Hi all,

I'm looking for a hotel/resort recommendation in Egypt for vacation with the family (wife and a ~1 year old). We've been to the Azores which we did like very much, but commuting to the dive center and then going out with the RIB has been very time consuming.

Hence, I'm looking for something with a nice house reef where I can dive solo after the check dive (solo certified) for photography and according to our family schedule.

For the solo diving: sometimes a bit a difficult topic, some resorts accept it but don't want to have it public. If that would be the case, happy to receive a PM and keep it confidential, would then reach out to the resort/dive center beforehand.

Not looking for any specific scenes or animals, just want to get 10-14 days around new years with some sun, clear water and something to photograph.

For the resort, doesn't need to be fancy but should be clean, and if there is some kind of playground for the toddler, that'd be perfect. The smaller the better.

Appreciate any hints and suggestions!

Best,

Fabian

Dahab has a well developed Tech scene, I have a sense you may find what you're looking for there. I don't have recommendation but you should check the centers there. It's also a very relaxed location, and i remember it fondly (i used to freedive there).

The reef was nice, but i suspect most of the diving there is blue hole related. Ask the dive shops :)

Edited September 2Sep 2 by waterpixel

I can recommend Mangrove Bay Resort and Rohanou Resort. I have been there multiple times. I find the housereefs perfect for UW photographers (in Mangrove Bay I repeatedly have met renowned UW-photographers). These resorts are, however, pretty simple, but everything I and Lisi need is there. I believe that non-divers/snorkelers will be bored to death. I would not go with family there...

Bigger and with (little) more possibilities for non-divers is Utopia Beach Resort, that also has a nice housereef (I still would not go there with family)...

If I would go with family (children and grandchildren), I would go to Akassia Swiss Resort. This is a huge resort, quite luxurious (still little money for us) and plenty of possibilities for non-divers. The speciality is that the housereef is a real drop-off. It is the only occasions in Egypt I know, where divers can make night-dives at a real drop-off and Spanish dancers are almost guaranteed (I have been once there for that reason). The drop-off means, however, that the housereef is often closed, when the weather is not optimal, but they have a protected alternative diving site for such conditions and divers are brought there by jeep...

One must say that the bleaching events in 2023 and more in 2024 did a lot of harm to the corals at the housereefs (also number of fishes and biodiversity declined with the corals; only positive side is that nudies went up (I have been to Rohanou and Utopia in March 2025 and was close to weeping (really - no bad joke!))), but the outside diving spots reached by Zodiak or dayboat are in better condition)...

Wolfgang

P.S.: In the 80ies and 90ies I have been quite often at the Sinai, near Sharm el Sheik. Already at the end of the 90ies it was not worth any more. In 2022 we have been to Dahab and we will never come back. I had zero urge to visit the blue hole: it was visible from our hotel and one could see the masses of people diving and swimming there with plastic animals, playing waterball etc..., like a public bath in summer. I fear diving on Sinai today only lifes from the times gone long ago.

Only exception are photograper Safaries to Ras Muhammed, Strait of Tiran and the wrecks in gulf of Suez, when the operator carefully selects the route and the times to avoid meeting other Safari boats (there are quite many). I remember e.g. a workshop with Alex Mustard few years ago where we had the Thistlegorm for two days just for our boat alone. But this is something you do not want to do with family..

Edited September 6Sep 6 by Architeuthis

Dear @Architeuthis , thank you so much for your extensive answer, this is waaaay more than what I was hoping for 🙏🙏🙏 I'll check out the resorts together with the family!

Actually, Mangrove Bay has been my first diving vacation, and been there three times (before I decided to ruin my finances with underwater photography). Did love the diving very much and agree, not the greatest for non-divers / -snorklers. I'll try to squeeze in a vacation there on my own so I can more or less live in the house reef directly 😁

When I am with Lisi at Mangrove Bay, we spend up to >6h/day net UW...😊

Since January 1st 2025 is a new diving center in Mangrove Bay: https://infinitydivingsafari.com/en/mb-e/

The former owners (Duck Divers (Essam, Marianne and Karim)) have moved to the Rohanou Resort at exactly the same date.

Better to ask the new owners about the solo diving in advance...

Edited September 7Sep 7 by Architeuthis

I am not sure, if you could recommend mangrove bay anymore. I heard there was a lot of damage in the reef after some raining.

The south was overall in a bad shape. My last tour in july down to elba riff was really sad for me.

Edited September 9Sep 9 by rachid

Maybe Makadi bay is an idea? The house riff is nice and safe from the winds.

3 hours ago, rachid said:

I am not sure, if you could recommend mangrove bay anymore. I heard there was a lot of damage in the reef after some raining.

The south was overall in a bad shape. My last tour in july down to elba riff was really sad for me.

I think you may mean this here: https://travel.padi.com/dive-resort/egypt/wadi-lahami-village-red-sea-diving-safari-wadi-lahami-village/

This Resort is also well known for housereef diving and is located in a wadi. In autumn 2023 there was heavy rainfall and the wadi flooded the reef that is widely destroyed now...

There is no wadi in Mangrove Bay, but the bleaching affected the corals to some extend (I just heared it, I did not dive there after the bleaching)...

On 9/9/2025 at 2:46 PM, Architeuthis said:

I think you may mean this here: https://travel.padi.com/dive-resort/egypt/wadi-lahami-village-red-sea-diving-safari-wadi-lahami-village/

This Resort is also well known for housereef diving and is located in a wadi. In autumn 2023 there was heavy rainfall and the wadi flooded the reef that is widely destroyed now....

Oh! Yes, you are right. The heavy rainfall was not in Mangrove bay.

I am sorry, there was a discussion in a german threads about the Hotel and some changed the topic to the waadi flooding. That Was the reasoning for my confusion.

Red Sea Diving Safaris camp Marsa Shagra is good. My kids practically grew up there (ok, a tiny exaggeration 🙂 …). But been 5-6 times with them from around 4-5 to … 22. Now a one year old will not enjoy snorkeling, but it is chill and nothing to do but dive, sleep, eat, read… Excellent house reef with unlimited diving. Go solo if you're solo cert’d or if they know you well. Walk in from shore or take a reef taxi (zodiacs with driver at your disposal). Two trips every morning to Elphinstone (15-20 minute ride) 7:00 and 10:00. Good chance for various shark sightings depending on time of year—has gotten too crowdwed with big liveaboards tho inmo. Still nice. There’re a few different options for rooms, from tents to bungalows.

Good and plenty of food buffet style.