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C-Life Ltd invite you to an exclusive weeks diving holiday in Marsa Alam (5km from Marsa Alam International Airpot built 2001), is the paragon of the paradisiacal seafronts in Egypt on th Red Sea coast. Marsa Alam is the gateway to the exciting Southern Red Sea and its myriad pristine reefs. Included in your package is; | ||||
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Iberotel Coraya Beach 5* Resort
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breakfast, dinner, transfers, 5 days diving with 3 days shore and 2 days boat diving, tanks and weights. FREE 32% NITROX ALL WEEK.
Built in typical Nubian style the lush gardens contrast beautifully with the surrounding desert. The bay itself is just 10 minutes north of the airport and Port Ghalib. The 364 rooms have either sea or garden views. (Sea view upgrade @£75) Each is fully air-conditioned, en-suite, hairdryer, refrigerator, safe, telephone, satelite TV with a balcony or terrace. Breakfast is served in the main restaurant, while there’s also a selection of bars & al a carte restaurants. There are two swimming pools and a gymnasium.Whatever you choose to do with your time, Iberotel Coraya Beach Resort is certainly the perfect getaway for a relaxed and carefree holiday like nowhere else!|
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Diving with Coraya Divers Centre - Marsa Alam
Marsa Alam has many great and varied prestine dive sites from shallow seagrass Turtle havens at Abu Dabab, Pods of Dolphins at Dolphin House, to drop offs from Elphinstone Reef. The week will comprise of a variety of sites to cater recretional and technical divers from a hard boat.  Elphinstone Reef
lies close to Egyptian mainland, however it has all the characteristics of an offshore marine park. Then north plateau drops down to around 50+m. Strong currents can run through this dive site which bring in numbers of white tip, grey reefs, occasional hammerheads and of course most famous for the Oceanic white tip. As well as the big palegics there is plenty to see on the reef walls. Anthias, squirrel fish, masked butterfly fish, scorpion fish, cornet fish and napoleon wrasse all inhabit the reef. At the south plateau there is a deep archway at 55m. Threshers are often seen around the arch. Elphinstone has become famous for the Oceanic white tips that are there throughout sept-april. A fantastic dive site but has a tendency to get busy from the day boats.  Dolphin House A large horseshoe-shaped reef creates a shallow, turquise lagoon that is frequented by a pod of around 60 spinner dolphins. The diving here typically takes place between 10-15m on the southwest tip of the main reef. There is a fantastic network of caves and tunnels and a carpet of seagrass that hides moray eels, leopard groupers, goatfish, lionfish, masked butterflyfish and more including Dennis the Dugong at one of the shore dive sites.  Abu Dabab Is an area of mainly seagrass at a depth of 12-20m. Giant Turtles happily eat away and do not usually shy away from the occasional diver. If you are lucky the Dugongs also feed hear and sitings are possible. But these creatures are more camera shy. 
 Day 1 - 2 dives on the house reef (first dive from the jetty and second dive from small RIB inc) Day 2 - 2 dives by Hard boat (for example Abu Saile) + €10 Day 3 - 2 dives by Hard boat ( for example Elphinstone) + €25 Day 4 - 2 dives by Power RIB inc a night dive + €10 Day 5 - 2 dives in Dolphin House by Hard boat + €40 Day 6 - FREE DAY for an excursion Day 7 - Fly home in the evening, leave hotel 4pm This is just an example of a weeks itinerary we have asked the Dive Centre to produce. But we can use the Power RIBS more and save our cash for the Elphinstone and Dolphin House special trips and use one of the Hard Boats.
Abu Dabab (Shore Diving) € 20 supp (extra to daily diving rate) *Incl. Park Fee & lunch* *Dolphin House National Park Entrance Fee €15 per visit Upgrades are extra and subject to min of 5 divers and weather conditions - supplements are to be paid in resort. All prices are subject to availability at the time of booking. Dives do NOT have to be on consecutive days and you can do 3 house reef dives a day if you wish. NOTE - The next recompression chamber is located in Marsa Shagra, 30 km south of the diving center.
