Scuba blogger Sarah Richard joined Bateel Diver on our luxury dive trip to Egypt and reports back!
We are onto our our 11th international trip now ( number 9 and 10 organised for later this year) and we think we all deserve a huge pat on the back! Organising a luxury liveaboard is always an adventure, but all too often we will finish one, start planning another and forget to tell the world how amazing the last trip was. So this time we asked scuba dive blogger and founder of the largest female only dive community Girls that Scuba, Sarah Richard to come along and record it all for us. So here’s our latest trip through her eyes (our underwater photographer even managed to take a viral picture of her freediving with dolphins which PADI shared with millions!).
A luxury dive trip to Egypt’s Deep South
The Red Sea in Egypt is my favourite place in the world to scuba dive. My first experience diving here nearly 5 years ago left me with a life-long love affair with a country so misunderstood. So much so, that I found myself moving to Egypt a few months ago to pursue my love and passion for this ocean. Bateel Diver, a PADI 5 Star Dive Centre in Saudi Arabia, shared this love with me and invited me along for their 9th international liveaboard trip to the 'Deep South". Run by PADI Master instructor Haitham Khaiyat, the founder of Bateel Diver, these guys know their stuff when it comes to scuba travel and luxury liveaboards. However, I wasn’t quite prepared for how luxurious it would really be, after all, how many luxury dive trips have you been on? I know this was my first, and now DEFINITELY not my last!
What was the diving like?
If you haven't dived in the Red Sea before, well then quite frankly you are yet to experience some of the best coral dives of your life. Teaming with soft, hard, colourful, strange and beautiful corals, you can barely find a gap in your vision without a colour explosion. Of course, there is a lot more to the Red Sea than just the corals (cough, cough, that dolphin picture) and you never quite know what to expect next. You have to be aware of the season in Egypt though, if you coming looking for sharks, you'll have a better chance between June - September in the warmer months. Water temperature is also higher in summer, unlike on this trip (March) where we had a few cold dives. Egypt is also home to some world famous wrecks, which I'm yet to have dove, buttttt the next trip in July we are heading to Thistlegorm, Egypt's most famous wreck - among many other dive sites.
What was the luxury boat like?
To say Scuba Scene exceeded my expectations is an understatement. Never have I seen such a luxurious dive boat - and I've seen a lot. Resting there in Hurghada harbour waiting for us to make her our new home, she lead us on quite the adventure around the Red Sea with not even a slight glitch. With 13 double cabins 9 twin cabins, and 4 cabins with king size bed it sleeps a fair few guests, yet its spacious decks, salon(s) and dining area give the illusion you could be the only one on board at times. Believe me when I say this boat is simply beautiful. The standards are so high that I truly think this is one of the best liveaboards in the world, but if you don't believe me, you'll just have to come and check it out yourself (second invitation). For more photos and info check out their website.
And remember guys, you can get 15% off our next liveaboard before May 31 2017
Read the full post on girlsthatscuba.com
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