputation that some divers have of the coastal town. It is certainly not a quiet place, but rather lively and turbulent. Nevertheless, if you know the right places, you can spend a relaxing vacation and enjoy your time.
More information:
https://swisswellnessdive.ch
https://taucher.net/tauchbasis-swiss_wellness_dive_club-faz18838
If you want to meet the Swiss Wellness team in person and are planning a visit to boot 2025, they will be at booth 12 / A31.24.