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Specialties: The Great Pyramids and Mount Sinai, Colorful
Coral and Marine Life, Wreck Diving.
Egypt lies
between the continents of Europe, Asia and Africa. In stark
contrast to the surrounding desert and mountains, the Red Sea
is rated as one of the world’s best diving sites because of
its abundance of colors. The Red Sea offers remote and
uncrowded diving conditions with calm warm waters, few
currents, and dive sites close to shore.
The Red Sea was formed when the giant tectonic
plates underlying Africa and Asia parted. Seven countries
border the Red Sea, but only Egypt, Israel and Jordan cater to
dive tourism. Of the three, Egypt boasts the most coastline
and the easiest access to the Red Sea dive sites. The country
has two major dive regions, Sharm El Sheikh (The Bay of the
Sheik) at the tip of the Sinai Peninsula and Hurghada on the
central Red Sea coast. The Red Sea is 1200 miles long, 220
miles wide and up to 10,000 feet deep in some places.
Surrounded by desert, the Red Sea contains the northernmost
fully developed reef system on the planet and boasts a
diversity of more than 1,000 fish and 500 species of hard and
soft corals, and thousands of invertebrates with colors of
infinite variety, texture and pattern. Divers can experience
the abundant reef life, sharks, rays, turtles, lemon
butterflyfish, barracuda, as well as shallow coral gardens,
deep vertical walls, and large intact shipwrecks.
Cairo is the capital and an
international city of 18 million. The three great pyramids of
Giza and the Sphinx are the main tourist attractions.
Travelers can ride by camel around the pyramids, rent a boat
and sail up the Nile, or take an excursion from The Sinai to
the colored canyons of Wadi Kid and the Ain Khudra oasis.
Excursions are offered to Mount Sinai, where Christians
believe God delivered the Ten Commandments to Moses. The
Sinai is also the home of St. Catherine's Monastery, where
monks still practice century-old traditions.
Best
Diving Months: Year-round, although from December to
March daytime highs reach mid 70°F.
Water
Temperature: Water temperatures range from 77 °F to 86°F
during the year. The Red Sea has a high salt content so divers
have increased buoyancy and will need additional weights.
Underwater Visibility:
With the lack of regular fresh-water runoff, the excellent
visibility is in excess of 100 feet.
Airport
Info: Cairo or Tel Aviv with connecting flights to
Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh
Documents and Customs Regulations: A passport and visa
are required. All travelers should have a round-trip or
onward ticket.
Language:
Arabic, English is widely understood in larger cities, and
some French is spoken.
Health:
Drink bottled water only and lots of it to stay hydrated in
the arid climate. Food and vegetables that have been cooked or
peeled are safe to eat, all others are suspect. There are no
drug stores in Egypt so bring any medications you might need
with you. No major vaccinations are required for travel to
Egypt although a hepatitis A vaccination is recommended for
long stays.
Climate:
Distinct winter and summer seasons, with a short spring and
fall. The hot weather begins in May with average temperatures
of 97°F. Desert air can exceed 110°F. Even in the summer,
Egypt’s temperatures are bearable due to the low rainfall and
dry air. The desert and the sea cool rapidly at night, so
bring a sweater or light jacket as a precaution. Winter is
from December to March.
Government: A Presidential Republic with a cabinet and a
People’s Assembly.
Electrical Current: 220 volts, 50 cycles AC and not
compatible with American appliances. Converters are
necessary.
Current Weather:
Get
current weather from Weather.com
Currency:
The
Egyptian Pound (EGP).
Get current exchange
rate from XE.com
Current Time:
Egypt (GMT +3).
Get current time from WorldTimeServer.com
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