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Date: 11/4/2008
Subject: Trips Abroad 2009 & 2010
Content: Get Wrecked Liveaboard, Marsa Shagra Eco Lodge & the Philippines

Dive Trip No. 1 Tony Backhurst Typhoon Get Wrecked

23rd – 30th April 2009

We ran a dive trip to Sharm El Sheik earlier this year and the Thistlegorm was one of the highlights of the trip for everyone. Not only is it an enormous wreck, well intact and packed with really interesting WWII Cargo, but the marine life buzzing around it was thrilling! Due to time constraints, we only had 2 dives on the Thistlegorm … but it gave us the taste for more!

For this Trip we’re flying directly to Sharm el Sheik … no UK stop-over which is a great time saver. There we join our luxurious liveaboard, the Tony Backhurst Typhoon. Backhurst Travel is one of the UK’s leading tour operators and has a fleet of liveaboards that bring liveaboard diving to a new level of opulence and professionalism.

Typhoon is 33m long with 10 twin cabins en suite. We have booked the entire liveaboard for our group. There is a general dining area, a saloon and bar area as well as generous deck space and large back platform. It even has a Jacuzzi on the sun deck to help you chill out at the end of a tough days diving. This really is diving in absolute comfort! As with all liveaboards, your food and many soft drinks are included in your trip.

Diving off a liveaboard in this area we’ll get to visit some of the Northern Red Sea’s most famous and talked about wrecks. And remember, wrecks are ‘just’ artificial reefs and are always teaming with life … from coral and smaller fish to the larger shoals sweeping in from deeper water. So this really does offer something for everyone.

Divers can expect air temperature of about 30 degrees and water temperature of approx 25 degrees – very pleasant for April!

The Diving

The Suez Shipping Channel between Egypt and Sinai is littered with wrecks and we’ll get to dive some of the best: The Carnatic (oldest wreck in the region), the Thistlegorm, and the Rosalie Moller (which many people say is their favourite), along with many more.

Many of the wrecks are well overgrown with soft and hard corals, which obviously attract tons of smaller coral fish. They are also home to scorpion fish, nudis and crocodile fish. The Kingston and Ulysses are often home to turtles and dolphins are regularly spotted.

But don’t just take our word for it …. follow the link below to amateur video footage of some of the wrecks we’ll be diving. The shear size of many of the wrecks is very impressive, particularly as the fantastic visibility usually allows you see the entire wreck during your descent (not a luxury we often experience here, eh?!). Also, check out the abundant marine life ….. the divers are literally swimming through shoals of fish swarming many of the wrecks. It’s hard to pay attention to just the wrecks!

Copy this link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQgEikVZuHk

If you’d like more detail, we now have a great hardback book in stock called Shipwrecks from the Egyptian Red Sea. It’s a beautiful book with plenty of detail and loads of photos of the wrecks. It covers most of the wrecks we’ll be diving on this trip.

On the Typhoon Liveaboard they typically complete approx 18 dives in the week and an average Get Wrecked Week looks like this:

Day 1 The Alternatives, Dunraven, Giannis D/Night Dive

Day 2 Carnatic, Chrisoula K, Kimon M/Night Dive

Day 3 2 dives on the Rosalie Moller, The Barge/Night Dive

Day 4 Ulysses, Kingston, Thistlegorm and Night Dive on the Thistlegorm

Day 5 2 Dives on the Thistlegorm, Dunraven and Night Dive Dunraven

Day 6 Shark Yolanda & Ras Pieter – Some of Sharm’s best Reefs

Disembark boat and check into hotel in Sharm el Sheik

Itinerary

We’re absolutely delighted that we have organized with Backhurst to take the ‘Sharm’ portion of their package and have arranged direct flights from Dublin to Sharm el Sheik, cutting out the UK altogether.

Thurs, 23rd April 2009

0800 Check in at Dublin Airport

1000 Depart Dublin for Sharm el sheik

1725 Arrive Sharm El Sheik

1825 Transfer directly onto your Liveaboard, Typhoon

Fri, 24th April to Wed, 29th April
 Aboard your Liveaboard for 6 nights & 6 days diving

Wed, 29th April Overnight in hotel in Sharm el Sheik

Thurs, 30th April

1430 Transfer from your Hotel to the Airport

1600 Check in at Sharm El Sheik Airport

1825 Depart Sharm el sheik for Dublin

2245 Arrive Dublin

Booking

We have booked 20 places on this dive trip – the entire boat. Divers need to be AOW with 30 dives and be well dived up leading up to the trip.

The total cost is €1,550.

We are taking deposits of €450 immediately to secure your place.

As always, we stress that airlines can impose fuel surcharges at anytime up to departure, and governments can change airport taxes with little notice. If we are notified of any increase, we’ll inform you straight away.

