Lewini is a large 37m long wooden hull motor yacht that operates diving safaris to the best sites all across the Egyptian Red Sea. The liveaboard is operated by an international company that manages dive boats in 4 different countries so they have plenty of experience to draw upon. The yacht was first built in 2003 but completely renovated in 2019 and maintains a modern look and feel.
The boat can accommodate 24 guests in spacious and bright cabins across 2 decks, including upper deck seaview cabins. Each cabin has its own private bathroom. The lower deck also includes a large double bed suite in the bow. The yacht operates a run-of-the-house cabin allocation system, but guests are free to pay a small premium to pre-select their preferred cabin.
Meals are served in the dining section of the air-conditioned saloon. The lounge section of the saloon has a TV, where guests can relax and watch a movie from the onboard selection. The upper deck has a shaded, open air social area and a bar where guests can enjoy a drink or two after each day of diving. The sun deck is open to the Egyptian sunshine, and is equipped with plenty of sun loungers.
Most of the diving is done on Lewini cruises from the 2 motorised 8-man dinghies that
are used to transport divers to the sites. Nitrox is provided free of charge by the membrane system. The dive guides are European and Egyptian and are always passionate about diving, very well trained, and know the various routes very well. This means they are familiar with the seasons and conditions, and can choose the best sites for all occasions, considering diver experience levels and desires every time. They balance this with a fun and friendly atmosphere, sharing anecdotes, tips and stories, to ensure a most pleasurable experience with the maximum of guest comfort and safety.
One other great feature of Lewini is that they operate special dolphin adventure safaris for the whole family. These tours are mostly for snorkelling (with a little scuba diving too) and visit Fury Shoals, a region well known for pods of wild dolphins. On the final afternoon of each Red Sea liveaboard cruise (usually the Friday), depending on the marina used, guests can go for a city tour, or a quadbike excursion. What a great way to sign off on a truly memorable week in Egypt!
There are 13 cabins onboard Lewini (12 of which are used on each cruise), each with its own private en-suite bathroom: There are 6 twin bed cabins on the lower deck and 6 more on the upper deck. There is also a double bed suite in the bow of the lower deck.
All the cabins have:
- Individual control air-conditioning
- Private bathroom with hot water shower and hand basin
- Portholes on lower deck, windows on upper deck
- Toiletries, towels and bathrobe
- Bedisde cabinet
- Reading lights
- Daily housekeeping
- Wardrobe, mirror and shelves
- Bedding
- 24-hour, 220v electricity supply
- European-style 2-pin plugs
- Fire alarm, life jackets and fire extinguishers
- Storage space for luggage
No. of bathrooms / showers - 13 / 13 - hot water
Red Sea North, Wrecks & Safaga (8 Days / 7 Nights - 18 Dives)
Trip highlights: dolphins, turtles, schooling fish & big pelagics
Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, drift diving, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving
Dive sites and activities: Hurghada: Police Station, Giftun Island; Shaab El Erg, Gubal Island, Rosalie Moller, Ulysses, Kingston, SS Thistlegorm, Dunraven, Ras Mohamed: Yolanda, Shark Reef; Abu Nuhas: Giannis D, Carnatic, Chrisoula K, Kimon M; Safaga: Middle Reef, Panorama Reef, Abu Kefan, Salem Express
Day 1
You will be met at Hurghada Airport by a representative of the Lewini liveaboard and transferred in a minibus to the marina for boarding. The crew will welcome you on board, show you to your cabin and provide a detailed boat briefing that will help familiarize you with your new home for next few days. Dinner will be served in the saloon and this will be a great opportunity to get to know the other guests on this cruise. The boat will leave port early morning to begin diving.
Days 2-7
You will dive at some very special and world famous reefs and wrecks. Ras Mohamed is one of the best kept national parks in Egypt. Its waters are rich in nutrients, attracting pelagics, and in the summer months even schools of scalloped hammerheads might visit. The Thistlegorm is one of the most fascinating wrecks in the Red Sea. It is a British ship that was hit by a German bomb during World War II. It lies at 32m, on a sandy sea bottom with its cargo ready for you to explore: trucks, motorcycles, jeeps, car tyres, military uniforms... The north side of Abu Nuhas features 4 wrecks on a sandy seafloor at the bottom of a steep sloping reef layered with table corals. Wrecks here include the Giannis D, the Carnatic, the Chrisoula K and the Kimon M. Each of them will be a great dive!
Safaga has some great diving too, offering a combination of shallow reef dives like Panorama Reef, and drop-offs, as well as unforgettable wreck diving on the Salem Express, a 100-metre ferry boat that hosts frogfish, blue-spotted stingrays, schools of angel and butterfly fish. The ship is now covered in hard and soft corals.
4 dives a day are the norm in the Red Sea, with a couple of morning dives followed by a 3rd dive in the afternoon, and either a sunset dive or night dive to end each amazing day of underwater discovery. There will only 2 dives on the penultimate day as the boat will then sail back to port.
Main meals are served buffet style, mixing Western dishes and Egyptian flavours (falafel, Egyptian style rice, kofta, roasted veggies with cumin, etc.). Salads, a hot dish with meat or fish, and a dessert (fruit or traditional pastry) are served at lunch and dinner. Breakfast is continental with a wide array of choices such toast, eggs, crêpes, cheese, fruits. A snack is served after the third dive of the day. When a night dive is organized, dinner is served afterwards. Biscuits, bread sticks and candy bars are available all day. Cold soft drinks are always available in the fridges, hot drinks (coffee and a selection of teas or herbal teas) are at the guests' disposal in the saloon and/or at the upper deck bar. Beers, wine and rum are available onboard, but guests are also welcome to bring their own drinks (Egypt is not a dry republic!).
