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- Umbria wreck dive: The Italian cargo ship scuttled by its captain in 1940 lies upright on a reef shelf not far offshore. Its holds still contain crates of bottles, Fiat cars and construction material, which makes it a rare wreck where you swim among cargo rather than just steel. Visibility is usually good, and the shallow depth suits newer divers too.
- Sanganeb Atoll: A reef rising from deep water with a lighthouse on its tip, built in the 19th century. Divers come for reef sharks, barracuda schools and sheer walls. Snorkelers can float over the shallower plateau, which feels like looking into a vertical aquarium.
- Sha’ab Rumi and Precontinent II: Jacques Cousteau built his underwater living experiment here in the 1960s. Divers can still see the hangar and the remains of the structures on the
- Umbria wreck dive: The Italian cargo ship scuttled by its captain in 1940 lies upright on a reef shelf not far offshore. Its holds still contain crates of bottles, Fiat cars and construction material, which makes it a rare wreck where you swim among cargo rather than just steel. Visibility is usually good, and the shallow depth suits newer divers too.
- Sanganeb Atoll: A reef rising from deep water with a lighthouse on its tip, built in the 19th century. Divers come for reef sharks, barracuda schools and sheer walls. Snorkelers can float over the shallower plateau, which feels like looking into a vertical aquarium.
- Sha’ab Rumi and Precontinent II: Jacques Cousteau built his underwater living experiment here in the 1960s. Divers can still see the hangar and the remains of the structures on the sea floor, and it is one of the few dive sites anywhere where you visit a piece of ocean-exploration history.
- Suakin old town: The ruined Ottoman-era port of coral-stone merchant houses sits south of the city, with crumbling balconies and arches facing a quiet lagoon. It is eerie, photogenic and best explored on foot with a local guide who knows which structures are stable.
- Beja coffee on the waterfront: Women of the Beja community brew spiced coffee and ginger tea in clay jebena pots over charcoal, right on the shore. It costs very little, takes an hour if you let it, and is the easiest way to talk with locals. Evenings, when the heat eases and the harbor lights come on, are the best time to settle in.
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Hi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past 3 decades, I’ve backpacked through 90+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.