Balance Due: Saturday, 31st January 2009

Pre Trip Meeting: Saturday, 4th April 2009 at 2.30pm

Divers can choose to pay by monthly installments if preferred. Simply pay your deposit now, then pay the balance over 3 months (first week of December, first week of January and first week of February).Just contact us to arrange details. Divers can pay by laser, cash, cheque or bank transfer. Unfortunately, Visa and Mastercard transactions for dive trips will incur a 3% charge


The Finer Details

What’s included in your dive trip:
Flights and current taxes and airport charges;
Transfers to and from the airport in Sharm el Sheik;
Food and most soft drinks when on your Liveaboard;
2-4 dives per day incl tanks and weights;
One night’s accommodation in a hotel in Sharm on the last night;
Breakfast on the last day in Sharm.

What’s not included:
Alcohol and some soft drinks on your Liveaboard;
Additional diving services while on your Liveaboard, e.g. equipment rental, nitrox, souvenirs such as videos and t-shirts, etc.;
Dinner & drinks on the last night in Sharm el Sheik;
Lunch & drinks on the last day in Sharm el Sheik;
Your Egyptian Visa on arrival in Sham el Sheik (approx US$20);
Dive Accident and Travel Insurance (see below).

Insurance

All divers must have both general travel insurance and dive accident insurance for this trip. We recommend you buy your general travel insurance as soon as you book. Dive accident insurance can be purchased anytime up to one month before departure (to ensure paperwork etc has arrived). Divers will be asked to produce copies of both dive accident and travel insurance before the pre trip meeting.

Passport

Divers should provide us with a copy of their passport when booking. All passports must have 6 months remaining on them from the date of return in order to obtain a tourist visa in Egypt.


Dive Trip No. 2

Marsa Shagra Eco Lodge, Southern Red Sea

13th – 22nd October 2009

One of our most popular trips to date was to the Southern Red Sea Eco Village of Marsa Shagra in April 2006. And so by popular demand, we’re returning to this location in October 2009.

The Southern Red Sea (the Egyptian coastline towards Sudan) has some of the most spectacular reef diving the region has to offer. It would be impossible to dive the entire region in just one dive trip, but we have chosen a location that should offer not just amazing shore diving, but will give divers the adventure of staying in an Eco Village camp in the desert on the water’s edge!

Your Eco Village

Although this coastline is now experiencing a lot of development and certainly isn’t as isolated as it once was, the atmosphere at Marsa Shagra is still one of adventure.

There are 3 types of accommodation available: Tents, Lodges & Guesthouses. We’ve opted for the mid-range option so you won’t be entirely ‘roughing it’ and our group will be staying in the Lodges.

These are attractive, compact domed Mandarah lodges (traditional Egyptian guest houses) which are simple but beautifully designed using local pink & orange limestone. The Mandarahs are situated at Marsa Shagra have been built on the side of the wadi, overlooking the sea. Traditional domed and vaulted desert architecture and thick stone walls keep the rooms cool. Each Mandarah has its own terrace and the room has a tiled floor, 2 beds, a clothes cupboard, and electricity. They are not en suite but have their own separate toilet and shower block.

Marsa Shagra has it’s own dive centre, classrooms and full equipment rental. There is also has 24-hour electricity and water desalination. There are spacious shaded areas throughout the village for relaxing and eating. All meals and soft drinks are included in the price of this trip and each meal is buffet style. There is always cool drinking water available throughout the day and bread & cakes are baked daily!

Location & Diving

Along the southern Red Sea is 350km of coral reef coastline between Safaga and Sudan which offers the more experienced diver access to some truly awesome dive sites. Most of these dive sites can only be accessed by either liveaboard, or by staying in the southern villages near Marsa Alam.

We’ll be staying in Marsa Shagra and will have access to 150km of coral fringe reef, which reaches a maximum depth of 55m and is pitted with caves, elaborate tunnel systems and many swim-throughs almost never seen in the Northern Red Sea.

We’ve booked an ‘unlimited’ dive package, and the average is about 4 dives per day. An ‘average’ day will look something like this:

6am It’s already warm so rise and shine, grab some breakfast and get your gear ready!

7-8am The group departs on flat bed trucks to visit some of the spectacular dive sites along the coastline, both north and south of our Eco Village. They usually do 2 dives in 2 different locations and take a packed lunch for everyone. There is always a dive guide available for these dives.

1-2pm Return to your Eco Village. It’s really heating up by now and you probably deserve a bit of a rest. Relax under one of the shaded areas, sip some cool soft drinks and indulge in some home baked cakes. But not for too long, as you have unlimited access to the spectacular house reef just a few yards from your feet.

3pm On your first day you will receive an orientation dive of the house reef accompanied by our guides, but after that, you are free to dive the house reef at your leisure. It is wonderful to have the freedom to dive in buddy teams at your own pace and at the times you want! There are zodiacs dropping divers to the other end of the reef throughout the day, meaning you don’t’ have to back track.

6pm Night Dive … check out the different critters on your house reef …. this is when all the night time feeders come out to play !

