Early this May is my first trip to Egypt. The typical tourist route is on the itinerary, Pyramids, Egyptian museum and mummies, and a Nile cruise. No doubt very excited about all of those experiences.
However, what makes this trip incredibly unique is a visit to Alexandria and scuba diving to the Lighthouse of Alexandria ruins located 30 to 50 feet underwater.
With zero diving experience it seems prudent to get some experience diving before experiencing the waters off of Egypt. So this afternoon I registered for a PADI open water course at the local dive center.
The course consists of 4 three hour sessions split between the classroom and pool, and 2 full days diving at a local diving spot. There is a 3.5 hour video to watch beforehand and 2 books to read before class starts. The video and books are all standard material from PADI. Total cost for the class and basic gear (goggles, snorkel, fins, boots, cleaning supplies, whistle, weight belt, weights, and bag) came up to under $750.
Seeing the history of Egypt through goggles is very exciting and hopefully preparation will lead to a great experience. However anyone traveling to Egypt in the next months should take note of the political situation there. The US State Department has issued this warning that all travelers should consider.