Indian Valley Scuba & Travel
Egypt & the Red Sea â Adventures Above & Below
Aug 17 â Sept 1, 2018
Join Indian Valley Scuba & Travel for sixteen amazing days touring the center of yesterdayâs civilization and the foundation of much of the society we enjoy today, as we return to the land of the Pharaohs, Egypt, to tour the cultural sites as well as explore the depths of the Red Sea too! Here is what the trip looks like:
Day 1        Friday              Overnight Travel JFK â CAI
Day 2        Saturday         Arrive Cairo. We will be welcomed upon arrival by our tour representative who will provide us with VIP Airside Visa Service. Once we gather our bags, weâll be escorted to our Cairo hotel to freshen up and relax after our long flight. There we can enjoy the pool, and watch the sunset over the pyramids, enjoy a Hookah experience and dinner on our own (not included).
Day 3    Sunday                Breakfast at the hotel (included). Then we are off for a day full of ancient Egyptian culture! First we travel via private bus for an escorted tour of Giza and the Great Pyramids. Next stop will be to visit the historic Egyptian Museum of Antiquities where our certified Egyptologist tour guide will escort us through the myriad exhibits and displays. Our guide will help us as we stop at a local eatery for lunch (not included). The afternoon will find us visiting one of the most significant sites in the Islamic religion, the Mohamed Ali Mosque, before we head over to the Kham El Khalili bazaar, located in the historic center of Islamic Cairo, to do some shopping and grab dinner before our flight. Back on the bus, we return to the hotel to pick up our bags, then off to the airport for our one-hour flight to Hurghada at 22:00.  Once weâve landed, our new guides will meet us at the terminal, and transfer us to the Safari Boat â our home on the sea for the next week!
Day 4    Monday              We will begin our classical Red Sea Safari with a hearty breakfast, and a checkout dive to ensure that all the gear (and the divers) are functioning well. Our cruise all-inclusive, with all meals, snacks, and diving included.  After breakfast, we transit to one of the most storied wrecks of the Red Sea, the Thistlegorm. One afternoon dive, then a night dive on this great wreck too! All day long we will enjoy fantastic Egyptian meals and snacks, all prepared fresh and on board â this is definitely not a Weight-Watchers recommended adventure!
Day 5    Tuesday              Sunrise at sea, then breakfast, and another dive on the Thistlegorm, as there is so much to see and so many great photo opportunities on this World War II casualty wreck to make sure we see it all. From there, we sail to Ras Mohamed National Park, the Straits of Tiran â Jackson Reef, and a night dive at Laguna.
Day 6    Wednesday      The great diving continues, with three more fantastic sites in the Straits of Tiran â Gordon Reef, Woodhouse Reef, and Thomas Reef. A longer sail overnight as we head to Brothers National Park.
Day 7    Thursday            It just keeps getting better, as we make three dives around Big Brother Island. Unfortunately, there is no night diving allowed in the National Park
Day 8    Friday                  Mo diving, mo diving, mo diving â three great dives in the clear blue waters of Little Brother Island, and an overnight sail towards Safaga
Day 9    Saturday             Our last day of safari diving brings us to a very solemn site, the wreck of the Salem Express. Two more dives today, at Abu Khafain, and finally Panarama, before we say our goodbyes to the boat crew, and take a short ride down the coast to Roots Red Sea Camp. A warm welcome as Team IVS returns again to dive with this great operation, and to see many of the friends we have made on prior trips.
Day 10 Sunday                We start the morning off with two shore dives, then back to the camp for lunch, part of another all-inclusive portion of our journey. The afternoon is spent enjoying unlimited diving on the house reef. That evening, weâll experience a local night dive, followed by a beach barbecue on the shores of the Red Sea.
Day 11 Monday              Today we have options: we can enjoy shore dives along the coast with the Roots staff, or head south for an optional dive on the offshore pinnacle known as Elphinstone, which includes an adrenalin rush of a zodiac ride to the site. For the afternoon, we have more choices: you can head back to Roots to shore dive or relax at the pool, or join us in the optional Desert Quad Bike Safari / Camel Ride / Bedouin Meal Adventure, returning to camp later that night.
Day 12 Tuesday              Todayâs morning reef dives will be off the high-speed Zodiac boats, then back to Roots for lunch, followed by a lazy afternoon of unlimited shore diving or pool tanning. That evening youâll be treated to a traditional fish dinner on the beach in downtown El Quseir.
