Saudi Arabia is a new destination for travelers. The country only recently opened its doors to visitors, and few have had the chance to experience this exotic destination. But such an unusual place is intriguing in its own right, so we were incredibly excited to set off on this journey. Looking back, not every expectation was met — yet not a single one of our travelers regretted their choice!
We flew into Jeddah, the country's largest city after Riyadh — a sprawling, modern metropolis. We spent the night there and in the morning headed to board our liveaboard.
A liveaboard safari in Saudi Arabia is quite unlike anything else on the Red Sea. The area — both above and below the water — resembles neither the familiar Egypt, nor Sudan, nor the Gulf of Aqaba. The scenery is unexpectedly more reminiscent of the Maldives, with atolls and small sandy islands covered in patches of greenery. Underwater visibility is also more Maldivian than Red Sea: around 10–15 meters. Only a couple of times during the entire week did conditions clear up and visibility approach the 25–30 meters we're used to in Egypt.
Our safari route took us far to the south. March is one of the best months for this region. Water temperature at this time of year is around 26–27°C — perfectly comfortable for diving, yet cool enough for sharks, which tend to avoid the heat. As a result, you can encounter sharks in remarkable numbers!
We came across hammerhead sharks — relatively rare in the Red Sea — as well as grey reef sharks, silky sharks, and many others. There were far more sharks here than you would typically see in Egypt or even Sudan. In this respect, the region is clearly a step above.
The coral reefs in this area, unfortunately, are almost entirely dead. They are not broken or littered with debris, as often happens near popular tourist spots — they simply bleached and died after water temperatures rose above the threshold corals can tolerate, about three or four years ago. By now they are no longer even white; they have been colonized by algae and moss, giving the underwater landscape a grey, lifeless appearance. A little deeper, where temperatures did not climb quite so high, patches of living coral remain. The sharks tend to stay at those same depths — we encountered them mostly around 30 meters.
One of the real pleasures of a liveaboard safari in Saudi Arabia: we had the entire sea entirely to ourselves. Not a single other vessel was visible from horizon to horizon.
The islands we managed to visit a couple of times also left a warm impression — you can only approach them during high tide and for a limited window of time. These islands serve as nesting grounds where sea turtles come to lay their eggs. We even managed to rescue one turtle that had become stranded on coral rocks on its way back to the water — we heroically freed it and released it into the sea.
We were surprised to find boobies nesting on these islands. They are common in Indonesia, across the Pacific, in the Galápagos, and in the Seychelles — but encountering them in the Red Sea was unexpected. Apparently, slightly south of the main Red Sea routes the climate is a little more humid, with more frequent rainfall, which explains the greenery covering the islands and the conditions that attract these birds to nest here.
As a diving destination, Saudi Arabia can be confidently recommended to those who already have experience traveling to different countries and seas. If you have dived in Egypt multiple times and also visited the Maldives, Indonesia, or Malaysia, diving in Saudi Arabia will genuinely excite you. Beginners, however, might want to hold off — the somewhat sparse underwater scenery of this part of the Red Sea could disappoint those dreaming of vivid corals and brightly colored tropical fish.
After the safari we returned to Jeddah and spent a couple of days exploring the country and its sights.
We started with a guided walk through the old city. Our visit fell during Ramadan, when Muslims fast from dawn until sunset. During this time the city virtually shuts down — nothing is open, everything is closed. But come evening, the whole city springs to life and stays active well into the small hours of the morning. Restaurants, cafes, museums, and entertainment venues all throw open their doors. To make the most of it, all our excursions took place in the evening, finishing close to midnight. The old city of Jeddah is strikingly beautiful and is currently being actively restored. The historic houses and mosques are full of character and atmosphere. We came away with the warmest memories of those walks.
The following day we boarded a high-speed train and traveled to the holy city of Medina. It is sacred to all Muslims because it is home to the world's very first mosque, and it is also the burial place of the Prophet Muhammad himself — drawing pilgrims from every corner of the earth.
Visitors face strict dress requirements. To enter the city you must wear traditional or at minimum fully covered clothing. For men, long trousers and a long-sleeved shirt are sufficient; women are required to wear traditional robes and cover their heads. We purchased everything needed at a dedicated shop before setting off.
We spent the entire day in Medina, taking in the sight of the pilgrims who are always present in great numbers. We were not permitted to enter the mosques themselves, as worshippers pray there continuously and tourists would only disturb them — but observing from outside was fascinating in its own way. The city has an extraordinary number of mosques. In the evening we returned to Jeddah.
The next day brought one more brief excursion: a visit to a ranch where Arabian thoroughbreds are bred. We were given horse rides and treated to a traditional national dinner of pilaf and tea. It was a wonderful way to close out our journey.
What a fantastic journey! Not just diving, but a proper land adventure as well. What always makes trips with Alexei Tishchenko special is the warmth of the group — we come together like old friends. The boat was excellent; perhaps a little less marine life in the Red Sea than we hoped for, but it’s not like we haven’t seen fish before 🤣 The professional care for all of us travelers is the team’s real strength. Thank you for a wonderful experience! — Irina Pavlinova
A great trip. The trip leader was outstanding. The diving was good. The land portion was particularly enjoyable — a brilliant addition to the diving. — Viktor Kilipko
You can view the full photo report from this journey at this link ↗
Friends! We have many more exciting journeys planned — join us and we would love to take you to the ends of the earth! The current schedule of upcoming trips can always be found here.
