Egypt & Jordan Trip Recap 2023

Pictures by Tim Yeo

Underwater Camera Equipment Used: Sony a6400; Ikelite Housing; Sony 10-18mm lens and 50mm macro lens; dual Kraken KR-S02 strobes

Topside Camera Equipment Used: iPhone 13 Pro Max

Embarking on an unforgettable adventure, our 26 day journey through Egypt and Jordan transported us to ancient lands steeped in history and brimming with awe-inspiring wonders both topside and underwater. From the magnificent pyramids of Giza to the mystical city of Petra, from the coral laden walls of Brothers to the world famous Thistelgorm wreck, we immersed ourselves in the rich tapestry of cultures, history, and marvels that these captivating destinations had to offer.

Join us as we recount the highlights of our trip below through pictures.

May 1: Cairo - Arrival day.

May 2: Cairo - Three Pyramids of Cheops, Chephren and Mykerinus; the Sphinx; Sakkara Step Pyramid

May 3: Cairo - Egyptian Museum; Coptic Cairo

May 4: Luxor - Luxor Temple; Karnak Temple

May 5: Luxor - Valley of the Kings; Temple of Queen Hatshepsut; Colossi of Memnon; Felucca Nile Cruise

In between our topside adventures in Egypt and Jordan, we jumped into the Red Sea on two very different itineraries.

Our home the first week was aboard the Red Sea Aggressor IV on a southern itinerary to dive the amazing soft coral reefs that makes the Red Sea one of the top diving destinations in the world.

May 6: Red Sea South Itinerary - Embarkation day on the Red Sea Aggressor IV

May 7: Red Sea South Itinerary - Port Ghalib. Dive Sites: El Shona West, El Shona East, Umm Erg and Umm Erg (night dive)

May 8: Red Sea South Itinerary - Port Ghalib. Dive Sites: Elphinstone North, Elphinstone South, Shaab Khamsa and Abu Dabab 3 (night dive)

May 9: Red Sea South Itinerary - Ras Torombi. Dive Sites: Elhabili, Abu Dabab 2, El Torombi and El Torombi (night dive)

May 10: Red Sea South Itinerary - Brothers. Dive Sites: Big Brother South Wall, Big Brother West Wall, Numidia Wreck and Little Brother

May 11: Red Sea South Itinerary - Daedalus. Dive Sites: Daedalus East Wall, Daedalus North Wall, Nemo City (West Wall) and Daedalus South Wall

May 12: Red Sea South Itinerary - Port Ghalib. Dive Sites: Elphinstone Reef and Umm Wasl

After a wonderful week on a very nice, spacious liveaboard, we headed north to Hurghada to board the Red Sea Aggressor II on a bespoke itinerary to focus on the top wrecks that the Red Sea has to offer.

The highlight was the SS Thistlegorm, one of the most famous wrecks in the world. The Thistlegorm was a WWII freighter that was carrying all sorts of military vehicles like lorries, trucks and motorcycles when she was bombed by German bombers. The bombing set the wreck ablaze, but it wasn't until the fire spread to the ammunition hold that blew the ship in half and sank the Thistlegorm in under a minute.

We were fortunate to have good conditions and few divers on the Thistlegorm, and were able to do 4 dives on the wreck, including a night dive.

May 13: Transfer day from Port Ghalib to Hurghada to board the Red Sea Aggressor II

May 14: Red Sea North Itinerary - Gubal Island. Dive Sites: Dolphin House, Ulysses, The Barge and Gubal Gardens (night dive)

May 15: Red Sea North Itinerary - Sha'ab Ali. Dive Sites: Gubal Gardens, Kingston, SS Thistlegorm and SS Thistlegorm (night dive)

May 16: Red Sea North Itinerary - Sharm el Sheik. Dive Sites: SS Thistlegorm, SS Thistlegorm, Jackfish Alley and Temple (night dive)

May 17: Red Sea North Itinerary - Sha'ab Mahmud. Dive Sites: Shark and Yolanda, Dunraven, Carnatic and Abu Nuhas Reef (night dive)

May 18: Red Sea North Itinerary - Hurghada. Dive Sites: Giannis D, Umm Gammar, Abu Ramada and Small Giftun (night dive)

May 19: Red Sea North Itinerary - Hurghada. Dive Sites: Small Giftun and El Mina.

After 2 amazing weeks diving the Red Sea, it is time to let our gills dry off for a few days. We flew from Hurghada to Amman via Cairo and spent the next few days making our way from Amman down to Aqaba, catching all the top sights along the way like Jerash, the Dead Sea, Petra and Wadi Rum.

May 20: Transfer day to Amman, Jordan.

May 21: Amman & Dead Sea - Jebel al-Qala'a (the Citadel); Roman Theatre; City of Jerash; Dead Sea

May 22: Petra

May 23: Wadi Rum

As dive addicts, no trip to Jordan is complete without diving the unique wrecks that have been sunk in Jordan's Gulf of Aqaba portion of the Red Sea. Although not as well known as the northern Red Sea itinerary, the diving in Jordan presents photographers with many unique subjects like passenger and military planes, tanks, and even a Cobra helicopter.

May 24: Aqaba. Dive Sites: Cedar Pride wreck and LockheedL-1011 Tristar wreck.

May 25: Aqaba. Dive Sites: Military Museum and C-130 wreck.

Forty-seven dives into the logbook plus many days exploring ancient ruins in Egypt, Luxor, Amman and Petra later, we bid farewell to Egypt and Jordan. This trip simply wet our appetites and another trip back is necessary to see all the sights that we missed and the Red Sea itineraries that we would like to dive.

New to liveaboards? Check out our article on the World of Liveaboard Diving.

OR
Check out our article on the Best Liveaboard Destinations for Beginners.