Marina Lodge at Port Ghalib

Overview

The Marina Lodge at Port Ghalib (formerly Coral Beach Marina Lodge), offers a good standard of accommodation and facilities. Located in the resort of Port Ghalib, this hotel is ideally situated, close to the airport and with Emperor Divers on site.

Port Ghalib is located just 10 minutes from Marsa Alam airport and offers superb access to the fantastic dive sites of the southern Red Sea from its jetty. The position of this attractive hotel makes it a popular and convenient choice for divers.

Accommodation

The Marina Lodge at Port Ghalib offers half board accommodation in 201 rooms including Marina View rooms (standard rooms -32m² ), 2 junior suites, 2 special needs rooms, 9 deluxe rooms, plus family rooms (two adjacent rooms with an outside door).

All rooms are air conditioned with en-suite facilities, a private balcony or terrace and views of the garden, marina or swimming pool. Rooms are also equipped with hairdryer, mini-bar, satellite TV, telephone and a safety deposit box.

Deluxe rooms are bigger then the standard rooms (38m²) compared to the 32m² standard rooms and have a view of the gardens, marina or swimming pool.

Junior suites are large rooms (72m²) and have one master bedroom with a large balcony.

Standard suites are the highest room category type at the hotel and are 72m². This suite includes one master bedroom, plus a living room with a fantastic view overlooking to Marina of Port Ghalib.

See more of Egypt with a Twin Centre holiday combining Marsa Alam and Hamata

Other Facilities

There are two large swimming pools at the hotel and a large sun terrace. The dive centre is conveniently located on site, while active non-divers will appreciate the on-site sports club and gym.

There is a main buffet restaurant and a poolside snack bar. The hotel has a separate bar and a shisha terrace for relaxing in the evenings. Guests will appreciate the convenience of the currency exchange, internet access, laundry and car rental on site.

A beach is located 4 minutes walk from the hotel.  Marina Lodge guests have free access to the beach, sunbeds, umbrellas, towels and a small bottle of mineral water at no charge.  Any additional consumption at the beach will be at extra charge.

Facilities available at Port Ghalib include a range of restaurants, bars, cafeterias and a few small shops. Access to the new marina and the bars and shops is via bus, with a local charge payable.

Families

The Marina Lodge at Port Ghalib hotel has a children’s pool and Kid’s club. There is a children’s menu, highchairs and cots plus a babysitting and baby listening service.

Location

Located in Port Ghalib, 2¾ hours from Hurghada Airport or a 10 minutes’ drive from Marsa Alam airport. Emperor Divers are located on site at the Marina Lodge and operate their day boats from Port Ghalib marina at the hotel.

Group Discounts

11 pay, 1 goes FREE (conditions apply)

Dive info

Marsa Alam is the gateway to the exciting Southern Red Sea and its myriad pristine reefs. Once the sole preserve of liveaboard boats, this area is now accessible directly from the shore. Diving is a combination of shore dives along the 100km of coastal reef, reached on foot, or by jeep and truck, or boat day trips to the legendary Elphinstone Reef and Sha’ab Samadai, otherwise known as ‘Dolphin House’. This is virgin diving away from the crowds at its very best.

Learning to Dive

The coastline of the region around Marsa Alam offers a number of sheltered bays and some incredibly scenic fringing reefs. It is possible to learn to dive in Marsa Alam and the house reef and shore diving on offer is often particularly suited to novice divers. However, to take full advantage of the stunning dives available here it is recommended to be an advanced or intermediate diver with some experience.

Qualified Divers

Diving in Marsa Alam is world-class and combines the best aspects of shore and boat diving. The coastal reefs are stunning with impressive hard and soft corals, elaborate topography and an amazing abundance and variety of colourful fish. House reef diving is on offer at most hotels and offers the perfect starting point to your diving holiday.

Shore divers make something of a pilgrimage to Marsa Abu Dabbab, wishing to catch a glimpse of the resident Dugong that feeds on the sea grass found in the middle of the bay. Even without seeing ‘Dennis’, there is enough here to satisfy most divers wanting a relaxing shore dive with plenty to see. The reefs are beautiful and packed with marine life, whilst this site is also well known for its regular sightings of guitar sharks, turtles and eels.

