Marsa Shagra: Best kept secret in Egypt

Austen Bannister · Issue 43, Jul/Aug 2008 · pp. 39–41

I have been diving in Egypt for sixteen years now and must admit to being a dyed in the wool safari boatman. So it was a big change in tradition when we decided to try Marha Shagra, admittedly with slight trepidation. Marsa Shagra is a twenty- minute mini bus ride from Marsa Alam airport, a vast improvement to the two-hour plus bus trips that had to be endured to meet up with a dive boat a few years ago. The first impression of the Red Sea Safari dive centre is one of space and quiet order, all the amenities are there but not on top of each other. There is a warm welcome at reception where you are separated from your luggage and your passport; the first is off to your accommodation and the second into the safe. You then follow your luggage. The accommodation is in four formats, the tents, the larger royal tents, the Mandarah huts and the larger Madyafa chalets, if like us your interest i…