Marsa Mubarak
The largest and most versatile dive site accessible from Port Ghalib offers seven wildly different diving experiences offering the chance to see everything from puffer fishes to dugongs, giant green sea turtles to trunk fishes and everything in-between. Offering sea grass, pinnacles, coral gardens and reef walls this dive site offers a change of seeing just about all the flora and fauna the Red Sea has to offer. Marsa Shouni Kebir Offering some of the most picturesque dive sites in the southern Red Sea, the "Large Bay of the Market" is probably most famous for the massive variety of rays that call its sea grass plane home. Eagle, leopard, feather-tail, grey and thorny rays are all regularly spotted alongside a large school of golden trevallies and a menagerie of different snake eels. Turtles are abundant here and there is a great chance to meet "George", a giant green sea turtle who sleeps in the same spot most mornings on the South Reef. Ras El Torfa (Abu Syel) A protected area for mooring along the dynamic fringing reef offers three very different dives with incredible topography and stunning corals, the highlight being and enormous ball of rock and coral perched at the end of an enormous coral tongue. Its location encourages pelagic and schooling fishes in enormous schools and white tip reef sharks and even mantas have been spotted here. Marsa Shouni Soraya The "Small Bay of the Market" has a distinctive shape giving a variety of dive sites ideal for new and experienced divers alike as well as a sheltered lagoon where baby eagle rays have been regularly spotted. The signature table corals harbour a massive array of life and its reefs are teeming with shrimps, scorpion fishes and barracuda. The bay has a resident hawksbill turtle and dolphins are regular visitors, even a whale shark was recently spotted just outside. Marsa Morena The "Bay of the Moray Eel" offers several widely contrasting dives from caves to pinnacles. The unique angle of the bay encourages greater than normal water movement encouraging an abundance of life and regular eagle ray and barracuda sightings, whilst its shallow sandy plateau holds rarities like the stargazer and velvet fish as well as a wealth of soles, flounders and torpedo rays. Abu Dabab Reefs With a beautiful coral garden, dramatic cave system and a small wreck the Abu Dabab reef system truly has it all. Several large Napoleon wrasse patrol its reefs and some enormous moray eels guard its coral blocks. Its exposed northern reefs are abundant with fish attracting large pelagics including sharks. Marsa Abu Dabab A world famous selection of dive sites boasting an unbelievable number of giant turtles as well as the chance to spot Dugongs and Guitar sharks. A must for anyone visiting the southern Red Sea the bay has now closed to boats and access from the shore now offers a much more peaceful and relaxed diving experience. **Elphinstone A large cigar-shaped reef 6.5 nautical miles offshore that offers wall diving that is both exhilarating and spectacular with regular sightings of large pelagics including oceanic whitetip sharks, tuna and barracuda as well as hammerheads, napoleons and turtles; all drawn to the reef by its strong currents and abundance of fish life. The south plateau features a garden of soft corals, gorgonians and long curvy sea whips bewteen 20 and 40m. Also keep an eye out for the tresher shark. There is an archway between 50 and 65m at the south end which contains a rock looking like a sarcophagus - for Tech Divers guided only. The occasional oceanic whitetip shark can visit this site. Draped in colorful soft corals the north plateau drops in stages from 8, 25 to 40m and more. Be aware that the current is often very strong, especially at the point.  Sha'ab Samadai A short ride by bus and boat from Port Ghalib is Sha'ab Samadai, a horseshoe shaped reef known locally as Dolphin House. Offering truly spectacular diving including the awe inspiring cathedral swim-through and a remarkable collection of hard and soft coral, anemone cities and a resident napoleon wrasse this can be a highlight of your stay. The reef is also used regularly by a pod of spinner dolphins and there can be an opportunity to snorkel with them between dives.  | ||
| The desert: ferociously blazing, deeply silent, apparently empty. Majestic and imposing in its simplicity. The sea: crystalline, with its million hues of blue, its fertile, healthy marine life, unpolluted, a triumph of nature. A holiday in the area isn’t complete without a visit to the desert, whether to a natural location; to one of the unexpected, hidden historical sites scattered throughout this crossroad of civilisations that has been for centuries the Red Sea, or to the natural marvels of the sea itself. In Marsa Alam, many excursions can be done to some outstanding sights. Here is a selection of the most interesting places in the area. Ancient Emerald Mines- The emerald is the oldest known gemstone. Uniquely green in color and widely used in jewelry, emeralds were prized and cherished as symbols of eternity and power during antiquity. It is believed that Egyptian Pharaohs began mining emeralds in the mountainous area in the Eastern Desert southwest of Marsa Alam.  Later identified as the Cleopatra Mines or Mons Smaragdus (Emerald Mountains), the area became the most famous mining complex throughout the ancient world. The mines at Wadi Gimal, Wadi Sikeit, Wadi Nuqrus and Gebel Zabara were energetically exploited during the Ptolemaic and Roman periods. The mines were also worked during later centuries until left deserted after the Spaniards discovered emeralds in Columbia in 1545. Today the ruins of the Zabara and Sikeit mining settlements are still evident as well as the remains of temple structures and some old caved in mine sites. | ||
Bir Umm Fawakhir- A little to the north of Wadi Hammamat in the central part of the Eastern Desert lies a Byzantine gold mining settlement from the fifth and sixth century known today as Bir Umm Fawakhir. Around 1,000 Coptic Christians lived in this town of some 200 buildings. The gold extracted from the surrounding mountains was washed and transported to the Nile Valley for refining. Bir Umm Fawakhir's largest mine extends horizontally approximately 100 meters into the mountain and is about two meters high. Today, you can visit the site and examine the neatly laid out buildings and the ancient inscriptions etched into granite boulders at the towns guard posts. | ||
