Overview
Wadi Lahami Azur Resort is one of the Red Sea's most southerly beach resorts, situated directly north of the peninsula of Ras Banas, a prominent harbour to the ancient town of Berenice that dates back two thousand years. Boasting its own private beach, the resort is situated approximately 185km south of Marsa Alam. Ideally located for diving and snorkelling, Orca Dive Club is based on site and now offers boat diving, and house reef diving from its new jetty.
Accommodation
This resort offers 128 dome shaped rooms with air-conditioning, private balcony or terrace, satellite TV, direct dial telephone, en-suite shower & WC, hairdryer, mini bar and safety deposit box. Guests are accommodated on a soft all-inclusive basis (excludes alchoholic drinks).
Other Facilities
Wadi Lahami Azur Resort has two attractive freshwater swimming pools as well as a childrens pool. The hotel has a main buffet restaurant overlooking the beach and a small beach bar. There is a daily entertainment programme, pool bar serving snacks, and a football pitch. The resort also has a gift shop, internet access, money exchange facility and a laundry service.
Families
The hotel has a children's pool, kid’s menu and inter-connecting rooms.
Location
Wadi Lahami Resort is situated 5 km south of Hamata. The transfer from Marsa Alam airport takes approximately 2 hours and from Hurghada airport around 5¼ hours. Orca Divers are based on-site.
Group Discounts
11 pay, 1 goes FREE (conditions apply)
Dive info
The small town of Hamata lends its name to the region opposite the Fury Shoal Reef system. This is the most southerly diving resort in the Egyptian Red Sea. The remoteness of this area, situated 180 km South of Marsa Alam, makes it the ultimate in ‘get away from it all’ diving.
Until recently, the pristine sites of this area were the sole preserve of liveaboard boats and have consequently remained relatively unvisited. There are very few resorts this far south, but Regaldive offer two different options: Wadi Lahami Azur Resort and Lahami Bay. Both offer relaxed, uncrowded diving in a remote and unspoiled area.
The legendary Fury Shoal is right on Hamata's doorstep, offering over 35 memorable dive sites. There are over 80 types of coral to discover in this region, all in excellent condition and inhabited by a rich variety of marine species.
Learning to Dive
There are a variety of dive sites that offer novice divers the opportunity to dive on sheltered reefs. However, in order to take full advantage of the stunning dives available here, it is recommended to be an advanced or intermediate diver.
Qualified Divers
Lahami Bay offers a combination of fine house reef diving and excellent day boat diving. For Wadi Lahami Azur Resort, boat diving is offered from Hamata Port (see below). The remote nature of these resorts, combined with their location opposite the Fury Shoal Reef system, offers divers what is arguably the best land based diving available in the Egyptian Red Sea.
House Reef Diving
Lahami Bay enjoys easy access to a wonderful house reef, which is made up of an attractive fringing reef and coral outcrops rising from the sandy plateau. This creates beautiful swim-throughs and offers the opportunity to explore different areas on numerous repeat dives. Between the beach entry point and the start of the reef the sea grass provides a sheltered habitat for seahorses.
Lahami Bay House Reef Map
NEW: The jetty at Wadi Lahami Azur Resort gives unprecedented access to a beautiful stretch of untouched house reef directly in front of the hotel. Snorkellers will find plenty to explore in the lovely sandy lagoon at 2-3m depth, looking for blue spotted rays and juvenile coral fish. The sandy bottom slopes gently and is covered by many blocks of corals including some plate corals. Divers will find the outside of the fringing reef irresistible with its steep 10-15m reef wall consisting of little caves and overhangs and a large variety of hard and soft corals. Due a small headland the house reef is relatively protected from waves making it ideal for underwater photography.
The house reefs in Hamata enable divers the flexibility to dive to their own schedule, and maximise their time in the water. There is an amazing array of hard and soft corals to be appreciated, all within a short walk of your hotel room. Night dives are also available on the house reefs and provide an exciting opportunity to watch Spanish dancers, lionfish and lobster.
