Shams Alam

Shams Alam is a perfect 'get away from it all' destination for divers, with access to more than thirty dive sites by day boat or rib as well as an excellent house reef.  Situated further south than its neighbour Marsa Alam, Shams Alam offers fantastic, pristine Southern Red Sea diving from a peaceful shore base, situated along some of the most scenic coastline in the Red Sea. The day diving boats are the only ones operating in this area.

House Reef 

The house reef is located directly on the hotel’s beach. It is shelved in different parts through three sandy bays where you can easily enter and exit. The north part is shallow and is just used for snorkelling.

There is an easy entrance to the house reef from a secure diver’s platform. The reef is a perfect environment to conduct training dives. The centre offers 'non-limit house reef diving' packages, with four reefs to choose from: two inner reefs accessible directly from the jetty and two outer reefs accessible by zodiac.

Learning to Dive

Like its more northerly neighbour Marsa Alam, Shams Alam offers a few sheltered sites and some incredibly beautiful fringing reefs. Learning to dive is a possibility here and the opportunity to shore dive means that the water is particularly accessible. However, to take full advantage of the stunning dives available it is recommended to be an advanced or intermediate diver with some experience.

Qualified Divers

The coral gardens of Wadi Gamal Island are situated in relatively calm water with good visibility. There is a vast array of beautiful reef fish among pristine hard and soft corals. They range from shoals of bright yellow banner and angelfish, to menacing moray eels and predatory lionfish, from the territorial trigger and clownfish to the rainbow colours of parrotfish and wrasse.

Sha’ab Sharm is a large, kidney-shaped reef lying atop a vast undersea mountain that is thought to be an ancient volcano. This site is well known for its dramatic, sheer walls swept by strong currents. An exhilarating drift dive on which you will be almost certainly accompanied by large schools of jacks and barracuda. This is also the patrolling ground of grey reef sharks, hammerheads and tuna.

Dolphin House or Samadai is one of the most popular sites for diving and snorkeling in the southern Red Sea region. The reef topography is stunning with caverns systems and a wide diversity of marine flora and fauna. Approximately 6 nautical miles south-east of Marsa Alam, Sha’ab Samadai is a horseshoe- shaped reef, 1.4 Km long and 1 Km wide.

The three main dive sites offer various possibilities including cave system and caverns, eel garden, a little seagrass bed and the biodiversity of the pinnacles. The common passage of pelagic species like barracuda, manta, sharks and dolphins and the presence of microfauna, soft corals, hard corals and reef fish make Samadai one of the most interesting and ecologically diverse dive sites in the Red Sea.

Dive site map

Wadi Gimal Dive Centre

The Wadi Gimal dive centre is located on the beach at the Shams Alam Resort.  Wadi Gimal is a PADI accredited centre, well managed by a professional German team.

A full range of diving services is offered, including training courses, non limit house reef diving and boat diving by day boat and rib. Equipment hire is also available. All divers with fewer than 20 logged dives must be guided. Guide cost is €8 per person per day (2 dives) (cost subject to change).

Dive site map

DIVE PRICES

Book your dive pack or course with Regaldive prior to departure, and benefit from lower prices than those in resort. You can also take advantage of our great value dive pack offers.  Please discuss your requirements with the Regaldive team, who will prepare a quotation suited to your needs.

Getting Around

The Shams Alam Beach Resort lets you dive some of the best sites in the southern Red Sea in comfort by day boat.

Find out more about Regaldive's Top Three Shams Alam Excursions

Climate 

The hottest time of the year is July and August with air temperature of over 30 ºC. The coolest time is January with the temperature at around 20 ºC. Rainfall is negligable and it is invariably sunny but breezes can be cool.

Time

Egypt is 1 or 2 hours ahead of GMT depending on the season as Egypt does not operate Daylight Saving Time.

Currency

Egyptian pounds or LE. Approximately £1 = 20LE

We recommend that you take some money in Cash to Egypt. There is a currency exchange desk available at the hotel.  Please note that Scottish notes and Australian Travellers Cheques are not accepted in Egypt.

Tipping

Although entirely voluntary, tipping is a recognised part of life in this region of the world. Some local staff will look to travellers for personal recognition of the services offered. We would advise that you allow approx. £10 for gratuities for local staff for the duration of your stay.

Rough Price Guide

• Local beer: 65LE
• Snack meal (pizza/sandwich): 130LE
• Bottle of water (1.5L): 25LE
• Soft drink: 35LE

Activities

• The Shams Alam Beach Resort offers peaceful diving and a brilliant night sky. Non-diving activities include:
• Snorkelling
• Raquet sports

Flight Information

Flights are available to Hurghada (HRG) from a number of UK airports. Please refer to the tables below for typical direct flight schedules, or speak to our friendly travel consultants for the latest information.

Direct flights from the UK to Marsa Alam Airport are available on a Sunday, November through to April, from Gatwick.  There are connecting options via Cairo which work well for certain resorts, southern Red Sea liveaboards, and Cairo extensions. Please speak to the team for more information on this option.

Typical Annual Schedule

HRG = Hurghada Airport, updated Aug 2024

Key: * = Winter only (November to April), ** = Summer only (May to October), *** = Irregular schedule, ask for more information

NB: Please note that flight schedules may be subject to change by the airlines at any time. Full and up to date flight details will be provided with any holiday quotation.

Flight duration: Approx 5 - 5½ hours

Transfer times: These vary  according to the hotel choice. To Shams Alam from Marsa Alam Airport is approximately 1.5 hours, From Hurghada Airport is it approximately 4 hours. 

Departure tax:  N/A

Passports

Passengers travelling to Egypt must have six months valid on their passport from the date of departure from Egypt.

Visas

A single entry tourist visa for Egypt is required for all nationalities. For British passport holders with British citizenship, Egyptian visas can be obtained conveniently and inexpensively on arrival at Hurghada airport, or in advance via the new e-visa portal - Visa2Egypt.

Other nationalities should check with consular office.

Vaccinations

There are no compulsory vaccinations for travel to Egypt, but we recommend protection against typhoid, tetanus, hepatitis A and polio. Though malaria does exist in Egypt, it is generally not present in the coastal resorts.

Vaccination requirements are subject to change and should be confirmed before departure.  For the most up to date advice please consult your travel clinic.

Further information regarding vaccinations for travel to this country can be found at www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk and from your local healthcare provider.

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Shams Alam Resort