Abu Dabbab Dive Resort – unlimited diving
Abu Dabbab is the ideal location for a wonderfully relaxing diving vacation. Stay on a full board basis, walk straight into the sea on the house reef (including manatee) and make several beautiful boat dives.
Travel period
Features
Starting at
Diving at Abu Dabbab Dive Center in Marsa Alam
Abu Dabbab is a nature reserve, 35 km south of Marsa Alam airport on the Red Sea. With its attractive blue waters, white sand beaches and beautiful marine life, it is the perfect place for those seeking relaxation and easy diving. Besides diving and relaxing, there is a wide range of fun activities you can participate in. The destination is idyllically situated between the blue waters of the Red Sea and the chain of Sienna Mountains in the Red Sea.
Diving at Blue Ocean Marsa Alam
A 300-meter walk from Abu Dabbab Diving Lodge is the Blue Oceans diving school that works in conjunction with the Diving Logde. They have 2 zodiacs for the closer dive sites and 2 speedboats to dive at Elphinstone, for example, where you sail to in 20 minutes. On the house reef ban Abu Dabbab you will find two beautiful coral formations. The southern and northern reefs are separated by seagrass meadows, suitable for both divers and snorkelers. Blooming wildlife and marine life are visible from the beach. Abu Dabbab is synonymous with an abundance of colorful fish and amazing bouquets of soft and hard corals. Abu Dabbab is the place to encounter the extraordinary bowhead guitar shark. The idyllic scene is completed by the presence of a small shipwreck full of coral and a dive through the gorge with an underwater cave and vibrant tunnels!
Amenities: At the dive center they have good rental equipment, easy dressing room for shore diving, rinse tanks, a private crate and storage compartment, showers. Really everything has been thought of to make (shore) diving as easy as possible.
Best travel time: Year-round diving is excellent in Egypt. In the winter months, the Red Sea cools down considerably so some divers probably find the sea more pleasant between June & September.
Average Temperatures
Wetsuit advice for Abu Dabbab, Egypt
In the heart of summer (June through September), a 3mm, shorty or even a skin will suffice. From October it gets colder and we still recommend at least a 5mm and maybe a 7mm from November to April).
What will you experience on this trip?
View itinerary here
Day 1 - Arrival in Marsa Alam
Today you will fly to Marsa Alam in about 5.5 hours. Which airport you fly from we will discuss together as there are often options from a lot of airports in europe.
Once you pass pass passport control and get your luggage off the bantam you arrive in the arrivals hall. Here a staff member of the Abu Dabbab Dive Resort is already waiting for you. In about 30 minutes you drive, along the coast of the Red Sea, to the diving resort.
Once we arrived, it was time to settle into the room, explore Abu Dabbab’s beautiful bay above water and have a drink on the beach. The vacations have really started now. Also feel free to drop by the dive shop to discuss how you will plan your dive package for the next 5 days, they are open until XX. Can’t do that? No problem, the next morning is fine too!
Day 2 to 6 - EWDR Dive Package.
For the next 5 days you will alternate shore dives and boat dives, in which order you do so is up to you and in consultation with the diving school. We recommend starting with a day of unlimited shore diving. The first shore dive gives you plenty of time (and rest) to check that all your equipment is working properly and that the amount of lead you have with you is correct. The first dive is accompanied by a dive guide, the remaining dives are done independently with your buddy. Of course at the diving school they tell you in advance what and especially where you can see the most beautiful things on the house reef.
During this package, you can have unlimited dives on the house reef every day from 06:30 to 18:30. The sun sets between 17:00 and 18:00, which means you can therefore make a night dive (unguided) every day on these days as well.
The dive package also includes 2 days of boat dives (2 dives per day). These dives take place on Marsa Alam’s renowned dive sites. Between dives, you will return to the bay.
Tip! Are you Advanced or higher certified and have logged at least 50 dives? Then you can upgrade a speedboat dive to Elphinstone. Elphin Stone is just a 20-minute boat ride away from Abu Dabbab and is one of Egypt’s most famous dive sites. You may encounter the Oceanic White Tip shark (Longimanus) here, among others!
Non divers: Are non divers going on this trip? Among other things, they can snorkel with sea turtles and dugongs, sometimes there is even a chance of seeing a whale shark! Also, Abu Dabbab Bay features a beach bar, 2 a la carte restaurants, a lounge area and plenty of sun beds with umbrellas. It is also possible to learn to dive in Abu Dabbab.
Day 7 - Relaxing & exploring
Today is the day to relax, let your dive gear dry out and maybe book another fun land excursion. For example, go on Desert Safari!
On a Desert Safari you will discover the authentic and stress-free lifestyle of the Bedouin behind the scenes of the Sienna Red Sea Mountains. You will see how Bedouins prepare tea according to an ancient recipe and bake their bread the traditional way.