Day 8
Disembarkation starts after a final breakfast on the boat. You can arrange with the crew to be transported back to the airport or to a local hotel.
Brothers, Daedalus & Elphinstone (8 Days / 7 Nights - 15 Dives)
Trip highlights: hammerhead sharks, shark action, manta rays, schooling fish & big pelagics
Diving environment: advanced divers, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, very popular, wall diving
Dive sites and activities: Brothers Islands, Daedalus Reef, Elphinstone
Day 1
You will be met at Marsa Alam Airport by a representative of the Lewini liveaboard and transferred in a minibus to Port Ghalib for boarding. The crew will welcome you on board, show you to your cabin and provide a detailed boat briefing that will help familiarize you with your new home for next few days. Dinner will be served in the saloon and this will be a great opportunity to get to know the other guests on this cruise. The boat will leave port early morning to begin diving.
Days 2-7
The Brother Islands are 2 small exposed promontories in the middle of the sea, with a very high concentration of marine life. The walls feature sponges, anemones and hard and soft corals, giving an astonishing variety of colour to the underwater world. It's very common to see sharks at the dive sites around the islands. Scalloped hammerheads and grey reef sharks, silvertip and whitetip reef sharks. At Big Brother there is a wreck that can be dived when the conditions are right, especially if it's not too windy. It's the Numidia that lies between 5-8m, completely covered with hard and soft corals. and gorgonians. The reefs at Daedalus and Elphinstone are home to schools of surgeonfish, fusiliers, trevallies and colourful reef fish. Hammerheads, oceanic whitetips and thresher sharks can be seen here, as well as manta rays, usually during the summer months.
3 dives a day are the norm in the marine parks of the Red Sea, with a couple of morning dives, followed by a 3rd dive in the afternoon to end each amazing day of underwater discovery. There will only 2 dives on the penultimate day as the boat will then sail back to port.
Main meals are served buffet style, mixing Western dishes and Egyptian flavours (falafel, Egyptian style rice, kofta, roasted veggies with cumin, etc.). Salads, a hot dish with meat or fish, and a dessert (fruit or traditional pastry) are served at lunch and dinner. Breakfast is continental with a wide array of choices such toast, eggs, crêpes, cheese, fruits. A snack is served after the third dive of the day. When a night dive is organized, dinner is served afterwards. Biscuits, bread sticks and candy bars are available all day. Cold soft drinks are always available in the fridges, hot drinks (coffee and a selection of teas or herbal teas) are at the guests' disposal in the saloon and/or at the upper deck bar. Beers, wine and rum are available onboard, but guests are also welcome to bring their own drinks (Egypt is not a dry republic!).
Day 8
Disembarkation starts after a final breakfast on the boat. You can arrange with the crew to be transported back to the airport or to a local hotel.
Note: this cruise sometimes uses the ports of Hurghada or Safaga, so please check the port information for your trip for exact details.
Red Sea North, Tiran Straits & Dahab (8 Days / 7 Nights - 18 Dives)
Trip highlights: turtles, schooling fish & big pelagics
Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, drift diving, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving
Dive sites and activities: Hurghada: Police Station, Giftun Island, El Gouna; Straits of Tiran: Thomas, Gordon, Jackson reefs; Ras Abu Galum, Dahab: Blue Hole, The Canyon; The Island; Nabq: Gabr El Bent, Abu Syela, Gabr El Bent Al Shogayrat, Shaab El Erg, Gubal Island, maybe Safaga
Day 1
You will be met at Hurghada Airport by a representative of the Lewini liveaboard and transferred in a minibus to the marina for boarding in the afternoon. The crew will welcome you on board, show you to your cabin and provide a detailed boat briefing that will help familiarize you with your new home for next few days. Dinner will be served in the saloon and this will be a great opportunity to get to know the other guests on this cruise. The boat will leave port early morning to begin diving.
Days 2-7
The Straits of Tiran is one of the most famous diving areas in the Red Sea. The strong current brings plenty of nutrients and schooling fish to the reef, tempting pelagic fish in from the open water. Large schools of barracuda and jacks are common here, as are larger predators including several species of shark. You will also dive the world renowned Blue Hole of Dahab.
Main meals are served buffet style, mixing Western dishes and Egyptian flavours (falafel, Egyptian style rice, kofta, roasted veggies with cumin, etc.). Salads, a hot dish with meat or fish, and a dessert (fruit or traditional pastry) are served at lunch and dinner. Breakfast is continental with a wide array of choices such toast, eggs, crêpes, cheese, fruits. A snack is served after the third dive of the day. When a night dive is organized, dinner is served afterwards. Biscuits, bread sticks and candy bars are available all day. Cold soft drinks are always available in the fridges, hot drinks (coffee and a selection of teas or herbal teas) are at the guests' disposal in the saloon and/or at the upper deck bar. Beers, wine and rum are available onboard, but guests are also welcome to bring their own drinks (Egypt is not a dry republic!).
Day 8
Disembarkation starts after a final breakfast on the boat. You can arrange with the crew to be transported back to the airport or to a local hotel.
Note: this itinerary uses Hurghada and Safaga as ports, so please check port details for your trip date above.
[Information is best estimate in ideal circumstances and subject to changes beyond our control. The itinerary is a guide only and may be adapted to best suit the weather, tides, currents, availability and other prevailing events. Price is for the cruise, not for an exact number of dives].