Boat Diving
Wadi Lahami Azur Resort and Lahami Bay share many of the same dive sites on Fury Shoal. There are over 35 uncrowded boat dives accessible from either resort. All of the dives sites are within 2 hours of the dive centres although the majority can be reached within 1 hour of the shore by large, purpose built day boats. Dive sites this far South offer some of the finest coral in the Red Sea. There are over 80 varieties of healthy soft and hard coral that have formed over millennia into spectacular coral gardens and pinnacles, which in turn support a vast array of marine life.
One of the sites, Gota Soraya is rated as one of the best wall dives in the Red Sea, with large caves full of Glass Fish, Sweepers and an abundance of corals. Divers can expect to see a wide variety of marine species including dolphin, which occasionally come in as close as the resorts house reefs. There is a good chance of enjoying encounters with a variety of shark species along with large shoals of mackerel in season. Turtles hatch along this coastline and sightings are common.
Ultimately, divers come away remembering immaculate uncrowded reefs supporting an abundance of marine life including many species rarely found elsewhere. This far south, the water temperature during the winter months is significantly higher than that of the Northern Red Sea. This creates a relaxed dive environment year round.
Dive prices
Regaldive work with two well managed dive centres in the Hamata area:
Guests staying at Wadi Lahami Azur Resort dive with Orca Dive Club Wadi Lahami. They offer day boat diving from Hamata Port, a ten minute transfer away, and house reef diving from their new jetty.
Guests staying at Lahami Bay Beach Resort & Gardens dive with Barakuda. They offer beach entry house reef diving and day boat diving.
Orca Dive Club Wadi Lahami
Orca Dive Club run the dive centre at the Wadi Lahami Azur Resort. Boat diving is offered from Hamata Port jetty just ten minutes transfer from the centre. Divers with fewer than 30 dives logged must be guided. Orca also offer house reef diving from their newly-constructed jetty.
Orca Dive Club offers a range of courses from novice through to Divemaster, and technical diving courses including Nitrox and Draeger Rebreather. FREE Nitrox is available (32%) for qualified Nitrox divers, making it an ideal centre for Nitrox divers, and those wanting to learn. Please enquire for full details.
Please note that it is compulsory at Orca Dive Club to dive with a dive computer. All divers with fewer than 30 logged dives must be guided. Guided dives cost €5 per person per dive.
From January 2023 the following Environmental Fee is applicable to all trips with Orca Divers. Fees are paid locally and are non-refundable.
- Nation park fees: €5 per person, per day
- Tax and permissions: €5 per person, per day
Typically, 10 unguided house reef dives with Orca Divers at Wadi Lahami Resort starts from £200 per person excluding equipment rental.
Barakuda Dive Centre
Barakuda dive centre is ideally located at Lahami Bay Beach Resort, and offers house reef and day boat diving. The centre is extremely well organised, and offers dive training to PADI, CMAS and TDI standards.
A range of courses is available, from novice to Divemaster. An excellent range of well-maintained equipment is available for hire. DIN fittings standard, with International adapters available free of charge. Please enquire for details of dive courses available at Barakuda.
Lahami Bay has a fringing house reef accessible directly from the beach. Outer parts of the house reef are also accessible by small boat. Minimum numbers apply for these trips, and a supplement is payable in resort for any boat trips.
Please note that it is compulsory at Barakuda to dive with a dive computer. All divers with over 30 logged dives will be unguided and unescorted, as a buddy pair or group, by Barakuda staff, unless each diver pays €6 per person per dive. Divers without 30 logged dives and their buddy must dive with a guide (€6 per person per dive charge applies).
Typically, 10 unguided house reef dives with Barakuda at Lahami Bay starts from £260 per person excluding equipment rental.
Lahami Bay House Reef 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.
Resort info
The Hamata region offers the most southerly accommodation for divers in the Egyptian Red Sea. A remote region, Hamata is an area of natural beauty, and offers access to superb dive sites previously visited only by liveaboards.
Getting Around
Remote and removed from the outside world, the hotels this far south are generally self-contained. Entertainment is very much centred around the individual hotels.
