The visitor's permit / visa for Egypt can be obtained for European nationals at the airport on arrival for a fee of approximately US$ 25. All visitors must have a valid passport with at least six months left on it. Children do need their own passports.
Sinai Visa regulations: Upon arrival at Sharm El Sheikh International Airport, you will be asked if you need a "Sinai only" visa or a "full Egypt" one. If you plan on staying in Sinai (Sharm El Sheikh/Dahab/Nuweiba/Taba, St. Catherine monastery then you only need the Sinai one. If you plan on visiting Cairo, diving the S.S Thistlegorm or crossing any borders then you need the "Full Egypt" one at 25 USD/person. If you enter the country from Israel, special procedures apply.
Cash in US Dollars, Euros, Swiss Francs or Pounds Sterling are commonly accepted. Most hotels and banks will change money for you provided you have your passport for identification. Exchange rates will vary so shop around. Credit cards can be used at many shops and restaurants. Cash machines to withdraw money by credit card are also available.
The official language is Arabic. English, German, Italian and Russian are all widely spoken.
Egypt Standard Time is 2 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+2). Egypt operates Daylight-Saving Time between the last Friday in April and the last Thursday in September when the clocks are 3 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+3).
At present no inoculations are required to travel to Egypt. Best advice when travelling to Egypt is to avoid eating raw greens and ice in your drinks. We would recommend to use local specific medication to deal with diarrhea / digestive. Pharmacies do sell most medication without a prescription. Sun protection is essential and due to the high air temperatures is very important to take care of sufficient fluid intake. A minimum of 3 ltr. of fluid (ideally water) per day is advisable. There are several medical facilities and Hospitals in Sharm el Sheikh, Dahab, Hurghada and Marsa Alam.
Any diving related accidents or injuries will be treated in modern decompression chambers with a 24 hour call-out service .The chamber doctors speak several languages and have special training in hyperbaric medicine
Without a doubt, Sharm el Sheikh is one of the best diving destinations in the world. It has always been a beautiful place, but never before has it been as famous and comfortable as it is today. Many years ago a diving trip was real adventure. Today, visitors are offered a variety of adventures and luxurious four and five star hotels. Though diving is still one of the main attractions in Sharm el Sheikh, a lot of other water sports, excursions and activities are available.
Flights to Sharm el Sheikh
There are several daily/weekly direct ( charter ) flights from most European countries. The flight time is between 4 and 7 hours (depending on the country of departure) International flights come through Cairo with Egyptair. Domestic Flights take around 1 hrs. to Sharm el Sheikh airport. The transfer from the airport to Dahab takes about 1 1/2 hrs.
Transfer
We can arrange transfers to and from Sharm el Sheikh airport to your hotel for you! If you booked a package holiday with a tour operator your transfer to the hotel is included.
The Diving Center ist located in the heart of Naama Bay, just a few meters away from the boats pier, directly on the beach of the Helnan Marina Hotel.
Accommodation ranges from 3 to 5 star hotels , guesthouses and villas. Contact us and let us know what you have in mind. We will recommend places we usually work with and are close by to the center to minimize your transfer time and according to your Budget.
If you travel from a European country we do advice to book your Flight, Hotel and transfers with a tour operator. Their package deals are usually much cheaper than booking Hotel and flights separate. Benefit from a better rate when you Pre book your Diving packages and diving Courses directly with us . Please simply email us on info@sinaidivers.com We will do our best to answer your query within 24 hours of receiving it. In case you don't hear from us, please check your e-mail spam folder. To take advantage of the lower pre-paid prices, you need to send us your final booking latest 48 hours prior arrival in Egypt. Even if you don’t pre-book , we are able to arrange your diving needs when you show up on the counter.
InsuranceWe recommend that all travelers take out insurance to cover cancellation, lost or stolen luggage and medical or hospital costs. Divers are
advised to join DAN, Aquamed or a similar organization.
We dive all year round . The winter ( mid Nov. to end of March ) is not to warm but less crowded than the popular summer season.
The weather in Egypt is the typical dry desert climate with sunshine all year round and possible rainfall (few hours during 3-4 days) usually in December and January. During the winter (November – April) the air temperature is around 18° max. 25° C . In January and February night temperatures can drop to 10°C. In the summer (May - October) air reaches 40°C. Humidity is generally very low so even 45° C in the peak summer month are not real uncomfortable.
The average water temperature in the winter is about 21°C and about 27°C with a max. of 29 C in the summer months.
What are the water temperatures?
Water temperatures varies from a max. of 28 °C in the summer to a lowest of 20 °C in winter. Storms are rather seldom.
What wetsuit should I bring?
Depending on your personal sensitivity we recommend a 5-7mm wetsuit or semi-dry suit for the winter season, especially when doing a third dive. A hooded vest is useful as well. It is also advisable to take a hooded sweatshirt with you since it can be quite windy in winter. During the summer season a 3-5mm wetsuit is sufficient. Gloves are not really needed and are actually forbidden by the National Park regulations.
Do you rent diving equipment?
We have the full range of diving gear for rent. All sizes of 5 mm top or long John wetsuits and full 5 mm one piece for colder water temperatures. We do recommend to have your own mask that you know fits you well. If you wear prescription glasses make sure that you either get some contact lenses or a prescription mask.
There are approx. 1250 species of marine life - fish, flora, fauna which inhabit the Red Sea. The most popular are clown fish, moray, turtle, napoleon and parrot fish. The chances to encounter schools of pelagic and sightings of sharks are always possible specially in areas like Ras Mohamed, Straits of Tiran and in the South.
Sharm el Sheikh ist a major tourist destination with visitors from around the globe. The people easy going,Egyptians and foreigners alike. But Islam is still very present and it is expected to show respect and modesty especially the way you dress. One should avoid to tight and to exposed clothing. Topless on the beaches is forbidden and changing openly in public after a dive is a no-no.
