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.

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). Since 2017 there is no day-light saving time anymore in Egypt.

At present no inoculations are required to travel to Egypt. Best advice when traveling 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 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, Marsa Alam 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 Marsa Alam , a lot of other water sports, excursions and activities are available.

Flights to Marsa Alam Hurghada
There are several daily/weekly direct ( charter ) flights from most European countries. The flight time is between 4 and 6 hours (depending on the country of departure) International flights come through Cairo with Egyptair. Domestic Flights take around 1 hrs. to Hurghada airport and 1 1/2 hrs to Marsa Alam airport . The transfer from the airport Marsa Alam to the different Hotels in the area takes about 1/2 to 1 hrs, from Hurghada airport 3 1/2 hrs.

Transfer
The resort is about 30 minutes drive away from the international airport Marsa Alam. The distance from the international airport Hurghada to the Oasis is 270 km.
The transfer takes around 3 hours on good roads along the beautiful coast of the Red Sea. If you booked a package holiday with a tour operator your transfer to the hotel is usually included. We can arrange private transfers to and from the airports in Marsa Alam and Hurghada to our resort for you!

The “The Oasis Dive Resort” and diving center is located 25 km north of Marsa Alam on a private beach stretching along the Red Sea coast.

Best option for sure is to stay in our own resort and diving center “The Oasis Dive Resort“ But there are several 3 to 5 star hotels close by to chose from. 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. But even if you don’t, we are able to arrange your diving needs when you show up on the counter.

We 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 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 Dec. and Jan. During the winter (Nov. – Apr.) the air temperature is around 18-max. 25 C . In Jan / Feb night temperatures can drop to 10 C. In the summer (May - Oct.) air reaches 40 C. Humidity is generally very low so even 45 C in the peak summer month are not real uncomfortable.

Water temperatures varies from 27°C - 30°C in the summer to a lowest of 21 °C in winter.

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 or even a shorty 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.

What marine life might I see ?
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 Elphinstone reef and .Shab abu Dabbab. Only in some of the dive sites around Marsa Alam one have the chance to encounter the rarely seen Dugong.

Marsa Alam is a tourist destination with visitors from around the globe. The people are 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.