Diving the Red Sea was the whole reason for our Egypt trip! As we were trying to decide where to go on vacation, diving was a big factor. Why not go to one of the best dive destinations in the world? Our trip with Emperor Divers was incredible and it raised the bar for our future liveaboard trips!

That ‘Eat, Sleep, Dive’ Liveaboard Life

With our positive liveaboard experience in Thailand and our desire to visit some of the more remote places in the Red Sea, we decided going on a liveaboard would be the best option. For example, Brothers Islands is one of the best dive sites in the Red Sea and only accessible by liveaboard. It’s located 150 km or about an eight-hour boat ride from the port of Hurghada.

Our typical day looked like this: dive, breakfast, nap, dive, lunch, nap, dive, dinner, sleep. While I took full advantage of nap time, many people also read and hung out. Whenever we heard the bell ring, it was calling us for a dive briefing or a meal.

We had 18 opportunities to dive in those seven days, with two dives being night dives. It’s a bit tedious putting on and taking off a full wetsuit and all the gear multiple times a day, but the crew is very helpful and the opportunity to dive is worth it!

Emperor Echo of the Red Sea

Emperor Divers has definitely set the bar for future liveaboards because the cabins (or at least our room) were so luxurious! Spacious twin beds, our own bathroom and shower, and a window. There were one or two days where it was hard to sleep because the boat was rocking so hard but otherwise, I was nice and cozy. (Our Thailand liveaboard had bunk beds for two and two bathroom-shower combos for 20 people.)

And the food! We ate so well on the boat! Three chefs cranked out three hearty meals plus snacks every day. There were a few Western dishes but the majority were Egyptian. I ate fava bean falafels or something with fava beans every day. The buffets had a great variety, many times there was hot soup, and there was always a dessert spread.

In addition to the three chefs, there were two dive instructors, a captain, and a crew to help with meals, dive equipment, and other tasks. They were full of smiles and happy to help with every task, from putting on your wetsuit to taking your plate after a meal.

Diving was excellent! The instructors focused on giving us the best experience possible. Since there were 26 of us, we prepared and jumped off in two groups. We rented full gear except for our mask. We also rented a computer as it was required for each diver to have one. They provided free nitrox, which was nice.

Emperor Divers also has liveaboards in Indonesia and Maldives, and I’ll definitely be looking at their boats whenever we visit those destinations.

Best Dive Sites in the Red Sea

I recommend a liveaboard to see the many dive sites in Egypt. Otherwise, you’ll likely be based in one city (or two, if you hop) and have a limitation of a three-hour boat ride to the farthest dive site. Our liveaboard took the “Famous Five” route and it hit a variety of wrecks and reefs. Here are some of the sites we dove and ones I considered when planning our trip.

S.S. Thistlegorm was a British cargo ship on its way from Glasgow, Ireland to the Allies in Alexandria, Egypt when it was sunk in the Gulf of Suez by the Germans in World War 2. It was discovered by Jacques Cousteau in the fifties and gained recognition as a dive location in the nineties. It’s noted as one of the best wreck dive sites in the world.

Rosalie Moller is a wreck lying at about 30-50 meters down. The ship, also located in the Gulf of Suez, was bombed and sunk two days after the Thistlegorm. Because the ship sits so deep, you’ll only spend a few minutes exploring it before needing to ascend, but it was a very interesting dive.

Only accessible by liveaboard, Brothers Islands (Big and Little Brother) are known for its shark sightings. We saw plenty of oceanic white tips and a hammerhead, and it’s also known for threshers. Off of Big Brother, where the lighthouse is, you’ll find the Numidia wreck and Aida II wreck. They are covered in coral and a beautiful spot to dive. You’ll also find strong currents here so be ready.

Abu Nuhas Wrecks is a site with four wrecks – Giannis D, Carnatic, Chrisoula K, and Kimon M.

Ras Mohammed National Park is a protected park, so you’ll find rich corals here. Shark and Yolanda Reef is a fun dive with a lot of life and the Yolanda wreck of 1980. You’ll see a bunch of toilets, sinks, and wallpaper from the wreck!

Elphinstone Reef is known for its drift dives and walls.

Daedalus Reef is part of the Marine Park Islands National Park. It’s known for its walls and drop-offs.

Favorite Underwater Sights

Our list of things seen is long! We got a good look at several octopuses, which were at the top of my list. We also spotted a hammerhead shark and tons of oceanic white tip sharks. Colorful nudibranchs and a starfish were also high on my list.

Thistlegorm was incredible! If you remember, we had dove one wreck previously, Kittiwake in Grand Cayman. I didn’t enjoy that experience, so I wasn’t looking forward to Thistlegorm. I was wrong! Seeing the old motorcycles, trucks, boots, and other cargo still on the ship was hauntingly beautiful. Also, Thistlegorm didn’t feel as claustrophobic as Kittiwake even though it involved some tight spaces as well.

Info About Diving the Red Sea

There is diving in Egypt year-round but the best time to go is from July to December. September, October, and November are high season. We dove in October and wore full 5mm wetsuits.

Divers come to Egypt because it has everything from wrecks, reefs, walls, and large and small life. Most of all, the health of the reefs and clarity of the water ensures fantastic diving all around.

We picked Emperor Divers because the date, price, and location lined up with when we wanted to visit. I used the PADI travel website to compare dates, prices, and routes. You can also search on Liveaboard.com.

The one negative thing about our liveaboard trip was that a few dives at Brothers Islands were a little chaotic. With 15 liveaboards tied up, many divers in the water, and strong currents, it’s the setting for a lot of traffic underwater. Surprisingly, the curious oceanic white tip sharks seemed to be more drawn to the commotion, so we saw plenty of them!

