Liveaboard Farasan Banks in Saudi Arabia. Experience exclusivity in the Red Sea.

I did a liveaboard diving trip to the Farasan Banks in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia may not be the first country that comes to mind when it comes to diving, but this hidden gem offers some of the world's most pristine reefs. Diving in Saudi Arabia is something very new and with its rich marine life and clear waters it is a fantastic destination to visit. The exclusivity at the reefs is fantastic to experience. As you rarely see another boat at the same place. At the time of writing there are only three liveaboard boats that walks in the country.

Getting to Saudi Arabia is very easy. I flew with Turkish Airlines from Gothenburg to Jeddah, with a stop in Istanbul. Arriving in Jeddah shortly after 05:00, passport control was a breeze. There I had to show my visa, leave my fingerprints and take a picture. Then I had to scan the hand luggage before it was time to pick up the checked luggage and go out into the arrivals hall. The arrival hall was fantastic where I was greeted by a huge aquarium - It was like a pillar between 2 floors. There, Mohammed from La Compagnia del mar Rosso met me and drove me to my hotel at Jeddah Airport. Once at the hotel, I had time to eat breakfast, before it was time for a few hours of sleep.

We will be picked up for the journey to our liveaboard

At 13:00 I and three other fellow travelers were picked up for transfer to a private marina in Al Lith. The transfer took about two and a half hours and went through a fascinating desert landscape with hundreds of camels along the way. Arriving at my liveaboard, the Saudi Pioneer, I got my cabin. I was to share the cabin with an Italian woman who arrived later that night. The afternoon and evening were spent aboard my liveaboard en route to Farasan Banks in Saudi Arabia. This was in anticipation of departure which was to take place the next morning.

We left the marina early in the morning to begin the journey out to sea. First we went past the Coast Guard for a passport control. It is a standard procedure that always happens. The dive guide took care of the passport control and this time they didn't have to see all the travelers in person. Instead, we had to sleep peacefully in the cabin until waking up for breakfast. I woke up to a magical view of the Red Sea, land was no longer visible and we were surrounded by the clear blue sea. The liveaboard anchored at Shaab Shabak reef which was our first dive stop. Here we were divided into three smaller groups that we would have for the week.

We begin our dive

After reviewing the dive plan, it was time for our check dive. We then continued after our first dive further out among the amazing reefs of Farasan Bank. There we anchored for the second dive of the day at Long Reef. After exploring the reef there was time to relax as we made our way to our first stop for the night. Everyone was looking forward to the coming days of more amazing dives at Farasan Banks.

The following four days were spent entirely at sea. Every morning started with the staff knocking on the door for a wake-up call at 06:00. I perked up with a cup of tea and some cookies during the dive briefing so I got some energy for the morning dive. It was a magical start to the day in the quiet surroundings. After the dive, breakfast was served on board. The food served on board was high quality and fresh. It was prepared by a skilled chef and a great variety of dishes was served.

Fantastic night dives a few days

The second dive of the day began shortly after breakfast. We explored different reefs and each dive was unique in its own way and always offered something exciting to discover. We returned to the boat in time to dry off before lunch. After lunch there was time to rest and I snoozed for a while on the sun deck after the early mornings. At 14:30 it was again time to get ready for the third dive of the day. During the week I was there, night dives were offered three evenings at 18:30. The night dives were fantastic with the night life of the reefs coming to life under the glow of the flashlight. After the night dive, dinner was served which was a highlight of each day. After breakfast or lunch the boat used to move. Sometimes, however, we did several dives in the same place.

One of the days we anchored near a small sand island. I had the opportunity to swim to the island where I could see tracks for turtles. They came up here at night to lay their eggs. It was an amazing experience to feel the sand between my toes for a short while. At the same time, we could listen to the birds' cries as the island was an important nesting place.

As the boat moved, I could each time see dolphins playing in the distance. Sometimes they were even in front of the boat. It was a fantastic feeling to look out over the sea with the wind in my hair and during the week not see another boat more than once. Then it was the liveaboard Almonda that anchored next to us. In the evenings, I often stood and looked down into the water at the diving platform in fascination to see several silk sharks hunting in the light from the boat.

The dream of seeing hammerhead sharks came true

My dream was to finally see a Hammerhead Shark. On two occasions during the week I got to see these amazing creatures and it was a wonderful feeling. I also got to enjoy several silk sharks, reef sharks, gray sharks and silver tips. We saw at least some species of shark on every dive. Even the occasional eagle coat showed up. The coral walls were fantastic with very nice purple soft corals, hard corals, lots of different fish, moray eels and more.

Sharing these experiences with like-minded people on board was amazing. If someone like me traveled alone, I always had someone to discuss the day's dive with. We could look at pictures and talk about adventures that we had been on before.

A visit to Jeddah

On the last day on board we had to do two dives. However, I, who had an early flight the next day, declined the last one. It was late time for the boat to enter the port of Al lith again. As it had blown up a bit in the last few days, it was a bit of a bumpy ride in which took about 4 hours. Even on the journey back to land, the coast guard comes on board for passport control. It takes place before the boat docks at the jetty. Once there, the bus was waiting to take us to Jeddah. We then said goodbye to the staff on board and began the return journey to our hotel in Jeddah. Arriving in town, I had booked myself on an evening tour of old Jeddah; Al Balal. My guide Majid was already waiting for me at the hotel.

I am very glad that I took the time to see a small part of the city, as it is an amazing experience. Being able to walk around and experience the local people, the scents of incense and spices, tasting different food and drinks was something I really appreciated. I really recommend everyone to do it and maybe take an extra night visiting the country. I was very pleasantly surprised by how clean it was, the friendliness and safety of the city and I would love to travel back again to see more of the country.

Unique pristine reefs and amazing adventure

Diving in Saudi Arabia offers a unique opportunity to explore some of the most pristine and spectacular environments in the world. A liveaboard to the Farasan Banks in Saudi Arabia is a fantastic adventure and an unforgettable experience. I feel extremely privileged to have visited this area of ​​the world. Now it's your turn to book in. Pack your bag and prepare to discover a diving destination that is truly a hidden gem of the Red Sea.