Overview
The Turtle’s Inn is a small and cosy hotel situated directly on the yachting promenade of the Abu Tig Marina. This modern property with tastefully furnished rooms is split over two accommodation floors. The hotel is an ideal option for divers visiting El Gouna with the Orca Dive Club on site.
ACCOMMODATION
The 28 elegantly furnished rooms all have en-suite bathroom, telephone, air-conditioning, TV/Satellite, mini bar and safety deposit box. The two large suites with spacious balconies offer stunning views over the Red Sea.
OTHER FACILITIES
The Turtle's Inn has a small reception/lobby, restaurant and bar. The rooftop terrace bar with splendid views of the Abu Tig Marina and the Red Sea is the ideal place to enjoy a drink at the end of a day’s diving.
LOCATION
Turtle's Inn is just a short walk from the heart of the Marina, where there is a range of shops and restaurants. Orca Dive Club is located on-site at this hotel and their boats leave from the Marina. The hotel is 30 minutes' drive from Hurghada Airport.
Dive info
El Gouna is situated just a short drive north from Hurghada and offers easy access to the best of the Northern Red Sea and over 40 dive sites. Boat diving is the norm here, with some beautiful, sheltered reefs situated under an hour’s boat ride from resort.
Its proximity to the legendary wreck graveyard of Sha’ab Abu Nuhas makes El Gouna a superb choice for wreck divers. During fine weather, the excellent wrecks of Abu Nuhas can be easily visited and enjoyed by El Gouna guests. There are also some fantastic wall and drift dives on offer plus the chance to dive with dolphins!
Learning to Dive
El Gouna is a superb place to learn to dive with access to many spectacular coral gardens in sheltered waters. Excellent visibility maximises opportunities to enjoy the prolific marine life. Beautiful reef fish and amazing corals abound at many sites but in El Gouna it is common to share your first Open Water dives with turtles and dolphins for a truly memorable experience.
Qualified Divers
El Gouna shares many sites with its neighbour Hurghada. Many sites boast resident bottlenose dolphins including the labyrinth of ergs that make up Gota Abu Galawa and the beautiful horseshoe-shaped reef of Sha’ab El Erg. These are spectacular corals gardens sitting in sheltered waters with plentiful reef species and everything from the smallest, colourful nudibranch to octopus.
Wreck divers are spoilt by El Gouna and its proximity to the Straits of Gubal and the spectacular Sha’ab Abu Nuhas. This incredible reef patch lies next to a major shipping lane and it is home to four complete wrecks. It is magical to swim into a cloud of glassfish on the Chrisoula K and the Giannis D and see lionfish stalking prey in dark corners of the hold. Day trips are also arranged to the Rosalie Moller.
Wall and drift diving fans will be challenged by a number of dive sites in this area including those situated near the Siyul Islands that boast stingrays, leopard sharks and a myriad of colourful reef fish. Further north, and the northernmost site in this region, is Bluff Point, which is also a favourite with safari boats. The current is especially strong and can be unpredictable but divers are rewarded with a thrilling drift dive. Rich corals abound as well as the chance to see turtles, morays and occasionally whitetip reef sharks, plus the wreck of the British freighter, the Ulysses.
View a Map of El Gouna and Hotels
View a map of El Gouna's dive sites
Dive prices
Regaldive work with a well established dive centres in El Gouna:
Orca Dive Club is based at Turtle's Inn, directly located at Abu Tig Marina. Orca Dive Club offer a full range of diver training courses and day boats depart from Abu Tig Marina. FREE Nitrox is available for qualified divers.
Orca Dive Club
Orca Dive Club El Gouna is situated at the Turtle's Inn hotel in Abu Tig Marina. This well run, professional dive centre, operates two hard boats and offers a range of dive sites from El Gouna, as well as special trips. A range of technical diving courses are also offered.
FREE Nitrox is available (32%) for qualified Nitrox divers. The centre has a drying room and a popular open air terrace bar for a post dive beer. Orca offer all level of instruction with permanent instructors teaching in six languages! All dives are unguided.
Please note that it is compulsory at Orca Dive Club to dive with a dive computer. All divers with fewer than 30 logged dives must be guided. Guide cost is €5 per person per dive (cost subject to change).
From January 2023 the following Environmental Fee is applicable to all trips with Orca Divers. Fees are paid locally and are non-refundable.
- Nation park fees: €5 per person, per day
- Tax and permissions: €9 per person, per day
Typically, a 5 day/10 dive package with Orca Dive Club El Gouna starts from £300 per person excluding equipment rental.
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
Only 22km north of Hurghada, El Gouna is a self-contained deluxe resort built in traditional Arabic style.
The resort rests on clusters of islands surrounded by lagoons and has all the amenities of a modern 5-star resort. The resorts many facilities include a hospital, open-air cinema and a professional 18-hole golf course. The club house offers its own pool, gym, sauna massage and snack bar.
El Gouna also offers a wide range of water sports and other activities:
- Aquarium
- Museum
- Desert safaris
- Bedouin evenings
- Horse riding
- Club House
- Day trip to Luxor
Getting Around
Shuttle buses and boats operate an efficient taxi service. Bus tickets are 5LE per day or a weekly ticket costing 20LE is available from the bus driver. These make the secluded beaches, hotels and Downtown shops, restaurants and bazaars easily accessible. Tuk Tuk are also available at a cost of 5LE per journey.
Climate
The hottest time of the year is July and August with air temperature of over 30 degrees C. The coolest time is January with the temperature at around 20 degrees C. 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. British Pounds, US Dollars and Euros are all widely accepted as well as Egyptian Pounds. Cash can be drawn from some ATMs in El Gouna, and travellers cheques can be cashed at banks (opening hours 9am-2pm). 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) from a number of UK airports. Please refer to the tables below for typical direct flight schedules, or speak to our friendly travel consultants for the latest information.
Typical Annual Schedule
Airport |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
Saturday |
Sunday |
Belfast |
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HRG* |
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HRG* |
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Birmingham |
HRG |
HRG |
HRG* |
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HRG |
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Bristol |
HRG* |
HRG |
HRG** |
HRG* |
HRG* |
HRG |
HRG** |
East Midlands |
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HRG |
HRG |
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HRG |
HRG |
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Edinburgh |
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|
HRG* |
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Gatwick |
HRG |
HRG |
HRG |
HRG |
HRG |
HRG |
HRG |
Glasgow |
HRG** |
HRG* |
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|
HRG** |
HRG* |
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Liverpool |
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|
HRG |
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HRG |
Luton |
HRG* |
HRG* |
HRG |
HRG* |
HRG* |
HRG* |
HRG |
Manchester |
HRG |
HRG |
HRG |
HRG |
HRG |
HRG |
HRG |
Newcastle |
|
HRG* |
HRG** |
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HRG* |
HRG** |
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HRG = Hurghada Airport, updated Aug 2024
Key: * = Winter only (November to April), ** = Summer only (May to October), *** = Irregular schedule, ask for more information
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.
Nb: Although departures are available from the beginning of April, diving conditions are more settled from the end of May onwards. For this reason we recommend diving trips from late Spring.
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.
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