If you’re looking stay on land instead of a liveaboard, here are some places to check out:

• Reef Oasis Blue Bay Resort (Sharm El Sheikh)
• Dahab Divers Lodge (Dahab)
• Euro Divers Grand Hotel Hurghada (Hurghada)

Liveaboards depart from Hurghada, Marsa Alam/Marsa Ghalib, Sharm El Sheikh, and Safaga, depending on the route. Most are seven days, though there is one that is three days. If you want to do a liveaboard, consider planning a year out to secure your spot.

Conclusion

Everyone on the boat was gloomy on the last day because we weren’t ready to leave. We had spent seven days diving and hanging out with new friends. It was a memorable experience. This liveaboard trip will always be special to us since it’s where we got engaged but it was also a bucket list trip to dive the Red Sea. I hope we make it back here one day to experience it again!

Want more Egypt? Check out the posts here!

You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Bloglovin’. You can also subscribe to the exclusive email list.

The post Diving the Red Sea on a 7-Day Liveaboard appeared first on Fearless Captivations.

We did a lot of bucket list activities in Thailand, like walking with elephants and being a part of the lantern festival, but if I could go back and do anything again, it would be scuba diving. It was my first time diving in the ocean!

When we were planning our trip, Boyfriend had recently come back from a week-long liveaboard in the Bahamas and wanted to do something similar in Thailand. With our limited time in Thailand, we decided to do a three-day liveaboard.

What is a Liveaboard?

We lived on a small boat for three days and scuba dived 3-4 times each day. “Dive, Eat, Sleep, Repeat” was the motto we lived by each day. There were 19 total guests, five instructors, four crew members, two cooks, and one captain. We all shared three bathroom/shower rooms. The guests and instructors ate together on the dining deck. Boyfriend and I shared a tiny room with two twin bunk beds and a little bit of walking space. We lived in our bathing suits. It was a no frills and all fun experience. We like to call it “summer camp on the water!” We followed a posted schedule every day and dove in groups.

Our group of 19 guests was from all over the world, and it was fun learning about their lives and diving history. Our liveaboard hosted divers of all experience levels, and even had two divers who completed their Open Water Certification (the first diving certification you can earn) during our trip.

Diving Similan Islands

The Similan Islands are a group of 11 islands in Southern Thailand off Phuket. They are known for their wildlife and unique architecture. We hopped from island to island throughout the day, diving at different sites. The most famous site at the Similan Islands is Richelieu Rock. We sadly missed this site on the three-day liveaboard, so make sure your trip includes it!

Before every dive, we met on the deck for a dive briefing. The head dive instructor briefed us on the route we would take, what we should expect to see, and any issues we should be aware of underwater. Then we got ready and jumped in two groups at a time. Each group was about four divers to one instructor. Each dive was about 45-60 minutes.

We saw an abundance of wildlife, including eels, octopus, manta rays, a variety of fish, coral, and anemone.

Some of our dive sites included: Koh Bon West Ridge, Elephant Head Rock, Christmas Point, West of Eden, East of Eden, and Anita’s Reef. We also did a night dive. It was terrifying at first, being in the dark ocean, but we surprisingly saw a lot of things!

Our final dive was a wreck dive at Boon Sung Wreck. It was very murky, but it was cool seeing the different creatures living in the wreck.

Beach Excursion at Similan Islands National Park

We were near the Similan Islands National Park after one of our dives, so we did a beach excursion. We hiked up to the peak to see the breath-taking view. (Side note: if you’re on the mainland and have the option of coming here for a day excursion, don’t do it. As I’ve read and seen, a two-hour speedboat trip to a crowded beach is not relaxing.)

Khao Lak Scuba Adventures

We were aboard the Manta Queen 5 liveaboard by Khao Lak Scuba Adventures. They were awesome! The boat was in tip-top condition, the buffet meals were plentiful and seconds-worthy, the instructors were knowledgeable, and the crew was energetic. This was my first and only liveaboard experience (so far), but from comparing it to Boyfriend’s previous liveaboard in the Bahamas, this one was more structured (set dive groups) and the boat was nicer (individual rooms instead of one room with multiple bunks). They also do scuba diving day trips if you don’t want to do a liveaboard. I would definitely recommend Khao Lak Scuba Adventures if you’re looking for a liveaboard in Thailand.

Quick Tips

• I took Dramamine (motion sickness medicine) before we left the port and the second morning, just in case. I didn’t want to risk it. Once you get sea sickness, you’re in for a miserable time.
• If you don’t like living in small spaces and sharing small bathrooms, a liveaboard might not be for you.
• You don’t have to do every dive, but it’s definitely worth it. We did four dives on two days and three dives on the last day. It sounds like a lot, but it was surprisingly not exhausting.
• It doesn’t matter how experienced you are, but you do need to at least have an open water certification. For our liveaboard, they checked our certification cards and put us in groups of similar experience.
• Gear: all of our equipment (wetsuit, BC, regulator, fins, mask, tanks, weight belt) was a part of the package though we did rent a dive computer each, which I think is absolutely necessary when diving.
• If you’re diving in Thailand, be sure to dive Richelieu Rock.

Here’s a video of our experience. We saw so many cool creatures!

Have you ever been scuba diving or on a liveaboard?

Considering a liveaboard? Visit Liveaboard.com to explore destinations.

The post Scuba Diving Liveaboard in Similan Islands, Thailand appeared first on Fearless Captivations.