To take advantage of the best this area has to offer, day trips are organised to outer sites. The dramatic walls and drop-offs of Elphinstone Reef are a spectacular dive. The sheer walls of this great finger-like reef plunge steeply into the blue, richly decorated with soft corals, sponges, gorgonians and fans. Sharks often swim by the spot to feed on the abundant reef fish population. The northern plateau is home to schooling hammerheads with frequent sightings of oceanic white tip sharks.

A trip to Sha’ab Samadai or ‘Dolphin House’ is another absolute must. A large, horseshoe-shaped reef creates a shallow, turquoise lagoon that is frequented by a pod of around 60 spinner dolphins. The diving here typically takes place between 10-15 metres on the southwest tip of the main reef. There is a fantastic network of caves and tunnels and a carpet of seagrass that hides moray eels, leopard groupers, goatfish, lionfish, masked butterflyfish and more.

Dive prices

Regaldive work with a number of well established dive centres in Marsa Alam:

Emperor Divers operate the diving centre at Port Ghalib at the Marina Lodge Hotel. Emperor's daily diving boats leave directly from the marina, in front of the Marina Lodge Hotel.

Orca Dive Club operate the dive centre at the Concorde Moreen Beach Resort. House reef diving is available, as well as minibus trips and boat trips to a variety of sites including Elphinstone and Dolphin House.

The Oasis Diving Centre is based at the Oasis Dive Resort and co-managed by Werner Lau and Sinai Divers.   

Extra Divers Fayrouz is located at Three Corners Fayrouz Plaza Beach Resort. House reef diving is available, as well as minibus trips and boat trips, starting from the harbour. 

The Blue Ocean Dive Centre is located in Abu Dabbab Bay, and offers diving for guests staying at the Abu Dabbab Diving Lodge. House reef diving is available, as well as boat trips to a number of dive sites, including Elphinstone.

Emperor Divers

Emperor Divers are a British owned dive centre that have been operating in the Red Sea for over 25 years.  They are renowned for excellent service and great diving at all their centres. In Port Ghalib, they are based at the Marina Lodge Resort, but they will arrange free transfers from a variety of hotels in the area.

Day boat diving is offered to a variety of dive sites. Day boats are moored in front of the Marina Lodge, with special trips available to Elphinstone and Dolphin House. There are also regular shore diving trips to Abu Dabab, Marsa Egla and the Hamada wreck.  Please enquire for details of dive packages available at Emperor Divers.

Emperor Divers also offers equipment rinse, storage facilities, classrooms and a training pool.

Orca Dive Club

Orca Dive Clubs are well established in the Red Sea and now operate the dive centre at the Concorde Moreen Beach Resort. The Dive Club takes full advantage of its location in the heart of Abu Dabour Bay on one of the finest stretches of Red Sea house reef.

Depending on level of experience, divers can opt for unguided dives, as well as individual dives or unlimited house reef diving from the jetty. Guided dives are offered at a small additional charge. The house reef offers a sheltered lagoon and a large variety of dives, north and south, amidst stunning corals and marine life, including a resident dugong.

In addition to house reef diving, Orca Dive Club Moreen Beach also offers boat diving special trips to sites including Elphinstone and Dolphin House. The boats leave from the marina in Marsa Alam, a 30 minute transfer away. There are also regular minibus trips to shore diving sites including the Hamada wreck at Abu Ghusun.

Orca Dive Club Moreen Beach is a well-equipped dive centre with classrooms, locker rooms, storage facilities and dive boutique. A range of courses is available and FREE Nitrox fills are offered for qualified divers. Please enquire for details.

Oasis Diving Centre

Situated in the wonderfully unique Oasis Hotel, 20km north of Marsa Alam, the Oasis dive centre is a joint project between Werner Lau and Sinai divers, both synonymous with excellent service & professionalism.  Oasis offers all levels of instruction, as well as specialty courses and FREE NITROX (32%) fills for qualified divers. Please enquire for details.

The stunning house reef is ideal for beginners, as dives can be made straight from the jetty.  Introductory dives are conducted in a 4-5m deep ‘aquarium’ just off the beach in a nearby bay.

This area has everything experienced divers could wish for, and there are regular jeep and boat trips to legendary sites such as Elphinstone, Dolphin House & Abu Dabab.

