El Gouna - Sept 2006

[HelenCraven]

Hiya, i'm plannig to book a few days in El Gouna next month while i'm in Egypt. Anybody got any recomendations where to stay/who to dive with? Also has anyone stayed at the Captains Inn or the Three Corners?

[Brick]

I stayed at the Captain's Inn back in July. It's a nice hotel - the staff are very friendly, the rooms are nice and it's right on the marina so you're in the centre of town, should you decide to venture out when you're not diving! You also get to use the pool at one of the other hotels, which is quite good. I was very pleasantly surprised! Even the minibar in the room isn't too expensive... The hotel bar is also quite good with table service. It seemed that every Friday, there is a big entertainment extravaganza directly outside the hotel for the entire marina as well - look out for the spinny dancers - it's enough to make you feel dizzy yourself!

[HelenCraven]

Cheers mate, the more I looked at it the more i'm being swayed to it. Did you do any diving while you were there/ who did you dive with? Also if you can remember how much did you get stung gettng to and from the airport?

[Brick]

We did 5 days of diving while we were there with Dive Tribe who were pretty good. Some nice dives - get them to take you out to the wrecks at Abu Nuhas, which are really nice!

We got a package from Regal Dive that covered accommodation, flights, transfers and diving - think it came to £475 each, though I could be wrong. I wouldn't expect transport from the airport to cost much, though - everything over there is dirt cheap!

[turbanator]

Georgina used to rent out an apartment, I don't if she still does, you could drop her a PM.

r
Paul

[Timbobaggins]

Helen, i went to El Gouna last November and Dived with the above named outfit.

Run by Nico who is German, they are based next door to the Panorama Garden Bungalows hotel which we stayed in. A german outfit but very friendly and good english.

We dived the Rosalie Muller with them and Nitrox is included in the price.

The diving is different to sharm in some ways not as good in others better, the resort is not as crowded and if you wnt a chilled out time with a bit of scooby dooing chucked in then it is ideal.

I do not know when in September you are going, but six of us from my group go out on 8th September to do it all again.
If you need more info please e-mail me.

Tim B

[HelenCraven]

Thanks, i've had a loom at their website and it looks a good outfit. I'll be there later than you (25-30th Sept) So you'll have to let me know what it's like out there.

[Georgina]

Captain´s Inn is a nice small hotel in the marina. The Movenpick and Sheraton are the 5* hotels here in El Gouna which attract a lot of Brits. Wonderful hotels but huge and very spread out. Sultan Bey is medium sized and very good and located downtown El Gouna. Rihana Three Corners is good and suddenly getting a lot of British guests whereas before it was mainly Germans, Belgiums, Scandinavians.

I always dive with the Dive Tribe based at the Movenpick Hotel. TGI are also good at the Sheraton. The other dive centres tend not to attract so many British divers.

I live in El Gouna all year but not renting out my apartment anymore.

Please come and say hello at the Smugglers English pub in the marina. I work there couple of nights a week. It is located down an alley way on the left just before the Duty Free shop.

I may be off on a new itinerary liveaboard with Emperor Divers 1st September for a week. Hmmmmmm. Decisions, decisions................

Anyhow, if you have any more questions please do not hesitate to contact me. I would be happy to help.

[clearwater]

Personaly TGI are my favorites in El Gouna, the staff are really friendly, nitrox is free and the dive packages are fair price, especially if you book in advance. THe other dive schools are also pretty much all ok.

[Bimmy]

I have to disagree with some of the comments about TGI at El Gouna.
Whilst I found some of the guys there friendly and professional, I feel that overall the outfit lacked professionalism and structure.

When we checked in, Cert cards but not the log books were inspected, which showed several times most notably when we were put in a group of divers with 8 dives on the Ghiannis D, and told off for going deeper than 18 m (on a clearday with no current), despite diving regularly in the UK and being both Deep and Wreck trained. We were not the only ones to feel that either since at least 4 other couples raised the same observation, including a UK Padi Divemaster.

There were no checks of who was back on board after dives, no check sheet to sign with Air or Depth.

Nitrox was not always what it was supposed to be, including a mix of 36% in a cylinder given to me for a 35m dive to the Rosalie Muller which should have been 28%. I always check my cylinders !!

When we made the day trip to the Rosalie Muller we were joined by the Dive Tribe crew and what a difference they were in total contrast.

So my advice would use them if you must but be prepared to look after yourself like we ended up doing since it was the Centre at the Hotel and convenient for the week we were there.

The boat was large and the dive deck spacious, the food good so it was not all bad .... just trying to be honest and helpful