Scuba Liveaboard: Emperor Elite – Simply The Best (BDE)
Travel period
Features
Starting at
Liveaboard Simply The Best (BDE) Egypt
The Emperor Elite is the most luxurious boat in the Emperor fleet. It is a modern and comfortable boat that sails many different routes in the Red Sea. One such route is Simply The Best.
On the Simply The Best itinerary, you dive, as the name suggests, on the best dive sites in the Red Sea. You will go to top 3 dive sites in the Red Sea, Brothers, Daedelus & Elphinstone, also known as BDE.
Brothers Island is known for its spectacular wall dives and the largest number of sharks in the Red Sea. Here you can see oceanic white tip sharks, hammerhead sharks and with a little luck; thresher sharks, among others.
You will also dive world-famous Elphinstone, with its steep walls covered in soft corals and likely encounters with oceanic whitetip sharks and maybe even a manta ray.
Daedalus is the most remote island and popular are its south plateau and dramatic walls to the north, west and east. Hammerhead paradise is here, you can also see oceanic whitetip sharks, schools of fish, barracudas and tuna.
Best travel time: Diving in the Red Sea can be done year-round. Usually between September and May the sea is calmer and visibility better. The chance of thresher sharks at BDE is greatest between November & April. In the summer months, the water temperature is most pleasant.
Level of dives: You must be at least Open Water certified. Convenient, but not required, is also to have your Advanced and Nitrox since many dives are under 18m. We recommend you have a minimum of 50 logged dives and you should be comfortable diving in drifts and currents.
Rebreather diving: Emperor supports rebreather divers on all its boats with a rebreather dive package: unlimited sofnolime, cylinders & oxygen. At all times, the maximum dive time is 60 minutes and diving is within recreational limits.
Average Temperatures
Wetsuit advice for the Red Sea
In the summer months a 3 mm is sufficient, but in the heart of winter a 7 mm is wiser. In between, a 5mm will suffice. What will you experience on this trip?
View the sailing schedule here
Day 1 - Flight to Marsa Alam
In the late afternoon, the Emperor Elite will start the Simply the Best itinerary from Marsa Alam. This means you can either arrive on the day itself or if more convenient one day in advance. Of course, we will find a suitable flight for you. Flying to Marsa Alam can be done from many different airports. Flight time from Europe to Egypt, for example, takes about 5 hours. The exact duration may vary depending on factors such as flight path, airspeed and stopovers. At the airport, you will be picked up by Emperor’s crew.
In the evening, the Emperor Elite departs for the first dive sites. Below is a sample sailing schedule for the Simply The Best itinerary. This sailing schedule may vary due to weather conditions, among other things, or because it is very busy at one dive site. Then the captain alters the schedule so you get the most out of your trip.
Day 2 & 3 - Little Brother & Big Brother
You begin the liveaboard itinerary at the Brother Islands. The Brother Islands are the tops of two undersea mountains that rise from the depths of the abyss and lie about 60 miles offshore. These islands offer breathtaking wall dives, where the walls are covered with soft corals and forests of gorgonians, creating a kaleidoscope of ever-changing colors. They attract a wide range of marine species and large pelagic species. Large tunas, jacks and snappers cruise in the blue, accompanied by occasional hammerhead sharks, silky and oceanic whitetip sharks and manta rays. Even the rare thresher shark is found here. Grey reef shark sightings are almost guaranteed on the north and south plateaus of Small Brother.
In front of the wreck diver are the Aida II, an Egyptian supply ship, and the Numidia, a cargo ship, on the walls of the Big Brother. Both are covered with a rich growth of soft and hard corals. Marine life includes a family of Napoleon-wrasse and gray reef sharks.
Day 4 & 5 - Daedalus
After two days of wonderful diving on the Brother Islands, it is time to sail on to Daedelus.
Daedalus Reef is a large oval reef with a lighthouse and is the furthest offshore reef in the Egyptian Red Sea. The deep walls and drop-offs offer some of the most spectacular diving around. Daedalus has mountainous, pristine, hard coral formations.
Daedelus is known for its abundant shark action. Oceanic whitetip sharks, schooling hammerheads, gray reef sharks and silvertip sharks all swim around the southern tip of Daedelus.
