The Travel Snob

A New Resource Devoted to Diving the Red Sea's "Corridor of Marvels" - TRAVEL SNOB TRAVEL BLOG

Recent years have seen the discovery of new shipwrecks, reefs and animal gatherings along what Jacques Cousteau called 'the corridor of marvels' in the Red Sea, the number one destination for divers in Europe and the UK. The newly published Dive Red Sea: The Ultimate Guide (Ultimate Sports) brings to life over 100 of the Red Sea's top dive locations, combining the snappy writing, images by award-winning photographers Alex Mustard, Charles Hood, Jane Morgan & JP Trenque, and high quality mapping, and specially commissioned graphic illustrations of the region's most important shipwrecks.

In addition to covering the popular dive sites of Egypt, the authors explore all eight nations with Red Sea coastlines, including the wilder zones of the sea in countries such as Sudan and Djibouti, Saudi Arabia's "forbidden zone", newly discovered wreck dives in Egypt, new dive sites in Jordan's Gulf of Aqaba, whale shark aggregation in Djibouti, and the first major account of Sudan's manta ray site. There are also special sections on the formation, history and natural history of the Red Sea, marine life identification, advice about photography and videography and getting the best from the Red Sea including how to stay safe in the water, even on the most demanding dives. Essential advice on travel, diving etiquette and local culture is included, along with details of marine conservation organisations. For non-diving days, there is coverage of land-based attractions such as Petra and Wadi Rum in Jordan and The Valley of the Kings and Mount Sinai and St Catherine's in Egypt.

For more information, visit ArtOfDiving.com.

- The Travel Snob

In 2006, Visitors Galore Flocked to Egypt. TRAVEL SNOB TRAVEL BLOG

According to the World Trade Organization, the number of Americans traveling to Egypt in 2006 soared to 228,165, up from 195,800 the year before.  "We were very pleased with 16% growth of American travelers in 2006," notes Ayden Nour, Consul-Director of USA & Latin America for the Egyptian Tourist Authority. "In 2007, we anticipate beating the 2000 record of 235,000 visitors [from the US]."

Yanks ranked 6th in total visitors, after intrepid Western Europeans from England (1,033,000), Russia (998,000), Germany (966,000), Italy (786,000), and France (372,000) - adding up to a total of 9,082,000 in 2006. In a year when the global growth rate for wordwide tourism measured 4.5%, Egypt racked up an impressive 5.5% increase over 8.7 million visitors the previous year. "Egypt has always been a powerful draw for visitors, with numbers increasing year after year," says Ahmed El Khadem, Chairman of the Egyptian Tourism Authority, which has an ambitious strategic program to double the number of annual visitors to 16 million by 2014. "I am therefore pleased to see that world travellers continue to recognize the many diverse and beautiful treasures that can be found in Egypt. People are coming not only for first-time visits, to see our world-renowned sights, but also for repeat stays to enjoy another helping of our year-round sunshine and our wonderful beaches and resorts."

Featuring 360 days of sunshine per year, famous historical sights, spectacular beaches and coral reefs, as well as golf, ecotourism, shopping and wellness breaks, it's not surprising Egypt continues to rank at the top of many travelers' lists.

For more Egypt info, visit Egypt.Travel.

- The Travel Snob

Have You Slept Underwater Lately? Head 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea to the Jules Undersea Lodge. TRAVEL SNOB TRAVEL BLOG

Featured on Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous & the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, the research habitat named for Jules Verne in Key Largo, Florida, is now open to normal folk.

Although it's still a functioning lab, the good news is that it's been sexed up with air conditioning, hot showers, a stereo, fully stocked galley - and unlimited diving for certified divers.  Entering through a tropical mangrove 21 feet beneath the surface, via an opening in the bottom of the cozy, cottage-sized structure - it's like discovering a secret underwater clubhouse.  Large 42 inch windows provide a 24/7 live show starring the local inhabitants, which include angelfish, parrotfish, barracuda, snappers, anemones, sponges, oysters, and feather duster worms.

Your underwater adventure awaits at JUL.com.

- The Travel Snob

Scuba Dive in Cuba! Captivating Cuba Shares the 5 Best Spots. TRAVEL SNOB TRAVEL BLOG

Standing on a large, exuberant and totally virgin coral reef, Cuba is a sunken paradise for anyone who digs diving. The waters surrounding the Cuban archipelago are warm, with an average annual temperature above 24°C, mild tides and no strong currents.  With an average horizontal visibility of 30 meters (98 feet), the Cuban waters are awash in diverse flora and underwater fauna - and an absence of aggressive animals.

CaptivatingCuba.com offers up this insider advice on the best places for diving:

1. Maria la Gorda In the westernmost part of Cuba in the Pinar del Rio province, Maria la Gorda is a remote and beautiful location - about 4 hours by land from Havana - which is one of the least developed and most natural parts of Cuba. Located within the Guanahacabibes Peninsula, a world biosphere preserve, there are two dive zones, one to the north and the other to the south. The configuration of the bottom is scaled, allowing multilevel diving. Features include abundant black coral walls, wrecks from the 18th century, flora and fauna in excellent condition, no currents due to its geographical position and diving facilitated all year round. Caves in the ocean and on land are excellent for practicing cave and cavern diving.

 

2. Cayo Levisa A small offshore key located off Cuba's northwest shore, and about 1 hour west of Havana. The dive sites are on the northern side of the bay, where there is abundant coral, sponges, black coral and medium to large tropical fish. Especially notable is the presence of accessible 17th and 18th century wrecks of archaeological interest. There are no currents here and walls at a 20-and greater meter depth.

 

3. Cayo Largo Off the southern coast of Cuba, Cayo Largo is 177 km south of Havana and 120 km east of the Isle of Youth. The diving is based out of Playa Sirena. This area contains some practically untouched beaches and coral reefs in addition to the tunnels, steep walls, ridges, hillocks and mountains of coral reefs as well a wide variety of fish and chelonians. As there are barrier reef just 1 km offshore, Cayo Largo is protected from rough seas and the water temperature is around 25ºC. Sol Cayo Largo hotel is located on an idyllic stretch of beach, flanked by palm trees. Domestic flights from Havana to Cayo Largo take about 45 minutes.

 

4. Playa Giron Located east of the Bay of Pigs on Cuba's south shore, Playa Giron is 71 miles from Havana about a 2 hour drive from Varadero. The international dive centre in Playa Giron features mainly shelf diving in addition to peculiar deep caves in the area. Diving sites are less than 80 meters from the shore. The top attractions here are the sheer drop offs close to shore that are riddled with swim throughs and make great shore dives. There are also some shallow shore dives for beginners and a wreck that was purposefully sunk in 1994. There are abundant corals, sponges and gorgonians and reef fish. There are also a couple of inland cave dives for more experienced divers.

 

5. Faro Luna The so-called the Pearl of the South, is in the Cienfuegos province, on Cuba's central south shore. The city is consistently awarded and recognized for its efforts to maintain the clean environment of its waters. There are 28 diving sites identified in the area. The Faro de Luna Diving Center has shipwrecks, coral formation barriers so tall that they sometimes reach the surface, and channels. The area is noted especially for the clarity of its waters, making it an ideal site for underwater photography. One of the special features of this area is a the Pillar coral that's size and elegance has been led to its being called "Caribbean Lady" or "Notre Dame". Road transfers are available from Havana and take around 4 hours.

 

- The Travel Snob