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. Please note that Hamata is 3 hours ahead of GMT - one hour ahead of the northerly Egyptian resorts - although this may be subject to change during the period of Ramadan.
Currency
Egyptian pounds or LE. Approximately £1 = 20LE
We recommend that you take some money in Cash to Egypt. Please note that Scottish notes 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
- Small bottle of mineral water: 25LE
- Soft drink: 35LE
Travel info
Flight Information
Direct flights from the UK to Marsa Alam Airport are available on Sundays, November through to April, from Gatwick. There are connecting options via Cairo, into Marsa Alam Airport, which work well for Hamata resorts, southern Red Sea liveaboards, and Cairo extensions. Please speak to the team for more information on this option.
Please speak to our friendly travel consultants for the latest information.
Flight duration: Approx 5 - 5½ hours
Transfer times: These vary according to the hotel choice. From Marsa Alam Airport to Hamata resorts is approximately 3 hours, we do no recomend transfering from Hurghada Airport to Hamata without an overnight on arrival.
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.
Prices
The price panel above provides an indication of a lead-in price for your holiday, based on the cheapest time to travel. Prices shown are per person, and based on two persons sharing.
As flight prices vary from day to day, Regaldive will prepare a quotation for you based on current flight prices available. This ensures that you receive the most competitive price for your chosen travel dates. Flights from regional UK airports may be available, depending on your destination and date of travel.
Please call 01353 659999 or e-mail Regaldive, using the link below, for a quotation.
Our Price Promise
At Regaldive we are committed to offering you the best possible value for money on all our diving holidays. That's why we offer you a price match promise. Learn more about our promise to you.
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Reviews
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A good time was had by all!
"Our trip to Wadi Lahami azur was very enjoyable. The transfer and help from the Regaldive rep at the airport was excellent. They had even got our visas for us in advance which cut down our airport time considerably. The transport - a nice air conditioned mini bus was waiting for us and we arrived at the hotel in time for dinner.
The check in was seamless and we were given beautiful rooms with a sea view. The staff were helpful even getting us tonic for our gin! Two bottles of tonic were put in our room fridge every day after we mentioned it to the staff at reception. They had to send to Hurgada for it!
The food was as food is in Egypt good salads, breakfasts and lunches. Dinner is always fine with a good few choices so adequate but uninspired. The dining area was lovely and again the staff charming.
The dive centre was well run as I would expect from Orca. Good equipment which was immediately repaired when one of us sprung a small leak. The facilities there are good and the house reef easily accessible though I am not sure how easy the access will be in the rougher weather of the winter months. However, the boat diving was excellent. The port of Hamata is not far away but the port itself is laden with rubbish plastic around the edges not something we saw anywhere else. The two sea eagles that sat on the lamp posts every morning as we arrived were an added bonus as were the kingfishers in the port as we walked back to the bus at the end of the day. They were feasting on a large shoal of small fish that had been pushed in to the shallows by half a dozen large squid! We had some lovely dives and one very hairy one at Shaab mak sur but we all got back safely. The boat crews were excellent, very helpful and in particular helped “Auntie” back in the boat by taking my weights and jacket before I climbed the steps back in to the boat.
Highlight of the holiday was a very close encounter with a turtle on the house reef and large anemone field which is also just off the house reef. We were given direction to find it – they don’t tell everyone! About 12 huge anemones with resident Nemos a wonderful sight. Dolphins at dolphin house were lovely to see and a small white tip again in the lagoon side of the house reef. The sea eagle fishing the hotel lagoon was also a sight to behold and sharing the swimming pool with 3 seagulls and a duck another first for me.
A good time was had by all!"
Marney Hall - UK
The Diving is Spectacular - an Amazing Experience
"This year it was with a certain amount of trepidation that we booked to go back to Egypt due to the general fear of security at airports and possibility of terrorist attacks. I have to say that the security at the airport (Marsa Alaam) was second to none. The drive south was totally safe and we felt safe throughout our two weeks' stay at the Wahadi Lahami Azur.