Mons Claudianus - In the parched desert between the Red Sea and the Nile lies the fascinating ruins of a Roman settlement. For over two centuries, from 68 AD to 282 AD, Mons Claudianus used the surrounding mountains to produce high quality columns and building blocks of grey granite known as granodiorite for the sole purpose of beautifying imperial Rome. Today, you can witness these magnificent objects in the Pantheon, in Hadrian's Villa and in the unfinished Temple of Venus. The largest and best-preserved Roman site in the Eastern Desert, Mons Claudianus, was once home to one thousand quarrymen and soldiers. You can still see remnants of the fortress, dwellings, workshops, stables, baths, broken granite columns and slabs. One column is an impressive 16 meters long and 2.4 meters wide, weighing 209 tons. Mons Claudianus is definitely well worth a day trip from Hurghada, Safaga or Quseir. | ||
| Quseir Fortress - This Ottoman fortress in the town center of Quseir is certainly worth a visit. It was built in the 16th century during the reign of Sultan Selim to protect trade links with India. Napoleon's troops occupied the fortress in 1799, fortifying it with cannons mounted high on the walls. They also added a new viewing platform. A few years later, British forces ejected the French after a fierce battle and added a new gate to the fortress. The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 led to the decline of Quseir and its fortress.  Recently, restoration work on the fortress has been completed. Cannons are once again pointing seawards from their original gun ports. The viewing platform was also restored with the help of illustrations from the Déscription de l'Égypte that had been commissioned by Napoleon. The fortress now houses the new Visitor Center containing displays on local history, archaeology and culture of the surrounding region. | ||
| The Temple of Seti I at Kanais - Located in Kanais, east of Edfu along the desert road to Marsa Alam, lies a small rock-cut temple built by Seti I (1305-1290 BC). Unfortunately, you will only be able to view the entrance of the temple. The chamber inside the cliff, which has magnificent drawings of Seti I slashing at his enemies and offering a gift to the god Amun, is closed to the public to protect it against defacement.  Not far from the temple there is an ancient well. Superb rock art from pre-dynastic times about 6000 years old up to the period of Seti I decorate the wadi's steep walls with rowing boats, dancing goddesses, long-horned gazelles, fat hippos and hunting scenes. Closer to the main road are the remains of a Roman fort; an indication of how important this area was in ancient times. | ||
Wadi Hammamat - About midway between Quseir and Qena is the legendary Wadi Hammamat. Through this valley runs an ancient road, the shortest from the Red Sea to the Nile. Hundreds of rock inscriptions adorn the wadi's walls. Some drawings, like the ancient Egyptian reed boats, date back to 4000 BC. What made Wadi Hammamat famous during antiquity was the Bekheny stone; a beautiful green ornamental rock that was considered sacred. The stone was actively quarried from Pharaonic until Roman times for the production of bowls, statues and sarcophagi. A large number of Bekheny stone monuments have been found in pyramids, graves and temples of these periods. Today you will not only marvel at the rock drawings of the distant past, but you can also admire the ruins of the quarries, mines, fortresses, watchtowers and wells that lie scattered along this principal route. | ||
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Myos Hormos - Two thousand years ago Myos Hormos was the Roman Empire's principal gateway to India and East Africa. Only recently have archaeologists been able to identify the exact location of this ancient port, just eight kilometers north of Quseir.
The Marsa Alam area is a place rich in historical sites and natural beauty. Your hotel will be able to organise for you guided or non-guided visits to some of these sights. Here is a selection of interesting excursions from Marsa Alam. |
The dive center is ideally situated on the beach with an excellent house reef on its doorstep. 
Perfect for all levels of divers; beginners can learn to dive here, night divers can enjoy dives every other night, and for those photographers it is excellent for macro shots. Coraya also operate daily boat trips which depart from Port Ghalib (5mins by bus) and visit local sites around Marsa Alam including the famous Elphinstone and Dolphin House Reef (home to a pod of spinner dolphins). Coraya Divers are excellent for those who have families as you are not committed to a full days diving, guests can go out in the morning and be back by lunch time, there is also a nanny service available. We expect the air temperature to be 35C and the water around 26C.
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| Outbound -Departing from Gatwick to Marsa Alam; Airline Thomsonfly inc 25Kg luggage Allowance TOM 3071 departs Gatwick North at 10:15 to arrive Marsa Alam at 17:45 |
Return -Returning from Marsa Alam to Gatwick; TOM 3072 departs Marsa Alam at 18:45 to arrive Gatwick North at 22:35 |
FREE 32% NITROX ALL WEEK
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Included: Tanks, weights, belt, guide and transfer between boat / hotel.
Flights are with Thomson and offer a 25kg Luggage Allowance. Visa forms and confirmation of the flights will be sent in return.
NOTE:-Full balance required 10 weeks before departure . It is the sole responsibility of the passenger to pay in full by this date. If cancelling it is your responsibility to find an alternative passenger to take your place, or loose your money. Additional costs may apply with name change on documentations. The Balance is due 10 weeks prior to departure Minimum diver qualification; Open Water Diver Specialy courses can be taught on this trip such as Deep, Wreck, Enriched Air, Peak Performance Bouyancy, Boat, Drift and many more. Please request information. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||