Open a PDF of all Oasis Diving Centre dive sites here

Extra Divers Fayrouz

Situated at the Three Corners Fayrouz Plaza Beach Resort on the beach beside the beach bar, Extra Divers Fayrouz is professionally managed. House reef diving is available, as well as minibus trips and boat trips which range from 15 to 90 minutes and are suitable for divers of all experience levels.

Extra Divers Fayrouz offer day trips by boat, as well as full day, or half day trips by minibus. Covering dive spots from Ras Ghalib to Marsa Alam they feature an outstanding variety of underwater adventures. 

A range of courses is available and FREE Nitrox fills are offered for qualified divers. 10l, 12l and 15l aluminium tanks are available. Please enquire for details.

From January 2020 the following National Park Fees are applicable to all diving trips with Extra Divers. Fees are paid locally.

• All boat trips: €7 per person, per day
• All house reef dives (shore, boat and minibus entries): €4 per person, per day

Blue Ocean Diving Centre

One of Egypt’s most highly respected and professional diving operators, Blue Ocean operate the dive centre in Abu Dabbab Bay. The dive centre provides direct access to the exceptional house reef, with coral reefs on either side of the bay and a seagrass beds known for superb turtle sightings. Occasionally,Dugongs are also seen in the bay.

Day boat diving is also offered to a number of local dive sites, with special trips arranged to Elphinstone, just 25 minutes way by speedboat. Overnight trips can also be arranged Sataya Dolphin Reef and the Wadi Lahami reefs. .

The well appointed dive centre, located directly on Abu Dabbab Beach, has a spacious area for gearing up, equipment rinse, lockers, equipment rental, classrooms and a small shop.

Nitrox is available for an additional charge.

For those looking to learn to dive, a full range of PADI courses are available from the dive centre. Please enquire for details.

DIVE PRICES

Book your dive pack or course with Regaldive prior to departure, and benefit from lower prices than those in resort. 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.

Resort info

Getting Around

Some of the hotels that Regaldive feature are remote and are self-contained units with restaurants, bars and sports facilities available, depending on the hotel.  Other hotels are part of the Port Ghalib marina development offering shops, restaurants and nightlife.

Find out more about Regaldive's Top Three Marsa Alam Excursions

Climate 

The hottest time of the year is July and August with air temperature of over 30 ºC. The coolest time is January with the temperature at around 20 ºC. 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. Approximately £1 = 20LE

We recommend that you take some money in cash to Egypt. Please note that Scottish notes and Australian Travellers 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.

Rough Price Guide

• Local beer:  65LE
• Snack meal (pizza/sandwich) 130LE
• Bottle of mineral water: 25LE
• Soft drink:  35LE

Travel info

Flight Information

Flights are available to Hurghada (HRG) and Marsa Alam (RMF) from a number of UK airports. Please refer to the tables below for typical flight schedules, or speak to our friendly travel consultants for the latest information.

Typical Summer Schedule (May to October)

HRG = Hurghada Airport, RMF = Marsa Alam Airport

* Manchester summer service to Marsa Alam begins May 2020

Typical Winter Schedule (November to April)

HRG = Hurghada Airport, RMF = Marsa Alam Airport

NB: 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

Passports

Passengers travelling to Egypt must have six months valid on their passport from the date of departure from Egypt.

Visas

A single entry tourist visa for Egypt is required for all nationalities. For British passport holders with British citizenship, Egyptian visas can be obtained conveniently and inexpensively on arrival at Hurghada airport, or in advance via the new e-visa portal - Visa2Egypt.

Other nationalities should check with consular office.

Vaccinations

There are no compulsory vaccinations for travel to Egypt, but we recommend protection against typhoid, tetanus, hepatitis A and polio. Though malaria does exist in Egypt, it is generally not present in the coastal resorts.

Vaccination requirements are subject to change and should be confirmed before departure.  For the most up to date advice please consult your travel clinic.

Further information regarding vaccinations for travel to this country can be found at www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk and from your local healthcare provider.

Prices

The price panel above provides an indication of a lead-in price for your holiday, based on the cheapest time to travel. Prices shown are per person, and based on two persons sharing. 

As flight prices vary from day to day, Regaldive will prepare a quotation for you based on current flight prices available. This ensures that you receive the most competitive price for your chosen travel dates. Flights from regional UK airports may be available, depending on your destination and date of travel.

