The best months to visit Egypt and come to Safaga are from February till June, and from September till November. At the beginning and the end of the year, nights can be little cold compared with day, the temperatures “going down” around 15°C.

For daily diving, the end of the spring, the summer and the autumn are recommended, because the wind can be otherwise rather strong in the bay of Safaga.

For safari diving, all the months have their interest according to the chosen route: privilege the end of spring and autumn to have more chances to cross Pelagic, during summer months the water is warmer so it is a great opportunity to meet dolphins and fauna of cliff (and always with Pelagic!). The wrecks of the North are visible all year round. Contact us to plan the best time for your stay, according to your expectations.

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Health

No vaccination is compulsory in Egypt: it is however recommended to be up to a date of its vaccination Diphtheria-Tetanus, Polio. Vaccines against the Hepatitis A and Typhoid are recommended too.

It is highly inadvisable to drink the tap water, or to consume fruits and vegetables without appropriate preparation (fresh fruit juice, fresh vegetables, not peeled fruits, ice cubes etc.).

It’s preferable to eat food well done (fishes, meats) and think to hydrate yourself (from 2 to 4 liters of water every day). Don’t forget to take your own first-aid kit as well as medicine against diarrheas.

Administrative formalities

All foreigners arriving in Egypt should have a valid passport (with at least 6 months left before expiry) to apply for a visa. French and Belgian citizens can also enter Egypt with a valid ID card (less than 10 years old and at least 6 months left before expiry), a copy of their ID card and 2 color pictures.

You have to possess a tourist visa to stay in Egypt. The visa is simply a stamp that you buy from the visa office, at the port of entry just before the immigration booth. The visa cost around $25 (around 24€) and after buying it, you just stick in any empty page on your passport, then stand in line to get your passport stamped by the immigration officer.
At the Airport, a member of our team will wait outside the airport with a United Divers sign to transfer by air-conditioned minibus to Safaga (about 45 minutes from Hurghada) or Marsa Alam (about 3h30 from Hurghada).

Insurance

Hospitals and doctors can be expensive in Egypt. Don’t forget to consider a travel insurance covering medical expenses and repartition on medical grounds. Check out if this insurance is included in the cost of your trip (verify with your travel agency), or with your bank if you settle your stay by credit card.

For the scuba diving, you can have your own insurance (DAN) and you can obtain an additional insurance with the association DECO INTERNATIONAL through our diving center. Valid 3 weeks, this insurance will cover the cost of healing in the chamber of recompression (available on Safaga, El Gouna). Without this insurance, even if you have the travel insurance, the expenses of recompression will be to settle before any intervention.

Money

The national currency in Egypt is the Egyptian Pound (EGP), with an exchange rate about 50 EGP for 1 Euro (see www.xe.com for current change).

United Divers and the largest shops also accepts Euro or US dollar (bank note) but for small purchases local currency will be more favorable to you. Remember that usually prices in Eqypt are negotiable!

Diving rules

Recreational diving is limited to 40 meters with no decompression in the Red Sea

Deeper than 40 meters and deco dives can be made only with the adequate certifications and equipment

Three equipments are compulsory by Law in Egypt, and must be carried by each diver at all time: a light, a mirror and a surface marker Buoy (SMB).

A safety tank is hanging below the boat during each dive

Orange parachute should be used for surface signaling and safety stop platform purposes. The use of a yellow parachute should only be limited to emergency situations

Recall procedures during dives, close to and far from the boat will be recalled during the 1st day briefing

Diving equipment hire