Egypt — is an amazing country in North Africa, where you can come face to face with marine wildlife. The majestic nature and treasures of the Red Sea have made Egypt the most visited diving site in the world. Egypt is considered to be one of the best places on the planet for diving. Amazing coral reefs, a variety of the underwater world and a lot of exciting dive sites are waiting for you here. The extended country coastline offers diving of different formats and budgets. In the National Reserve among bright tropical fish you will find sharks and marine turtles. Sunken ships invite a diver to investigate sea depths and valuable freight on their boards. Advanced divers can try challenging deep-sea diving in canyons, arches, caves. They have not been fully explored yet and enchant the diver with their mystery.
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Egypt is the most popular country among divers. Many exciting dive sites and a fantastic underwater world will impress anyone. In Hurghada there are several well-known dive sites — Carlos reef, Petra reef, Bara Ramada and Abu Ramada. In Dahab there is a cave called the Blue Hole — one of the most fascinating and dangerous places for diving. Sharm El Sheikh offers about 40 dive spots, but the most famous are Thistlegorm shipwreck and Ras Mohamed National Park.
Most of dive shops are located in Hurghada, Sharm El Sheikh, Dahab. They have a lot of different diving programs that fit every taste. You can take any course you like — Advanced Open Water Diver, Specialty Diver, Rescue Diver, Assistant Instructor and Dive Master. Dive shops have all the necessary equipment which you can rent.
In March, changeable weather prevails. The tourist season starts in April and May. In spring the air temperature is +25.. +35°C, water temperature is +25 °C.
Summer is the heat peak time. August is the hottest and least-visited month of the year. The air temperature varies between +32... +40 °C. The water temperature reaches +25... +28°C.
Autumn is a perfect Indian summer season with cool nights. September and October — excellent time for diving, in November the intense heat tends to cool down. The air temperature is +27... +38 °C. The water temperature varies between +26... +28 °C.
Winter is a cool season, still suitable for diving. December and January bring pleasant surprises with steady warm weather. February is the coldest season with changeable weather. The air temperature varies between +20... +30 °C, water temperature is +20... +25 °C.
The best dive sites are St. Johns, Brothers Islands, Shark & Yolanda reef, Shark Observatory on the territory of the Ras Mohamed National Park, Thistlegorm ship, Blue Hole, Canyon and Strais of Tiran.
Medical care in Egypt is generally of medium quality. Quality of care on the outskirts is much lower than in big cities and in tourist places. Therefore, in case of a serious disease, it is better to go to Cairo immediately. Medical service is provided for a fee, and fees in private hospitals are very expensive. When travelling to Egypt, medical insurance is a must have. It is also recommended that you are vaccinated against hepatitis A, typhoid, tetanus and malaria.
The overall level of security in the country is high, serious crimes are extremely rare. Sometimes thefts from hotel rooms happen, so do not leave your valuables unattended. In big cities and tourist areas, it is safe to walk both during the day and at night — the tourist police performs their duty.
The warm waters of the Red Sea attract a variety of underwater creatures, including unique inhabitants — dugongs which are on the IUCN Red List. It harbors more than 1,200 species of marine inhabitants, old picturesque corals, which are about 2 billion years old. The Red Sea is a home for bright tropical fish, marine turtles, dolphins, octopuses, giant oceanic manta rays, gray reef sharks and whale sharks. Among natural and artificial reefs, coral gardens and sunken ships you can see shoals of tuna fish, barracudas, butterflyfish, humphead wrasses and moray eels. Some of them are dangerous: moon jellyfish, reef stonefish, whiptail stingray and pterois.
Starry puffer, siganidae, Asthenosoma varium, giant sea anemones, brown-spotted spinefoot, moon jellyfish, Juncella rubra, Synanceia verrucosa, pterois volitans, whitetip reef shark, gray triggerfish, whiptail stingrays, geography cone snail, textile cone snail and Fire corals colonies are very dangerous.
The land of the pharaohs will impress you with an amazing culinary experience. Other cultures have left their imprint on traditional Egyptian cuisine. Try Kushari, a hearty national dish made of pasta, tomato sauce, rice, lentils, chickpeas, caramelized onions and garlic. The main ingredient of Ful medames are beans, which are served with vegetable oil, lemon juice and garlic. It is worth tasting Molokhiya — a soup made from chicken broth with crushed leaves of the plant with the same name.
As for drinks, you don't have a lot of choice: coffee or Fayrouz (some kind of local soda). It is better to ask for drinking water in a restaurant or a bar or buy a bottled one. You should avoid drinking tap water.
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