The hotel was virtually empty and we were certainly the only two Brits and the saddest thing was to see how few people are now going to Egypt for their diving holidays. I would like to recommend to Regaldive to promote trips to Hamata. The diving is spectacular, the Orca staff, the hotel staff and the boat crews cannot do enough to make your diving an amazing experience.
We were even invited out into the desert for a 'bbq' with some of the Orca staff and the boat crew to celebrate a local festivity. We were 6 Europeans amongst ten or so local Egyptians and so honoured to be invited. We watched the sunset and cooked bread in the sand, two meat dishes on hot cinders and shared with them their celebration as the stars came out. All way out in the desert and as safe as could be with wonderful people. As for the diving, I cannot describe the beauty especially one that we named "the stairway to heaven" on a reef called Shaab Hamam. The dolphins, the sharks, the turtles etc. etc. etc.."
Gretta Robertson - UK
We had a Great Time!
"The house reef is as good, if not better, than any I have seen in the Red Sea (I've seen 7 others). It's the only house reef where I've snorkelled with a White Tip Reef sharks, on two separate occasions, and the fact that you can dive it as well is a rare bonus. The other great thing is the tidal lagoon, it was perfect for my wife who is not a strong swimmer, but a keen snorkeller, allowing her to snorkel safely even when the high winds and waves prevented her using the house reef, another great bonus which is undersold.
Orca Divers are not a PADI Centre, but performed well, the lead guide, an Egyptian, was exceptional. We never had a dive group of more than 6. It may not be run quite to PADI standards, but if offered 90 minute house reef dives and 75 minute boat dives, most of us would be prepared to compromise!
The dive boat was a good one. Boat crew were as ever helpful and I found myself adopted by the cabin boy. Boat food was good. My only issue was having to climb up the rear ladder into the boat with a steel tank on is a real chore. Hamata port is a real dump, but the presence of ospreys made it interesting!
The Fury Shoal reefs, accessed by boat, are out of this world. A number of them we had visited before on your 'Deep South' liveaboard and if anything they were better. The hard coral formations are fantastic and with the caves a truly fantastic location..
My wife and I love Egypt and have visited on 10 other occasions. It saddens us to see the people driven so low. That is why I'm disinclined to say much about the hotel. It's basic, but the staff are really great & trying so hard. So what if the tonic ran out after a couple of days, the beer didn't.
The a/c in my sons room packed up twice but they were upgraded to a room where it worked! They clearly have cut costs on maintenance, so the grounds are in need of much work. Whilst we could overlook broken pavings and the like, I would not think it suitable for children.
The hotel has an Bedouin tent for coffee and shishaand the old chap who makes the coffee is a local, must be close to 100 years old and was a delightful guy, despite not having a word of English.
We will definitely return to Hamata, but, if given the choice, would probably opt for a higher grade hotel when the time comes."
Michael Thurlow - UK
We Had the Most Amazing Time!!
"Thank you - we had the most amazing time!!
Dived Shaab Zabargad, Shaab Satara, all sorts of other shaabs. And the island Siyul. Our dive instructor Hussein was lovely. Food was great. Too windy to dive one day and Matt had ear problems another, but we got three days of diving in at least. We also snorkelled with dolphins which was just incredible.
I will be writing a glowing review for Wadi Lahmi on Trip Advisor - they all work so hard there and it would be nice to see them get more custom."
Ingrid O'Reilly - UK
One of the most Heavenly Places I Have Ever Visited.
"Thank you for arranging my holiday. I had a lovely time staying at Wadi Lahami Azur Resort. Hamata was wonderful and one of the most ‘heavenly’ places I have ever visited. Flights & transfers were very smooth and Ramadan the Rep was very attentive at the airport out and back. He also telephoned during my stay to check all was OK which was reassuring. Orca Divers were very efficient, their day boats are lovely and the diving was good. Loved the Wahdi Azur Resort – no need for a gym – lovely pools for swimming and you can run round the edge of the property! Great food, big rooms cleaned immaculately every day. It was a REALLY good holiday and I’d go back tomorrow if I could! Thank you very much for putting it together for me!"
Serena Brotherton - UK
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