8pm The staff organize a very generous and varied buffet each evening (particularly bearing in mind where you are !!). The food is plentiful and the atmosphere relaxed and friendly as everyone chats about that day’s diving.

The dive sites outside your Eco Village vary each day and are always guided. The house reef has spectacular coral, no current and is crystal clear – a photographers paradise!

Elphinstone and Dolphin House Reef Dive Sites cannot be booked in advance but can be booked out there.

Itinerary

Wednesday, 14th October 2009

Fly from Dublin to London Gatwick
Fly from London Gatwick to Marsa Alam, Egypt
Transfer from Marsa Alam Airport to Marsa Shagra Eco Village

Thursday, 15th October 2009 to Monday, 19th October 2009

7 Nights Accommodation, 5 Days Unlimited Diving, All Food and Soft Drinks

Tuesday, 20th October 2009

Free Day – To Dive or go explore the local area. Quad Biking and Camel Treks were great fun last time!

Wednesday, 21st October 2009

Fly from Marsa Alam to London Gatwick
Flight arrives late so we overnight in a Gatwick Hotel

Thursday, 22nd October 2009 Fly from London Gatwick to Dublin

Booking

We have booked 20 places on this dive trip. Divers need to be AOW with 30 dives and be well dived up leading up to the trip. Elphinstone and some other sites require AOW with 50 dives.

The total cost is estimated at €1,400 …. Just €50 more than it was in 2006 …. 3 ½ yrs later!

We say estimated as we have not yet booked flights from Dublin to London and don’t have the flight schedule yet. We’re hoping to get an early flight out that morning and simply transfer straight onto the UK flight. However, there is a chance we will have to overnight in the UK on the way over. If this happens, it will cost extra.

As always, we stress that airlines can impose fuel surcharges at anytime up to departure, and governments can change airport taxes with little notice. If we are notified of any increase, we’ll inform you straight away.

We are taking deposits of €450 immediately to secure your place. This is definitely one not to be missed.

Interim Payment of €500 due Saturday, 9th May 2009
Final Payment Date Saturday, 25th July 2009
Pre Trip Meeting: Saturday, 26th September 2009 at 2.30pm

Remember, divers can arrange to pay in monthly installments. Simply pay your deposit now and pay the balance over 10 months. Just contact us to arrange details. Divers can pay by laser, cash, cheque or bank transfer. Unfortunately, Visa and Mastercard transactions for dive trips will incur a 3% charge.

The Finer Details

What’s included in your dive trip:
Return flights from Dublin to London incl current taxes and airport charges;
Return flights from London to Marsa Alam in Egypt;
One night’s accommodation in London on the return leg of the journey;
Transfers to and from the airport in Marsa Alam/Marsa Shagra;
Accommodation in the Mandarah Lodge in Marsa Shagra;
Food and all soft drinks in your Eco Lodge;
Unlimited shore diving from Marsa Shagra incl tanks and weights.

What’s not included:
If an additional night in London becomes necessary, this will have to be paid for separately;
Alcohol and some extras such as ice cream etc in your Eco Lodge;
Additional diving services such as equipment rental, nitrox, souvenirs such as videos and t-shirts, etc.;
Additional trips taken on your free day, e.g. camel trek, quad biking etc.;
Any dive trips organized to either Elphinstone or Dolphin House Reef;
Dive Accident and Travel Insurance (see below).

Insurance

All divers must have both general travel insurance and dive accident insurance for this trip. We recommend you buy your general travel insurance as soon as you book. Dive accident insurance can be purchased anytime up to one month before departure (to ensure paperwork etc has arrived). Divers will be asked to produce copies of both dive accident and travel insurance before the pre trip meeting.

Passport

Divers should provide us with a copy of their passport when booking. All passports must have 6 months remaining on them from the date of return in order to obtain a tourist visa in Egypt.


And for 2010 ………. A Return to the Philippines

Check out November’s Sport Diver Magazine for a review of our new destination!

We visited the Philippines in November 2007 for 10 days superb diving. Everyone was blown away by both the diving and the laid back friendly manner, and indeed the warm welcome that awaited us in the Philippines.

We’re delighted to announce a return visit. Same great country, but new diving location.

The Philippines (along with Indonesia & Papua New Guinea) boasts some of Asia’s best diving, with spectacular drop offs, beautiful coral and a hugely varied marine life. The variety of both fish and coral by far surpasses any other location in the world.

We plan a return trip in February 2010 to a location in central Philippines. The island of Negros is really in the heart of some of Philippines best diving, and we intend to visit a place called Dumaguete.

Obviously, as it’s so far away we don’t have prices yet. However, flights will be released in Feb / Mar 2009 and full details will be released then.

Put your name down now for FREE !

Interested in joining us, get your name down for first refusal when the finer details are released. If then you still want to hold your place, we’ll ask you to pay a deposit. Good, eh?

Next time you’re in the Dive Centre, pick up some brochures or indeed November’s Sport Diver Magazine with tons of info and photos!




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