4 independent reviews for Swim with dolphins in Egypt

Maurizio Ferrari review 3 Feb 2013

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?

Swimming with the dolphins was certainly the most memorable part of the holiday. Their eye contact and way of playing
was just extraordinary, something will remain with me forever.

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?

Have a chat with Dolphins Connections (Amanda) to ensure that you go swim with dolphins accompanied by her
snorkeling guide contact (Mr Khalid Said) because he knows the dolphins very well and he loves and respects them.

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?

All the staff at the resort were local people, so the holiday did benefit local people, although may not be a whole local
community to be benefited. The resort has advanced environmental policies (in terms of water use and waste and plastic
management), so although resources are used, this is done with minimum environmental impact. Swimming with the
dolphins is also done in such a way that environmental impacts are reduced to the very minimum or to zero (e.g. no
touching of coral reef and marine life). The income from the marine-based activities contributes to conservation efforts,
so I believe that this holiday supported conservation.

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?

One of the very best I have ever had.

Paul Redfern review 18 Apr 2011

We have had an excellent holiday. I can share a few thoughts with you for your readers.

1) The resort at Shagra on the Red Sea coast in Egypt is definitely environmentally sensitive making much of its determination to protect the local reef. Visitors were discouraged from swimming out over the reef and a clear cordon was put round it enabling swimmers and divers to just keep to the edge. As a result a great deal of the reef remains in good condition with a wide variety of reef life including reef sharks, rays and sometimes turtles. The resort itself prides itself on serving simple but nutritional mainly Egyptian food with a reasonable choice of menus. Visitors stay in tents on the beach or simple chalets in keeping with the local surroundings. A great deal is made of saving water and not washing towels unnecessarily but I don't know if solar panels are used. (If not they should be).

2) The marine park where we went to see the dolphins (only saw them once unfortunately - but that was great) is well policed to ensure it is not overused by tourists and we never saw more than 3 boats there. It has an exquisite variety of marine life.

3) The beach where we saw the turtles does not allow boats to go out in the bay and as a result it is a good swim out - though well worth the effort.

4) This is clearly in contrast with other resorts which have large swimming pools (Shagra does not) water green grass outside (Shagra has sustainable local plants including a cactus garden) and have left their local reefs in a parlous state.