Coral Garden Resort

Safaga offers some exceptional diving and is still relatively undiscovered. Tucked in just south of Hurghada, most diving is conducted by boat to reach the spectacular offshore reefs and wall dives of sites like Panorama Reef, Middle Reef and Abu Kafan.

Learning to Dive

Despite the area’s reputation for exciting wall diving, Safaga is also a good choice for novice divers. Several reefs are situated just 30 minutes boat ride away and offer several sheltered spots ideal for beginners to get their sea legs.

The Tobia reefs, or the Seven Pinnacles as they are often known, are particularly stunning and boast beautifully coloured corals and a huge variety of fish including schooling juvenile barracuda, stingrays, trigger fish, puffers and groupers. Shallow coral gardens such as Gamul Soghira and Gamul Kebira are also superb for spotting myriad reef fish in kaleidoscope colours.

Qualified Divers

As you head further away from the coast, Safaga offers more challenging and breathtaking sites where the diving is concentrated primarily on three areas.

Panorama Reef is the most northerly and it is situated around a 60–90-minute boat ride from Safaga. Due to the currents, this site is one of the highlights of the area and best dived as a drift dive. There are huge coral formations with walls dropping to over 200 metres and numerous grottos and overhangs, gorgonians and soft corals. Jacks, barracudas and reef sharks often visit the area and a well-known family of napoleon wrasse are frequently sighted.

Middle Reef is best known for its colourful and dramatic hard coral gardens, including spectacular brain corals, which are rated as some of the best in the Red Sea.

Abu Kafan, or ‘the deep one’, is probably the most spectacular dive site in Safaga with stunning, sheer walls plummeting towards the seafloor hundreds of metres below. Luxuriant soft corals, gorgonians and black corals abound and this is a regular haunt of schooling barracuda, reef sharks and turtles.

Wreck enthusiasts are often drawn to Safaga to visit the Salem Express, an Egyptian passenger ferry that sank on its return journey from Mecca in 1991. 300 victims perished in one of the greatest marine tragedies of all time. This is a stunning site but a dive that is generally considered one for reflection rather than pleasure.

Dive Prices

We recommend booking your diving package in advance to avoid disappointment. You can also take advantage of our great value dive pack offers.  Please discuss your requirements with the Regaldive team, who will prepare a quotation suited to your needs.

Getting Around

An excellent destination for world-class windsurfing and first-rate diving, Safaga is an old port where you can see traditional Egyptian daily life. Its hotels are situated along a splendid sandy beach with a variety of restaurants and bars.

Climate

The hottest time of the year is July and August with air temperature of over 30ºC. The coolest time is January with the temperature at around 20ºC. Rainfall is negligable and it is invariably sunny but breezes can be cool.

Time

Egypt is 1 or 2 hours ahead of GMT depending on the season as Egypt does not operate Daylight Saving Time.

Currency

Egyptian pounds or LE

We recommend that you take some money in Cash to Egypt. There is a currency exchange desk available at the hotel.  Please note that Scottish notes and Australian Traveller's Cheques are not accepted in Egypt.

Tipping

Although entirely voluntary, tipping is a recognised part of life in this region of the world. Some local staff will look to travellers for personal recognition of the services offered. We would advise that you allow approx. £10 for gratuities for local staff for the duration of your stay.

Activities

Safaga has been used for World Championship windsurfing because the wind and water conditions are ideal. Other outdoor pursuits available include:

• Water sports
• Island boat trips
• Camel & jeep safaris
• Horse riding
• Bedouin camps
• Trips to Luxor & Hurghada

Flight Information

Flights are available to Hurghada (HRG) from a number of UK airports. Please note that flight schedules may be subject to change by the airlines at any time. Full and up-to-date flight details will be provided with any holiday quotation.

Flight duration: Approx 5–5½ hours

Transfer times: These vary according to the hotel choice. Minimum transfer time is approx. 20 minutes, certain more remote destinations require longer transfers. 

Departure tax:  N/A

Visas

Entry requirements vary from country to country, and it’s important to check the latest visa information well before you travel. Some destinations may allow visa-free entry for a limited period, while others require an eVisa or a visa obtained in advance. To ensure you have the correct documentation for your trip, we recommend checking the official advice from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) or contacting the relevant country’s embassy or consulate. Other nationalities should check with their own consulate/embassy.

Passports

Before you travel, make sure your passport is valid for the full duration of your trip and meets the entry requirements of your destination. Many countries require at least six months’ validity beyond your planned return date, while others may have different rules. For the most reliable and up-to-date information, visit the UK Government’s passport guidance or the official travel advice pages for your destination. Other nationalities should check with their own consulate/embassy.

If you’re planning to travel to or via an EU country (with certain exceptions) your UK passport must meet two key requirements, it must be less than 10 years old on the day you enter the country and it must be valid for at least three months after your planned departure date.

Vaccinations & Health Advice

Health and vaccination requirements differ depending on where you're travelling. Some destinations may require proof of specific vaccinations or recommend certain precautions to protect your wellbeing.

We’re not qualified to provide you with specific advice on vaccinations and strongly recommend that you contact your healthcare professional before you travel to discuss the inoculations you may need to consider.

For trusted guidance on health and vaccination advice, refer to the NHS Travel Vaccination Advice, Masta Travel Health or Travel Health Pro websites.