I have been lucky enough to dive in some incredible spots around the world but up until last year, I had never made it to the Red Sea so I was extremely excited when I had the opportunity to visit the Oberoi Sahl Hasheesh, a firm favourite of ours at Original Travel and Original Diving. My expectations were high having heard rave reports from colleagues and clients alike however even these were surpassed.
The Oberoi Sahl Hasheesh
Located just 20 minutes from Hurghada airport, as soon as you are driven through the gates of the Oberoi, you know you are in for a real treat. The resort is spread over 48 hectares with no high rise buildings unlike much of the Red Sea, making it a real anomaly in this part of the world.
Even though the hotel has is large 102 suites, it very much has the feel of a boutique hotel and has been beautifully designed. The hotel has been designed tastefully, with a very good marriage of Eastern and Western designs with lightly coloured banded stone and a splash of yellow here and there making it feel fresh yet still luxurious. Hours can be spent admiring the view from the beautiful pool where you can enjoy breakfast and lunch, and dinner brings a new location in the open courtyard where you can gaze at the stars between the delicious courses with the Indian curries being stand out.
The Dive Centre
All this before you have even got to the diving…and it does not disappoint. The dive centre, Dive-Pro Egypt, is run by Khamis (along with a team of excellent instructors and divemasters) who runs the most professional and welcoming operation, there to make sure every guest gets the most out of their diving. It is located within the resort, just a few moments' walk either from the main areas or your suite so it is extremely convenient for a week or more of diving.
The House Reef
While we are on convenience, located a few fin kicks from the private beach is the most stunning house reef which stretches the entire length of the resort. Accessed either from the 75 metre jetty or further down the private beach with electric buggies to transport divers and their equipment, generally you will find yourself the only diver here with up to six dive sites to choose from.
The Marine Life
The marine life is incredibly diverse with the corals in fabulous condition and the possibilities are endless from larger pelagics such as barracuda to turtles, eagles rays, and even dolphins if you are really lucky! One of the highlights for me was an area of seagrass quite close to the jetty where you are almost guaranteed to find seahorses which is pretty special. If the house reef is not enough, they also offer a number of boat diving adventures starting from Hurghada marina in an extremely comfortable and spacious boat, and delicious lunches included for longer trips!
All in all, it is really difficult to fault the Oberoi Sahl Hasheesh and I would recommend it in a heartbeat. Five and half hours flight from the UK, wonderfully luxurious, amazing food and service and excellent diving right on your doorstep - what is not to love!