Please call 01353 659999 or e-mail Regaldive, using the link below, for a quotation.

Our Price Promise

At Regaldive we are committed to offering you the best possible value for money on all our diving holidays. That's why we offer you a price match promise. Learn more about our promise to you.

Offers

Reviews

The dive centre staff were absolutely excellent

"The transfers were very good, the vehicles were clean, tidy and well driven. The staff were very knowledgeable and attentive.

The accommodation was good. Clean and tidy.... perfectly suited to our needs, and the food was good.

The service from the dive centre staff was excellent. The boat was very conveniently moored. The dive centre staff were absolutely excellent, helpful, knowledgeable, exceptionally well organised and staff from Captain to boat boy to dive guide were fabulous."

Sharon and William V - Northamptonshire

0

No votes yet

Favourite Memory: Seeing the Eagle Ray and Green Turtles!

"For me, having last been to Marina Lodge 7 years ago, it felt like going back to the same place and was what I had expected, Hotel was good and Emperor were good, as usual. I was very impressed with the diligence everybody took to please and make the week very enjoyable and stress free.

When we first arrived the room that was allocated to us was too close to the bar and thus a little noisy for early morning divers that we are. Nevertheless, the staff obliged and kindly transferred us to a much quieter room. We didn’t make use of the indoor bar facilities as we are non-smokers and customers who smoked would meet there daily. The hotel free wi-fi was intermittent and rather unreliable and again in an area where there were smokers, but excellent on board of the dive boat.

The transfers and ground arrangements were excellent for both pick up and drop off. The accommodation was tidy, staff were very keen to keep the place clean, fresh towels daily, bedrooms tidied with an attention to attire and beds with cloth decorations. Outstanding Christmas buffet, catering for all tastes, staff always friendly and helpful, chef always smiling.

The first thing I noticed was the healthy reefs and corals and the richness of the fauna. Briefing and debriefing were confidently delivered. Instructions on how to step out of or back onto boats were clear. All crew and staff were very friendly and helpful during the week.

I was disappointed not to get to Elphinstone, we had been asking all week, but on the day where the weather was good and some guests had been asked about going and had also said yes, the trip was not taken and we returned to a previous site. I can also understand that on that day there were two Open Water students on board, so logistically for them they would have needed to go on another boat. As we did on the first day we went with a Colona boat with an Emperor guide.

A favourite memory from the holiday was seeing the Eagle Ray and the Green Turtles also seeing that the coral looked better than on my last visit here in 2009.
"

Nick Bailey - UK

9

Guest rating: 9/10 (1 vote)

Marsa Alam

"Excellent conjunction of Emperor dive boats and hotel unaltered but Emperor now relocated to Moreen Beach; not a problem for those wanting boat diving.

Hotel very quiet - maximum seen at dinner - 7. Hotel: food average.

Regaldive airport service excellent, especially in face of major flight delay. Well done, Ramadan. "

Neil - Marina Lodge

0

No votes yet

Marsa Alam - will certainly do this again.

"Have just returned from week at Marina Lodge, Marsa Alam.

Very familiar with Red Sea resorts but had never gone on my own before. Chose Marina Lodge carefully for its unique characteristics: virtually all customers are divers,

Emperor Divers on-site - dive boats moored alongside pool, no crowds at dive sites.

Remained slightly nervous at going alone but crew on ISA very friendly, guide, Tarek, outstanding and good bunch of people on board.

Result - an excellent week's diving and good evenings with nice people.

Will certainly do this again.

Neil"

10

Guest rating: 10/10 (1 vote)

Another WONDERFUL trip!

"Dear Igor,

This is just to thank you in particular, and the rest of the team, for arranging another WONDERFUL trip for my son and me. In spite of increasing arthritis I managed 12 dives aided by painkillers and very supportive boat crew and dive leaders. My son passed his PADI Advanced, trained by Nick, who was a strict and thorough instructor.

The hotel at Port Ghalib was the height of comfort, and the food was "yummy" with a wide choice of dishes.

I particularly appreciated not having to walk any long distances, having the dive centre and boat so near.

Many thanks again,
Regular Client"

10

Guest rating: 10/10 (1 vote)

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