Day 13 Wednesday      Our final morning of shore diving with Roots, then our last lunch and itâs time to say goodbye. From there we transit to Luxor with a 14:00 departure, and check in at the Steinberger Hotel Bed & Breakfast later that afternoon. That evening, we are treated to the Sound & Light Show at Karnak Temple.
Day 14 Thursday            A full day of touring in Luxor, including Valley of the Kings, Queen Hatshepsup Temple, lunch downtown, the Collossi of Memnon, and sailing on the Nile in a Faluka boat. Dinner that evening is on our own.
Day 15 Friday                  For the early birds, an awesome optional Balloon Ride over the monuments is your reward, and it is worth it! After that, we enjoy a hearty breakfast, then weâre off to Luxor Temple, and Dandara Temple for our final two cultural checkmarks in our travelersâ passports. One stop back at the hotel for our bags, then we head to the airport for our flight to Cairo that evening. Overnight hotel is adjacent to the Cairo airport, and dinner is on our own.
Day 16 Saturday             Up bright and early for our flight back to New York, and the end of this amazing adventure!  Arrive back at JFK later afternoon.
Trip Itinerary Continuation â Aswan & Abu Simbel Add-On
Day 15 [Aswan Opt.]    If you have decided to join us for the Aswan Add-On, then our Friday will look a little different. Youâll do everything with the group listed above, but in the afternoon, instead of heading to the airport, our English-speaking guide will take us for a tour of the Luxor Museum, then stroll through some of the local farms and villages, ending up with a private dinner in his family home. Weâll spend the night back in our hotel and get ready for the next dayâs adventures!
Day 16 Saturday             Another early start with breakfast and a 7:00 a.m. departure via private transport from Luxor to Aswan.  Along the way, weâll visit Edfu Temple and Kom Ombo, before arriving at our hotel in mid-afternoon. Lunch on our own, & some relaxing time around the pool, before we head our for a 4:30 p.m. motorboat trip with a Nubian guide to First Cataract and Elefantine Island. That evening, weâre invited to a private dinner with our guide and his family in their Nubian homestead.
Day 17 Sunday                An 8:00 a.m. private transport to historic Abu Simbel, with a private guide to lead us through the temples. Following that, we check in to our hotel, enjoy lunch on our own, catch a nap or relax, and then a 5:00 motorboat trip on Lake Nasser, before catching the Sound & Light Show at Abu Simbel, and heading back to the hotel for dinner (not included).Â
Day 18 Monday              Today we head back to Aswan, and visit the Unfinished Obelisk, High Dam, and Philae Temple. Break for lunch and and some local sightseeing before we board a VIP Train back to Luxor at 3:00. After checking in to our hotel, we can relax a bit and then head out on our own, grab a local dinner, and see more of this beautiful town.  p bright and early for our flight back to New York, and the end of this amazing adventure!  Arrive back at JFK later in the afternoon.
Day 19 Tuesday              Up early for a 4:45 transfer back to the airport, catch our flight to Cairo at 6:20 a.m., and then connect there with our international flight back home
Option #2 â stay a few more days, and join us as we travel to Dahab to dive the famous Blue Hole and other sites, ending up with a visit to the historic city of Petra in Jordan. [Addâl Cost]
Optional â stay another two days and travel to Abu Simbel and the Aswan Dam area. [Addâl Cost]
Base Trip Cost: $2,200 per person, dbl occ.  Â
Max. 24 participants    Deposit: $500
Inclusions:
- Visa service
- All airport transfers
- Hotels [Cairo / Luxor / Cairo]
- Cultural Tours, Admissions and Guides
- Domestic airfare
- All-inclusive liveaboard âBig Blueâ
- Dive Permits & Fees
- Lodging, Meals & Diving [Roots Camp]
- Beach Barbecue
- Fish Dinner in El Quseir
- Breakfasts [Cairo & Luxor]
Exclusions:
- International Airfare
- Alcohol and soft drinks
- Lunches & Dinners [Cairo & Luxor]
- Dive Gear (other than Tanks & Weights)
- Elphinstone Pinnacle Dive ($75)
- Quad Safari / Camel Rides / Dinner ($90)
- Luxor Sunrise Balloon Ride ($100)
- Optional Aswan Dam Add-on ($550)
- Optional Dahab / Blue Hole / Petra Add-On ($ TBD)
Updated May 4, 2018