Eritrea Travel Forum

Hi!

Has anyone been diving or snorkelling off the Etrean coast? What's it like? Where is the best place to stay?

I'm wondering about this also...anyone out there? I have some info from a couple of guidebooks I could pass on but I haven't found much on the web. It seems that this is the most expensive thing to do in Eritrea, just to get to the islands cost over $300US.

Hi, three years ago my daughter and a friend spent some time in Eritrea and they also went snorkelling.They went to Massawa, that's the Italian name of the city. The Tigrinian name is pronounced "butsa". I don't know how to spell it. It's on the northern Eritrean coast at the Red Sea. There are two islands just off the coast and you can take a boat to get there. Both girls loved snorkelling there. Back then it wasn't really touristic there, which didn't matter since my daughter's friend speaks the language.
She went back last year and said she didn't see as many fish as three years ago, but it still was a great experience.
Christine

i was in Massawa last January. as the guides say (Bradt and Lonely) you have to pay a tax for diving in Dahlak islands. You can go to the eritrean shipping line in taulud island or better check in Dahlak Hotel. Ask for Signora Lucia (she speaks italian tigrinya and english) or Tecle (only tigrinya and english). The hotel has is own dock with boats, but you have to arrange the immersion in advance.
The reastaurant in Dahlak Hotel is very good and cheap.

The best hotel stay in as far as Masawa is concerned is Red sea Hotel with its centrlised air con system. But there are at least a couple of other hotels that are also OK such Central hotel and Dahlak Hotel. as for diving and snorkleing the best way is to the islands which is a litlle expensive but join a group so that you do not have to fork out all the money for the chartered boat. Contact the local dive centres one in Massawa (Eritrea Dive Centre) or one in the capital Asmara (Scuba Zone Eritrea) who will be able to organise your diving trip for you. Five of us went from London and we stayed in a hotel on the biggest island (Kebir) which had a hotel. The local dive centre who arranged the accomdation had a mobile compressor which meant we could stay there for three days and enjoy the diving.

Yes, I have been to the Dahlak islands for snorkelling and general sightseeing. I have also been to the coastal stony/sandy strip north of Massawa, but that's not so exciting and the prospect of land mines in the sand makes it a bit limiting. This was close to 4 years ago, but I assume the situation is much the same as Eritrea has gone from one economic-political crisis to the other and not much has happened in tourism development and general investment. I guess that my description may still hold water...
It is straight-forward to go Dahlak, but as another contributor assumes, you have to obtain/pay a national park fee, not so much. They know all the logistical stuff and routines and contacts at Dahlak Hotel in Massawa.
You need to rent a boat (ensure it has a canopy, otherwise you'll get fried) with a captain/guide. Bring a packaged lunch or make a booking for lunch/overnight at the only hotel at the great Dahlak Island (can't remember its proper name). Bring water, lots of water to drink. Ensure you have good snorkelling equipment - what we saw in terms of fins, snorkels and masks were quite rudimentary. Better bring your own. Ensure that the captain steers the boat really where you want to go. They prefer to do a very short trip, quick stop and return. Get a map, a plan and make sure that the plan is paid for and understood by the boat owner and would-be-captain. Cost was 250 USD pp for a whole day when I went there. Should come down when there are more people.
Typically, the boats for hire are roomy, maybe space for 10-12 and diving equipment (or TVs and DVD players from Yemen), twin outboards and with 230 hp they'll hurtle you to the main Dahlak archipelago in about 1 1/2 hrs. You will see leaping dolphins on your way.
Some islands are closed for visitors for military and environment protection reasons. Your permit obtained in Massawa will licence you to land on some of the islands.
There are very strong currents in some of the best snorkelling spots, so be careful, and perhaps trail a rope with a safety bouy after the boat when snorkelling. Make sure the captain doesn't throw the anchor straight on live coral - they will if you don't tell them to.
Just by coincidence I found my old Dahlak photos yesterday and put some of them on my VT page last night. Still under construction and only few details are provided, but the page will improve shortly. At least it gives you an idea of what it's like out there. These islands are on my repeat wish list, and if realized I'll stay for a week at the island hotel and roam around on land and sea - excursions from there.
Hope this give you a fair idea...