Marsa Alam vs Hurghada

Both sit on Egypt's Red Sea coast. Both have warm winters and great diving. They are not the same holiday.

In one sentence

• Hurghada — busy, lively, lots of nightlife and shopping. Hour-long transfers to most reefs.
• Marsa Alam — quiet, remote, world-class reefs minutes from the beach. The diver's choice.

Reefs

Marsa Alam wins easily. Elphinstone, Dolphin House, Abu Dabbab and Marsa Mubarak are all within an hour. Hurghada's best sites are a long boat ride out.

Atmosphere

Hurghada is a town. Marsa Alam is a string of resorts along an empty coast. If you want bars and bazaars, fly to Hurghada. If you want a hammock and a house reef, fly to Marsa Alam.

Transfers

Marsa Alam airport (RMF) is 60 minutes from Shoni Bay. Hurghada airport (HRG) is 3–4 hours by road from the southern Marsa Alam resorts — fly into RMF if you can.