Southern Dive Villages

[molly]

Hi folks,
I'm thinking of booking to go the wadi shagra/nakari dive villages with Oonas in the middle/end of september, been several livaboards and day boat hols in Hurghada and sharm, but never tried shore diving.
I'm looking for a more relaxed informal diving hol, where i can spend as much time diving /snorkeling as i please, and when i want, ( i realise they have 2 dives a day where the trucks take u further affield) but what i want to know is are the house reefs all they are cracked up to be?
Any info would be a great boon (i have already read the dive village fact sheet)
I am also considering taking the tent accomodation, as money's a bit tight, first hand experience would be great, if anyone has gone this way before

thanks
Mandy

[keith]

Mandy,

I can thoroughly recommend the Southern Dive Villages. I have been there several times and always stay in a tent, at first because there is no singles supplement but latterly because I find I prefer a tent on the beach to a hotel. It is obviously basic but if you dont mind that I find it is great fun. The entertainment is all self made, no discos or bars, but although I always travel alone I have always found plenty of good company. There was one drawback on my last visit in May when the noise from a recently built hotel's disco drifted over the water and kept everyone awake till about 1 a.m.

The diving is first class, the visibility 20-30 metres plus and the water temperature about 29*.
The truck dives are all worth going on and the house reef is very good - it is mainly used for night diving and the snorkelling is excellent. Instructors and guides and all the rest of the staff are very friendly and helpful. You must go on the Dolphin Reef truck dive to Nakari, about $32, where you can swim with a local pod of about 50 Spinner Dolphins.

As you can see I am an enthusiast but I am not the only one. I have met a dozen or more people who have been there more often than me. Another nice touch is that last time I was there I buddied with Alison from Oonas Divers who was doing a regular check on the staff and facilities.

You should definitely go. You wont regret it.

[molly]

Thanks Keith,
Just had a look at your site, well impressed, a great read as well!

could i ask a few more questions? In the tent ,what hight are the beds?, got a bit of a back prob. so not keen on too low a bed.
I will be going with frogfone who intend to take their training there, how strict are the dive guides about buddy pairs? i quite like to stay shallow with my camera and most buddies not keen to stay in one place too long.
Any tips on what to take with us, is it worthwhile taking duty free booze (Roddy likes a few), and is there a decent duty free at marsa alam airport, or is it best to buy at gatwick.
sorry for the hundred and one questions, but forarmed and all that!
Mandy

[keith]

Mandy,

I am not sure about the height of the beds but I seem to remember my thighs being parallel with the ground when sitting down so I guess that would make the height about 18"-20". Since hard mattresses are supposed to be good for back problems you should be OK.

I know what you mean about buddies and photography but do not understand what you mean by their strictness with buddy pairs. If you mean are they strict on not diving alone then yes although I did see one man dive alone. As for the photography it will be just pot luck whether or not the buddy will want to hang about. I have met quite a few divers at Marsa Shagra who actually enjoy examining a small area so I suppose it is a question of asking around. It sounds as though you are my kind of diver.

If you are looking for the hard stuff then take it with you from Gatwick, I was not impressed with Marsa Alam shopping. However beer is available on site at Shagra.

Have a good trip and let me know what you think when you return.

On the 8th September I am off to Zanzibar to dive at the Mnemba atoll and stay at Matemwe Bungalows. It sounds idyllic.

[molly]

thanks Keith,
enjoy your diving.
Mandy

[Mrs H]

Keith

Are you able to fly from the uk into kenya now and onto the island, or are you going a different route? Andy and I are very keen to go to Zanzibar but the idea of having to faff about to get there puts me off. Also what jabs do you need to go, is it yellow fever free?

The diving is meant to be exceptional. Let us know :D

Molly

I would also like to know how you get on with the shore diving of the south side. We are planning another trip to the red sea in October (yes I am a spolit madam, 3 diving holidays in 1 year :D ) and we might go for the south side for a change. Otherwise it's back to the Orchid for another week.

[keith]

Mrs H,

I booked a flight on Swissair to Dar Es Salaam via Zurich and a local flight to Zanzibar on Zanair. I dont know whether you can go via Kenya, it never occured to me to look.

As Tanzania is a yellow fever zone you need the jab to get to Zanzibar. As for other jabs it depends to some extent what you intend to do; i.e. adding a safari to the trip maybe.

Diptheria and Tetanus long stay visitors and rural travel
Polio recommended
Hepatitus A recommended
Hepatitus B for extended travel or high risk
Typhoid recommended
Meningitis long stay visitors and rural travel
Rabies long stay visitors and rural travel

Fortunately most of my jabs were up to date from my safari days.

Anti malaria tablets are a must but dont get Lariam as the side effects include bad dreams and nightmares, out of body experiences, mental problems, madness etc - just what you need at 30 metres! My chemist was surprised when I mentioned these side effects but found them officially listed in his book when he checked.

I'll let you know what its like when I get back. At the moment the excitement is building as I go one week tomorrow.

[molly]

:D :D :D just booked the holiday for the 24th Sept. Ooooooooo getting all excited now :lol:
will report back when we return :rolleyes:
thanks
Mandy

[molly]

:D well, just back from a great hol. at marsa shagra, :rolleyes: and i can thoughourly recomend it. especially the dolphin house dive and snorkel with dolphins!! :wub: snorkeling with a wild pod of spinner dolphins, 30-40 with babies in tow EXCELLENT!! :wub: :wub: the diving was pretty good as well :D :D , saw a shark most days :ph34r: , with turtles thrown in for good measure :lol: , lots of hard corals and clams to make you weep!! :unsure: not to mention the fish! :P
the diving is easy, with a choice of total shore diving or being taken out in a rib returning under your own steam or being picked up again. also the choice of two shore dives further affield via the trucks, very down to earth but enjoyable.
I went for the tent option, no problem exept a bit airless, major encouragement for that early morning dive!! Frogfone had one of the lodges, a lot more airy, with a nice breeze blowing thru. we now have 2 new divers to add the the ranks :D .
the only supprise was that now everything seems to be quoted in euros, so if u are planning a trip don't bother with dollars.
Will post some picies when they get developed
Mandy

[keith]

Glad to see there is another convert to the Southern Red Sea Villages.

As far as I am concerned it is the best diving available.

I am recently back from Zanzibar where I had a great time. The bungalows were basic but comfortable, the food excellent, including tea or coffee on the beach at 0630, and the staff first class. The surroundings were excellent and the beach was to die for. The dive staff were excellent and very caring and safety conscious. They were so jealous of their equipment that they insisted on setting up your tanks and doing the buddy checks themselves with the idea that it is their equipment nand their hotels good name so they were taking no chances. At the end of a dive they again took over the equipment and at the end of the day insisted on washing it themselves.

I must say though that I was not impressed by the diving. It was mostly drift diving and there was a remarkable paucity of corals. This may possibly be due to the Crown of Thorns Starfish I saw but the manager said if it was corals I wanted I would be better off going to Stone Town. However I spoke to someone who had dived there and they said the visibility was only 5 metres compared to the 20-40 metres further north.

I got my best pictures while snorkelling although on one 30 metre dive we did come across 30 green turtles. Oh and one White Tipped Reef Shark in the distance!!

As an end of safari or Kilimanjaro climb chill out it is ideal and the honeymoon suite is out of this world but I would not go back just for the diving.

[molly]

keith, glad u enjoyed your hols, pity about the diving though <_< .
I forgot to say that the Italians are still sending out disco music thru the night, so remember the earplugs :rolleyes: , i forgot mine, but not too much of a problem as tiredness claimed me fairly quickly most nights :D .
won't deter me though, will definetely be back! :D