There can be quite a bit of current at this dive site, but that is directly why there are so many sharks.
Day 6 & 7 - Elphinstone
Last, but not least is Elphinstone. Elphinstone is about 30 km from Port Ghalib; The Elphinstone reef is 300 meters long with steep walls richly covered with colorful pink and red soft corals and elegant red gorgonians descending to about 40 meters. Other parts of the reef have nearly vertical cliffs, protrusions, small caves and drop-offs up to 100 meters. Elphinstone is known to experience strong currents that attract many different species, including barracuda, angelfish, groupers, Napoleons, moray eels, reef sharks and large schools of dogtooth tuna and jacks. Occasional sightings include dolphins, turtles, oceanic whitetip sharks and hammerhead sharks.
Day 8 - Return home or extend trip
Around 10:00, on Thursday morning, you will leave the boat. Depending on what time your flight returns we can arrange a day-use hotel. It is also possible to extend your diving vacation with a stay in a (diving) resort or to take a beautiful cultural tour of Egypt. For example, visit the pyramids at Luxor or sail down the Nile on a traditional felucca (sailing ship).
The liveaboard: Emperor Elite
The stay and surroundings
Emperor Elite Liveaboard
The Emperor Elite Liveaboard is a luxurious 38-meter-long ship that can accommodate up to 26 divers. The ship has 11 double cabins, one Junior suite and one Executive suite. Each cabin has a private bathroom, air conditioning, a flat-screen TV with media player and 2 towels per person.
The ship features three sun decks where you can relax and enjoy the sun, as well as a dive deck with a platform for easy entry and exit from the water while diving. There are also two lounges and an air-conditioned dining room where you can enjoy meals and socialize with fellow divers.
For diving, you will use two RIBs (rigid inflatable boats) that will take you to the dive sites. A great bonus is that free Nitrox is available on board, extending your dive time and allowing you to spend more time underwater with fewer decompression stops.
Travel costs
What is included
Depending on the route sailed, the price on the Emperor Elite start between €1295,- and €1445,- p.p.
Starting price indication per route:
- Safaga, Brothers & Elphinstone €1345,- p.p.
- Daedelus, Fury & Elphinstone €1445,- p.p.
- Simply the Best €1345,- p.p.
- South & St. Johns €1295 p.p.
Prices are subject to price changes, increases or changing exchange rates.
Want to know more about the possibilities? Get in touch with us!
Included in this trip, from €1345, - p.p.
- 7 nights in a lower deck cabin
- Accommodation on full board basis
- Return airport transfers - Liveaboard
- Route: Simply the Best (BDE)
- Approx. 21 dives
- Nitrox
- VZR, Calamity Fund & Administration fee
Excluding
- Flight to Marsa Alam
- Visa at Egypt airport
- from €550,- p.p.
- ± $25.00 p.p.
Optional
Attention! It is important to book the items below in advance. Upon arrival in Egypt, these optional items are often no longer available AND also the prices are higher locally.
- Diving equipment
- Rebreather dive package
- Side Mount 12L
- Twin set 12L
- Twin set 152L
- €205,-
- €250,-
- €55,-
- €85,-
- €100,-
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Frequently asked questions about this diving vacation
Liveaboard
Yes. All cabins have private bathrooms.
Yes. All cabins have air conditioning.
Yes. There is WIFI on board. This does have a data limit on it. In addition, keep in mind that connection is not always fast. We recommend buying another sim card with a data package at the airport upon arrival.
You always share a cabin with another person of the same sex. You can, however, get the cabin alone for a surcharge. Ask us about the additional cost.
Almost all dives are from the diving platform on the liveaboard. In exceptional cases, a zodiac is used.
Diving general
You will make an average of 3 dives per day here.
No. There are no night dives.
Yes. A variety of PADI dive courses and specialties are offered.
Diving equipment
All tanks are equipped with DIN connection. A limited number of adapters are available for rental. Please indicate this to us or bring your own adapter.
Yes. You can rent a 15 liter tank. Ask us about options and additional costs.
If you are certified, you can use Nitrox. Nitrox is free on this liveaboard.
Yes. You can rent diving equipment. For a full set including dive computer and lamp you will pay 205 euros for the week.
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