Sharm vs Taba - Advice please

[Richard Greenwood]

Firstly I have to say I love my parents in law. They've agreed to come with us on a family holiday to the Red Sea next year & if we want to do some diving they'll look after the kids - result!!

I fancy going to Sharm, but we were looking on the internet last night & my wife found a hotel in Taba that she liked the look of. I've never been to Taba, but have been to Sharm (but not for about 12 years) & was after some advice as to which would be better.

What's the diving like in Taba compared to Sharm? Any recommendations for dive centres? Do the centres in Sharm still do day runs the Thistlegorm (my major reason for Sharm), and if so which?

Lastly would we have any issues regarding medical requirements as my wife is a diabetic diver?

Richard

[Richie]

It's 5 years since we were in Taba but:-

Taba was quiet with, I found, limited diving.Shallow and fairly dead.
Fantastic hotel - Hyatt Regency anyway.
I don't think that medical facilities are up to much if this is a consideration.

Sharm is massive in comparison much more bucket and spade now. It grows each year but:-

good range of dives including thistlegorm, Ras Mohammed, Tiran etc.
Hospital.
We use Emperor Divers who certanly do the TG.


For diving I would go to Sharm, for peace and quiet Taba

HTH

[Mal Bridgeman]

If you've not been to Sharm for 12 years, you won't recognise the place and will likely not like what's happened to it.

It's become the Blackpool of the Red Sea and has too large a concentration of non-divers so has lost most, if not all, its appeal.

The diving away from the local reefs was still very good (2 years ago, I've not been back since) but the local reefs have been trashed. You may well remember Temple as a beautiful site teeming with fish and soft coral .... well it's largely barren rock now

Taba does not have anything to match Ras Mohammed or Tiran but the local diving coral is in better condition and there are more fish .... if you are lucky you might see a frog fish or two but there are no pelagics. It is markedly cooler in Taba and depending on the time of year the sun sets early behind an escarpment meaning it can get even chillier.

I would take Taba for the peace and quiet.

HTH
Mal

[David D]

Spent a week in Sharm last year. I can't think of any reason I'd ever go back. I was there once before in November 2001, and since then it became much more crowded, much more dirty, and lost all the appeal I thought it had in '01.

Everybody there is desperately busy trying to get their share of the tourist dollar. Not with any great charm either.

Think Spanish Costa with Egyptian 'efficiency'.

Can't think of a lot kids might have found diverting either.

Never been to Taba, but it would need to be really bad to be any worse.

I must say though, an evening spent on the roof of the Camel bar in 30+ degrees with sheeshah pipes and beer is still a great way to end a day.

[Richard Greenwood]

Thanks for the replies, guys.

Taking this one stage further then, would Hurghada be a better option both for a family holiday & better diving options?

Richard

[Mal Bridgeman]

Please bear in mind these are my personal perspectives

Hurghada is becoming more like Sharm (again I have not been there for 2 years and won't be rushing back). The diving from Hurghada is better overall but still nothing to match RasMo. It's weather dependent but Carless Reef and Giftun are very nice though.

Why not think about further north or further south .... e.g. El Gouna or Marsa Alam? I went to El Gouna quite a few years ago but not been back lately (possibly later this year) and thought it was very nice. They don't run trips to the Thistlegorm anymore but you can get to the Rosalie Moller which is arguably a better wreck (certainly less busy and still with lots of coral formations on it and teeming with fish). It was a lot quieter than the other resorts and didn't seem to attract the partying crowds that the others do.

I went to Marsa Alam last year to the Tulip Resort which is an Italian run hotel and really enjoyed it.

It has to be said the African part of Egypt seems to suffer more from Wind than the Sinai side which is evidenced by the numbers of Windsurfers and kite boarders so expect some windy days.


HTH
Mal

[Richie]

We had a poor Hurghada experience staying at the Hilton south of the town.

The hotel was not good which did not help and that end of town was a bit like Cairo on Sea.

Diving was disappointing not helped by the weather which was v windy most of the week.

Little Giftun was Ok as were the Carnatic and Ghannis D. The rest were shallow dives on to sand by semi dead reefs. Not Ras Mo or Tiran standards.

We have been assured that the north end of town and El Gouna are better

[David D]

Never been to either Hurghada or El Gouna, so can't comment directly. I did notice a very favourable write-up of El Gouna yesterday. The diving didn't sound spectacular, but it sounded like a place you could bring a family.

[Red Sea Shadow]

Diving wise, it's definitely Sharm.

Taba's diving is very limited and not to be compared to Sharm. Hurghada is not a better option either.

[Mark Griffith]

Hi Richard
We recently stayed at the Marriott in Hurgharda which was great.The dive centre is in the hotel and the boat is moored 50 yards away,so no long bus journeys to and fro.The diving was good,but probably not as good as Sharm( my opinion).The town centre is the usual hussle and bussle with most shops selling the same things and even more of them selling off the streets.
hth
cheers
Mark