Diving holidays in Makadi bay Egypt

Posted by admin | Posted in Africa | Posted on 13-06-2011

Makadi Bay Red Sea is part of the Red Sea on the Egyptian coast. It has crystal clear, turquoise water that offers a spectacular diving experience for the beginner as well as the more experienced. The diving area includes Hurghada to the north and Safaga to the south. There are coral gardens, walls with gorgonian fans and some world famous sites such as Abu Kafan, the Panorama reef and the wreck of the Salem Express.
Makadi Bay offers 60 different dive sites some of which are reachable by boat in five minutes and others about three hours away.

The Panorama reef is an enormous coral formation with several walls that drop over 200m. There are also many Gorgonian and soft corals, overhangs and grottoes as well as Jacks, Barracuda, Dolphins, Grey Reef and Silver tip sharks. Occasionally, the diver may encounters Oceanic white tip sharks, Manta rays and Hammerhead sharks.

Wreck diving in Makadi Bay requires an internationally recognized diving certificate and log book. There is a wide range of wrecks in the Red Sea of different types of ships and from different times in history. The Salem Express was a passenger ferry that collided with the Hyndman Reef late at night on December 17, 1991. It is a controversial dive site because over 500 perished. Now the wreck is supporting thriving underwater life including a famous frogfish.

Along with the amazing reefs and wrecks there is abundant marine life that accompanies divers in their exploration. Turtles, eagle and manta rays, Napoleon wrasse, dolphins, stonefish, shrimp and ghost pipefish join the frogfish to swim with the divers.

After diving there are fabulous restaurants and bars for relaxation as well as many other activities including windsurfing, canoeing, sailing, tennis, golf and volleyball to name a few. Most hotels have a spa for gentle rejuvenation, swimming pools and playgrounds for the children. Shopping in the Souk Makadi complex is an experience not to be missed. In a traditional Arabian market atmosphere, there are over 145 shops that sell traditional crafts, carpets, souvenirs and much more.

Visitors can take a one or two day trip to Luxor or Cairo during their stay at Makadi Bay, so they don’t miss any of the ancient world for which Egypt is most famous. There is an 18 hole Gary Player golf course, diving schools for the novice and a Yellow Submarine that will take you to 20m to view the reefs. Visitors can also experience the desert on quad bikes, camels, sand buggies and jeeps. There are packages that offer a dinner and show under the incredible starlit sky.

Makadi Bay has a lot to offer anyone looking for a diving holiday. With its rich coral reef system and other diving options the experienced diver will have plenty to see. Novices can enroll in diving schools for scuba diving beginner certification to professional courses as well as technical diving. The Makadi Bay marine area is a protected area and the diving centers follow environmentally friendly procedures. It’s the perfect place to enjoy both the life under the sea and on the white sandy beach.