Sahl Hasheesh Giftun Island Snorkeling Trip with Parasailing, Lunch & Drinks
Two snorkeling stops, a parasail flight and a barefoot afternoon on Orange Bay. Buffet lunch, unlimited drinks and hotel transfers from Sahl Hasheesh and Makadi Bay are all part of the day.
Overview
You came to Sahl Hasheesh for the sea, and so far you have seen it from a sunbed. Out past the last hotel the shelf drops away into the reefs of Giftun Islands National Park, where the water runs clear enough that the boat looks like it is hanging in mid-air. This is the day you actually get in.
The first stop is the one people talk about afterwards. You go over the side, put your face in the water, and the engine noise simply stops, replaced by your own breathing and a wall of fish with no interest in you whatsoever. Somewhere in there you stop checking your mask and start following one parrotfish around a coral head, and half an hour goes by like ten minutes. The second reef has a different cast entirely.
What makes it worth the boat ride is that any of this is still here. The reefs closest to town took the worst of Hurghada's building boom; Giftun's did not, because the islands were protected as a national park in time. The fee collected at the island is what pays for that protection. For one day you are not only looking at the reef, you are part of the arrangement that keeps it alive.
Then it is lunch on deck while the boat repositions, and a long, unhurried stretch on the sand at Orange Bay: swim, sleep, or do nothing at all. The parasail comes last. The line pays out behind the speedboat, the noise falls away beneath you, and all at once you can see the whole day in one frame, the island, the boat, the pale shelf of reef you were swimming over that morning. Most people go up nervous. Nobody comes down that way.
Highlights
- Two guided snorkeling stops on the protected reefs of Giftun Islands National Park
- A parasail flight over the bay, the boat and the reef you just swam
- Free time on the sand at Orange Bay — swim, or do nothing at all
- Buffet lunch served on board, with mineral water and unlimited soft drinks
- Hotel pickup and drop-off from Sahl Hasheesh and Makadi Bay in an air-conditioned vehicle
- Masks, fins and life jackets provided — neither activity needs any experience
Included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off from Sahl Hasheesh and Makadi Bay
- Transfers by air-conditioned vehicle
- Professional guide (English, German or Arabic)
- Two guided snorkeling stops on the Giftun reefs
- Snorkeling equipment: mask, snorkel and fins
- Life jacket
- Parasailing flight (weather permitting)
- Speedboat ride
- Buffet lunch on board
- Mineral water and unlimited soft drinks
- Free time on the beach at Orange Bay
Not included
- Giftun Islands National Park and Orange Bay entrance fees — included only in the All-Inclusive option
- Gratuities (optional)
- Towels
- Personal expenses
- Hotel pickup from resorts outside Sahl Hasheesh and Makadi Bay
- Travel insurance
Good to know
- Child price: ages 2-11 · Infants under 2
- What to bring: swimwear, a towel, sunscreen and sunglasses
- A photo of your passport on your phone is required at check-in
- Pickup times are confirmed after booking; the boat departs at 08:00
- If you book the option without park fees, bring cash for the entrance fees at the island
- Parasailing depends on the wind and may be cancelled on unsafe days
- Parasailing is not recommended if you are pregnant or have back or neck problems
- Children aged 2-11 pay the child rate; infants under 2 travel free
- Free cancellation up to 12 hours before departure
- Reserve now, pay later is available at checkout
- The tour is guided in English, German or Arabic