After camel riding, enjoy a delicious BBQ and an open oriental dinner buffet. You are invited to a dazzling Oriental display of Tanura, a belly dance show and a fire-breathing fakir performance. During your desert adventure, you will watch the sun slowly set to give way to a dark sky with twinkling stars. A great way to end your vacation.
Day 8 - Home
The relaxing diving vacation in Egypt is unfortunately at its end. Today you will pack your suitcase again and check out of the diving lodge. You will be transferred back to Marsa Alam airport to fly home. The flight takes about 5.5 hours.
The accommodation
The stay and surroundings
Abu Dabbab Diving Lodge
Abu Dabbab Diving Lodge was completely renovated in 2014.
The resort consists of 62 wooden bungalows. Each bungalow has one large double bed or 2 twin beds, air conditioning, a refrigerator and a private bathroom. Outside a sitting area on the small terrace in the somewhat wildly overgrown garden. Of course, there is also a swimming pool.
Abu Dabbab Lodge’s restaurant serves an international buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner, while beach restaurants and bars serve à la carte food and drinks on Abu Dabbab Beach.
Abu Dabbab Lodge is a residence of nature lovers, divers and snorkelers from all over the world.
Travel costs
What is included
This travel package is NZD 1.424 per person, based on 2 people in one room. The travel package can be expanded as desired. A number of things are included by default in this travel package.
Prices are subject to price changes, increases or changing exchange rates. Flights are always based on the cheapest possible booking class.
Want to know more about the possibilities? Get in touch with us!
Included in this trip, from NZD 1.424 p.p.
- Transfers to and from Marsa Alam airport
- 7 nights in a 2-person lodge
- Full board
- EWDR Dive Package, consisting of 2 days boat diving (2 dives per day) AND 3 days unlimited diving on the house reef.
- VZR, Calamity Fund & Administration fee
Excluding
- Flight from Amsterdam, Düsseldorf or Brussels from NZD 624
- Visa at Egypt airport from NZD 41
✈︎ The quoted (international) flight prices are indicative prices and based on departures from Europe.
However, we can arrange flights from any location worldwide.
Booking your own flights is of course also possible.
Optional
- Use of Nitrox NZD 5 p.p. per dive
- 15L tank NZD 5 p.p. per dive
- 15L tank with Nitrox NZD 9 p.p. per dive
- Complete diving equipment excl. computer and lamp NZD 36 p.p. per dive
- Dive computer NZD 11 p.p. per dive
- Surcharge boat dive Elphinstone NZD 68 p.p. per dive
- Expand the dive package to 5 Days of unlimited shore diving as well as 10 boat dives (2 boat dives per day) +NZD 196
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Frequently asked questions about this diving vacation
Dive sites
At Abu Dabbab, you make dives from the shore in Abu Dabbab Bay as well as boat dives further out. You can even dive at the famous Elphinstone.
Yes for boat dives, 60 minutes or 50 bar applies. For shore dives, you can stay under as long as is responsible.
The shore dive sites are literally within walking distance. The boat dive sites range from a 5-minute boat ride to about a 20-minute boat ride to Elphinstone.
On the boat dive days there are 2 standard dives in the package, on site you can extend this to 3 if there is enough demand for the afternoon dive. This costs €50 for 1 boat dive. You can also choose to make another unguided dive on the house reef, this costs €28 for 1 dive.
On the unlimited days, you can dive as much as you want between 06:30 and 18:30. Of course, it is important not to go into deco!
Yes for sure, a beautiful house reef where you can dive left or right. The diving is very varied.
Yes! On the unlimited house reef days, this is included in the package as standard. Note, however, that this is unaccompanied. You can dive until about 18:30 on those days and the sun sets between 17:00 and 18:00. The diving school waits until everyone is out of the water in the evening.
Yes, you certainly can. The diving school Blue Ocean Dive Center is a PADI 5-star IDC center. That means they are very professional and can offer many different courses up to dive instructor level. You can also learn to free dive here as well as various specialty courses.
Above all, ask us about the possibilities.
It is about a 5-minute (400m) walk from the resort to the dive center located right on the water. Your dive gear is kept at the diving school.
Diving equipment
They have Din tanks and INT adapters here.
Yes, for an additional charge of €3 per dive.
Yes you can, a complete diving set costs €20 per day. Excluding dive computer a €6 per dive and dive light a €6 per dive.
Yes you can, Nitrox costs €3 per dive when using a 12L tank.
Other activities & excursions
Absolutely, it’s beautiful!
Several excursions can be included, including several desert safaris. You can also visit dolphins by boat to swim with them.
Abu Dabbab Dive Resort has its own resort and the bay also has several cozy joints where you can go for snacks and drinks.
The last day, before you fly home, includes excursions, souvenir shopping at the local tents in the bay, swimming with dolphins, snorkeling on the house reef or just relaxing on the beach.
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