Diving trips to the much-hyped Brothers Islands usually start from the busy Red Sea town of Hurghada. It's a six hour sail to reach them so a diving liveboard is the only way to get to this distant scuba destination. Check-out dives are done on local Hurghada reefs prior to sailing. These are in reasonable condition and although the coral has taken quite a battering over the years, the marine life is still plentiful.

The Brothers Islands are a different proposition. Consisting of two rocky, barren islands, the underwater terrain is spectacular. Sheer walls drop to well beyond 40 meters and can be swept by strong currents. The Brothers are known for pelagics, especially shark sightings, but not all divers are lucky enough to see them as time here is often heavily restricted (see pros and cons below).

After the Brothers, liveaboard boats cruise back to dive the reefs around Safaga. These are really very impressive. You may see a hammerhead, turtles, tuna and schooling jacks. There are great octopus encounters and even critters like seagrass ghost pipefish. The wreck of the Salem Express is an outstanding dive, if rather sad as the sea bed is littered with evidence of her demise – suitcases and items like shoes are strewn around the hull. Dived with respect though, this is one of the best wrecks in the Red Sea.