An Egyptian Visa is necessary for visiting Egypt. The cost is £15 per passport. If you are travelling on a non-UK passport you must arrange your own Egyptian visa prior to arrival.
For Coral Queen’s & Coral Princess’s southern charter we require additional details for your dive permissions. When booking please complete section ‘F’ on the back of the booking form. Unless renewing a passport we require this information at the time of booking. Please take a copy of the last page in your passport to be given to the dive guide, which is necessary for obtaining dive permissions.
The currency in Egypt is the Egyptian Pound (LE). Do not purchase Egyptian currency before you depart as banks are readily available at your arrival airport and you will get a better rate there. We suggest that you take a mixture of low denomination Sterling notes and travellers cheques. Visa cards can be used for payment at the Oonas Dive Club and in most hotels and shopping arcades. Note that in Egypt it is not always possible for banks to provide a cash withdrawal against your Visa card. For the Southern Dive Villages and Wadi Lahami Dive Camp on-site payments for dive equipment hire, boat dives etc., should be made in either Euros/US dollars cash or Euros/US dollar travellers cheques.
Please bring any personal medication, insect repellent, rehydration sachets and sun-block. Always drink plenty of bottled water. Take extra care with cuts and scratches as they may be tiny but the coral polyps in the Red Sea can aggravate them, causing slow healing. To avoid infection dry the wound after diving and apply an antibiotic spray or powder. Short term diarrhoea is a common complaint for new arrivals to Egypt. Avoid ice in drinks and unpeeled fruit. Clean your teeth only with bottled water. Always check the seal is still intact. At the onset of diarrhoea drink as much fluid as you can to offset dehydration, avoid alcoholic drinks, take Imodium or something similar and rest. Symptoms should clear up in less than 12 hours.
No vaccinations are officially required for UK residents travelling to Egypt. However, we suggest that you check with your GP as to what they recommend. You will also find helpful information on the Internet site www.traveldoctor.co.uk. Useful telephone numbers include MASTA at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical medicine (0891 224100) and the British Airways Medical Advisory Service (01276 685040).
Egypt is in the arid desert belt and is very hot during the day, cooling at night in summer and warm during the day but cold at night in winter (mid November - March). Wetsuits are necessary throughout the year, normally a one-piece 5mm in summer (or 3mm in the southern Egyptian Red Sea) and 7mm two-piece in winter. Watch for dehydration due to low humidity. Drink far more water (bottled) than usual and add salt to meals.
| Average Egyptian temperatures in °C | ||||||||||||
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| Air | 20° | 22° | 24° | 28° | 32° | 34° | 37° | 39° | 37° | 34° | 26° | 22° |
| Sea | 20° | 20° | 21° | 22° | 24° | 25° | 26° | 28° | 28° | 26° | 24° | 22° |
In Cairo and Luxor modest clothing is required. In the dive resorts, however, dress is informal. In the summer months a sun hat, sunglasses, long sleeved cotton shirt and sun block are necessary even though you may have a cool breeze at sea. When snorkelling it is advisable to wear a white tee shirt to reflect the u/v rays. In the winter months, you will need warm clothing in the evenings.
| Christmas, Easter & Half-term Supplement | ||
| 2003/2004 | Departure from | Flight Supplement |
| Christmas | 13th Dec – 5th Jan |
From £50.00 |
| Feb Half-term | 13th Feb – 20th Feb |
From £50.00 |
| Easter | 20th Mar – 7th April |
From £50.00 |
| Oct Half-term | 22nd Oct - 30th Oct |
From £50.00 |
All our liveaboards have twin berth cabins. Individuals will have to share if the boat is full. Men and women will have to share a cabin if ‘same sex’ cabins are unavailable.
Your dive equipment will be stored in a personal crate when onboard as it is more practical than using a dive bag. As space is limited in cabins we recommend using soft luggage which can be folded and stowed away.
According to 1993 Regulations all divers diving at Ras Mohamed must pay $5 per day to the Marine Conservation Fund, created to preserve this National Marine Park. This charge is only applicable to dives undertaken at Ras Mohamed and is payable on-site.
To support the upkeep of the Sharm & Marsa Shagra chamber all divers are asked to provide 1$ per diving day. This is a voluntary contribution and if you wish to support the chamber (very worthwhile!) you will be offered the opportunity to pay on the last day of your stay and the money paid will be forwarded to the chamber. This will enable the facility to be kept open.
We are frequently asked about tipping the crew and staff – how much, and in what currency. We recommend a tip of about £20 per guest or the equivalent in US Dollars or local currency for distribution amongst them.