Diving the Red Sea

The Negev - like the Australian outback, but with hills and cliffs!

My three day trip to Eilat was as much about relaxing at home, as it was finally getting to dive in the Red Sea. With 3 other countries in clear sight, one still feels as if one is clearly in Israel, and not necessarily some international resort. Of course there is no shortage of foreign languages being spoken, but Hebrew still dominates (and Russian isn't that far behind). I don't remember Eilat that much from my previous visit around 20 years ago, just bits and pieces. But I'm sure it has grown and changed quite a lot - the bits I do remember, were the same.

Eilat North 'Beach'

As I keep on discovering when I go to different beaches around the world - there really are no beaches like home. Scarborough Beach in Perth, or the soft white sand beaches of the New South Wales south coast really are the best beaches in the world. Eilat's beaches can hardly be called beaches - they are full of stones and shells! Still, the water is warm, the sun shines and there is nothing to worry about at all!

Whilst the SCUBA diving in Eilat was fantastic, I can't say it was as great as I had imagined it. Thailand is still the benchmark for me (I guess I really still have to do the Great Barrier Reef one day) and well, it was good, but not amazing. I'm not sure if it's because parts of the reef and coral hae been destroyed over time, or if it's simply not as great as I had imagined it. Not that I'm complaining - it was still beautiful. My first dive was a wreck dive - something I have never done before. It was pretty awesome - seeing how fish and coral grow and live in all the little crevices and rooms of a once proud Israeli navy boat. The story behind the boat is fascinating. Basically, France was building a bunch of boats for the Israeli navy. Israel had paid for them, but France had a change of heart and decided it didn't want to hand them over. So in true Israeli style, personnel went in and sailed the boats out of the French port on Christmas eve and on to Israel!

The religious beach with separated men and women's bathing areas, with Aqaba in the background

After this short trip to Eilat, of which the flight down over the beautiful, barren Negev was half the fun, I'm no in for the long bus ride out of the sunshine, and into the crappy weather of Tel-Aviv...