never thought about Africa

[maggs_the]

but i was skimming thru my Ocean book last nite (Amazon.com: Ocean: Robert Dinwiddie, Louise Thomas, Fabien Cousteau: Books) and in the section on reefs, it showed some beautiful shots off the coast of South Africa.

i thought all that was over in Africa was giraffes and lions

[Geoff_T]

my father just got back from a vacation to S. Africa he loved it. I wish I could go myself someday.

[robjoubert]

Can I tempt you? Have a look at this site:-SCUBA DIVING in SOUTH AFRICA - Dive sites, diving conditions, equiptment and diver safety

[maggs_the]

Originally Posted by robjoubert

Can I tempt you? Have a look at this site:-SCUBA DIVING in SOUTH AFRICA - Dive sites, diving conditions, equiptment and diver safety

wow!! not at those temperatures!! ha!! 10mm is recommended?? i have trouble being convinced into my 3mm. looking at a globe (finally) it makes sense that the water would be cooler but again, haha... i'm thinking Africa and hot.

i think i will just keep reading my book and drooling over the pictures instead thanks for the link tho. interesting to think about.

[highdesert]

Here's some diving off the African coast that sounds interesting ... anyone know anything about it???

The Kairos Company

On second thought, after checking out their rates ... ehh, maybe not.

[thor]

I was in S. Africa around Kwazulu Natal, several years ago, although not to dive. We had an opportunity to go to Cape Vidal and Sodwana Bay. The beaches in that area were amazing. A lot of people recommended Sodwana bay for diving. Plus its not every day that you can see penguins, baboons, monkeys, zebras, hippo AND some great coral reefs, all by just walking from your car to the beach. And remember, don't feed the animals. Really.

[MSilvia]

I'm suprised that more people aren't aware that east Africa is a great dive location... so long as the region is relatively stable. I had some beautiful dives in Kenya, and I understand that there's a lot of excellent diving in Tanzania also, especially around Zanzibar.

[Trey9123]

I think of Africa as being so poor, but every time I look up any type of travel there it is unbelievably expensive. Why is that? You would think that the dollar would go forever like it does in Central America, but safaris and dives cost an arm and a leg.

[whitworthsa]

Originally Posted by Trey9123

I think of Africa as being so poor, but every time I look up any type of travel there it is unbelievably expensive. Why is that? You would think that the dollar would go forever like it does in Central America, but safaris and dives cost an arm and a leg.

There are very few people in Africa that do very much traveling, the lower demand means companies charge more to offset their expenses and create a profit margin. Safaris and dives are also almost strictly for tourists and marketed accordingly.

[MSilvia]

It doesn't have to be expensive at all, but the places that charge the most have the most resources available for reaching out to foriegn tourists.

Just as an example, my wife and I had a private safari tour for 3 days that included meals, lodging, private transportation in a pop-top 4x4 van with a snorkle, access fees to two game reserves (Tsavo West and Ambosili), a guide, a trip to a Masaai camp, a hired mercenary for protection during our transit through a less-than-reputable stretch of country, and a stay at a wonderful 5 star resort for the night preceeding and following our tour. It only cost $1200 for the two of us, which is a real bargain in my book.

You just have to hunt around for the good deals.