ORCA Dive Club - Egypt

Egypt – who hasn’t heard of it, even if only by name? Ancient Egypt is regarded as one of the world’s earliest advanced civilisations. Among the millennia-old monuments in the fertile Nile Valley are the colossal pyramids and the Great Sphinx of Giza, as well as the hieroglyph-covered walls of the Karnak Temple and the tombs in the Valley of the Kings near Luxor. It is not without reason that Egypt is regarded as the cradle of civilisation. Egypt has been a tourist destination for a very long time, and the Red Sea attracted the pioneers of scuba diving from very early on.

EUROPE’S HOUSE REEF

The Red Sea off the Egyptian coast is often referred to as Europe’s house reef. No other tropical sea is so quick and easy to reach from Germany, Switzerland, Austria and all other European countries. The Red Sea is only about four and a half hours’ flight away and, in addition to 365 days of sunshine, offers a colourful underwater world.

A WORLD-CLASS DESTINATION

There are perhaps only a handful of true world-class destinations for divers across the globe. Egypt is definitely one of them. The Red Sea is home to pretty much everything that swims in the vast Indo-Pacific region – plus 400 additional endemic species, i.e. animals found only in the Red Sea. The diversity and colours of the corals can rival or far surpass those of other diving destinations such as the Maldives or Australia, or even the Caribbean.

VISA AND CURRENCY

A passport valid for at least a further 6 months is required for entry. The necessary tourist visa is issued at the airport in Egypt for a fee. The visa can be purchased at the bank counters before passport control. Euros can also be exchanged there for the local currency, the Egyptian pound. The pound is abbreviated as LE or EGP.