Best livaboard in the Red Sea?

Can you recommend a really nice livaboard in the Red Sea? I plan to go to Israel in mid-August and I would like to hop over to the Sinai for a once-in-a-lifetime livaboard trip. It has to be really comfortable or my girlfriend will not get on. Any suggestions?

Tovy

A few friends of my where on the Sea Queen I on a live aboard to the sought of Egypt and Ras Mohamed and really enjoyed it.

There is a company in Israel that organizes it so you can arrange it from there.

I'll try to find the email of them tomorrow in the other computer.

If the Oyster is operational again I would strongly reccommend it.

Arnon, thank you so much for you help. Also, is there a top dive resort in Eilat that you recommend that combines a nice hotel and dive facilities? I checked out your photos on your site and they are amazing. Any info on the livaboard that you recommended and flights to get there would be very helpful. Thanks, Tov

Question. If you are about to board, and your girlfriend looks at it and decides not to get on because it is not comfortable enough, will you get on?

I stayed at the Hilton in Taba (right over the border from Eilat) and did some decent diving from there last year. Not as good as the liveaboards or Sharm though.

Jeff

I just sent you PM with the operator details.

As for Eilat, sea a recent thread in this forum about diving there.

Let me know when you arrived, If it will possible I'll be happy to dive with you (I quit familiar with that area) since my buddy can't dive this days.

Ali Baba is the man to dive with in the Red Sea. He is an amazing dive guide. Read about him here.

I believe he currently works on the Royal Evolution.

The Red Sea is a different place with the magic of Ali Baba.

-orhan

I was priviledged to meet Ali about 4 years ago; alas only socially, not to dive with.

He is truely an inspiration; all that the article descibes - plus a wicked sense of humour!

Even more amazing is the fact he can speak (and lip-read) in numerous languages!!!

Ali is quite a star, though when another of his mates in a nearby dive boat wants a chat he has to collar a punter to repeat the shouted comments from the other boat.

And don't filter out the swear words, he seems notice somehow !

Paul C

Ali Baba is indeed the best guide I have met in Egypt, identifiable by the "Evolution" T-shirt that he cajoled from me last year! He has the most wicked ability to detect and then act your your most embarrassing habits, so watch out!

However, "Evolution" is not the only boat, and the real key to the Red Sea is "go south!". Some friends have just been to the Sudan, and are just blown away by the fish, the sharks and the lack of other divers that plague the north.

I would recommend any of the big boats from Tony Backhurst Scuba's website, which is a good place to start looking, but I haven't found an Aggressor hot tub in the Red Sea yet.

Images from "Grand Sea Serpent", inspired by Ali Baba:

Tim

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