Not all people know what a kite safari is and very often ask the same questions, which we tried to answer in this article. If you describe it in one paragraph, then this is:
A kite safari is when you fly to Egypt, check into a comfortable two-bed cabin on a cruise ship, where there will be 20-25 other guests like you, and go to the best kite spots in the world to learn kiting or wingfoil or just ride in fantastically good conditions. In addition to sports, there will be plenty to do - wake, volleyball, SUP, diving, fishing, board games, DJ music, disco, nice drinks and mega delicious 3 meals a day. All the time on the water, of course, you are under the supervision of professional instructors (it does not matter whether you are a student or a guest of the yacht)
In short, it happens like this: You checked into the yacht (usually on Friday), the next day the ship leaves early in the morning for the first island (where the organizer decides, depending on which guests are on the yacht, whether they know how to ride or not, what kind of wind they promise, what kind of tides, etc.). We arrived at the island, dropped anchor, loaded onto motorboats and landed on the island. We pumped up the kites and went to practice, ride or just chill out and enjoy nature. At any time, you can relax either on the island, where there are drinks and food from the yacht, or the motorboat will take you to the ship at any time. There you can chill in a large hall with the Internet or relax in your cabin. Everything is air conditioned and has pleasant smells, without a hint of sewage.
In the photo: this is what landing on the island for kitesurfing looks like
Breakfast, lunch and dinner on schedule, snacks are always waiting for you both on the yacht and on the island.
In the evening - a party, dancing, games, etc.
And so every day, with transitions between the islands.
This is a brief description of what is called a kite safari, let's go over it in a little more detail.
For whom is a kite safari
A lot of our students ask: "But is a kite safari only for those who can already ride a kite well?" The answer: "Absolutely not." Kite safari is for absolutely all people who would like to learn from scratch or already know how, and it does not matter at what level someone rides. Very often, out of 20 guests on our kite safari, 15 are complete beginners who have never tried kiting or wingfoil.
Why is it so suitable and not scary for beginners - the places where we practice are ideal and most importantly safe for students of all levels. There is a stable wind, not deep, the sun always shines and fantastic colors of water and sand. And during training kitesurfing and while riding, we often fall into the water, lose the board, so when it is not deep, we just get up on our feet, take our board, put it on and go on, and do not flounder and wait for help at depth.
It is very difficult to find cooler places for beginners and training kitesurfing.
What does "ideal conditions for kiting" mean?
The criteria that make a kite spot ideal:
- Wind - there is a great wind here with a force from 6 meters per second to 15 (for beginners) and up to ... there is no limit (for professionals)
- Temperature - water within 25-30 and air within 25-40 degrees, i.e. You forget about wetsuit and ride only in a T-shirt and shorts
- Shallow water for kiting (50-100 cm) and deep water for wingfoil (120 cm and deeper)
- "Smooth" water (without chop and broken waves)
- Beautiful, clean water for riding, without garbage and without dangerous inhabitants ("Portuguese man-of-war", jellyfish, sharks)
- Lots of free space for riding
- Sandy bottom, without sea urchins, corals and shells, i.e. forget about wet shoes
If we are talking about kite safari in Egypt - there is almost everything, only one thing is missing, the perfect sandy bottom. There is almost always a risk of stepping on a shell, so for beginners shoes are 100% necessary. We haven't seen sharks in shallow water yet (and we've been sailing here since 2013), "Portuguese man-of-war" or jellyfish, either.
In the photo: the perfect kite spot - an island in Egypt, shallow, sand, windy
What else makes kite safari popular - the company and the "party"
The composition of the company on the ship means a lot, in fact, if angry, aggressive people obsessed with politics or hard alcohol come - the whole stay on the kite safari loses its meaning. Because participation in a kite safari is not so cheap and the sport itself also has a certain level, most people participating in a kite safari are mega positive, without political hangouts and super friendly. Here hanging out in such a company, during the day on the water, and in the evening after excellent kiting, with a glass of wine and pleasant music, with a jacuzzi or relaxed fishing, from the deck of a yacht for squid - it is super nice and unforgettable and makes your vacation unforgettable. Thank you that 99% of people like you come to our safaris.
In the photo: a party on an island, on a kite safari in Egypt
Wind on a kite safari
I'll tell you a terrible secret for those who haven't done wind sports - we are mega-dependent people, we are dependent on our main drug - the WIND.
If there is wind, we roll away and enjoy ourselves, if there is no wind, we sit on the shore, upset and in a bad mood, waiting for the wind.
The islands where we go on kite safari are some of the best in the world in terms of wind characteristics. The wind here is always much more stable and denser than on the mainland. It happens that we return to Hurghada, the guys there waited for the wind all week, and we rode kite safari every day. We rode 100%.
What to do if there is no wind on a kite safari
Does it happen that there may be no wind? Yes, as in the whole world, and we have traveled to many countries, oceans, seas and continents. But on a kite safari this happens very rarely (so that it does not blow all day at all), at such times, we do not waste time, but ride boards behind boats (of which we always have at least 2) or boards with oars or play volleyball (we have a net and a ball and a place where you can play on the beach) or go diving and get a PADI certificate, etc.
In the photo: riding on boards behind motorboats. One girl is riding a regular kiteboard, the second on a hydrofoil (a board with an underwater wing)
In the photo: playing volleyball on a "vacation" island, in this case it's just fun, but if there are two pairs for "proper" beach volleyball, it will be really cool. 1 person, who is for the beach, we always have kite safari.
What is a yacht on a kite safari
This is what a yacht of a good class looks like. Not the most expensive, but not the simplest either.
A ship on a kite safari is a large motor yacht (it has 2-3 engines), with a certain number of double cabins (10-20). Some cabins have separate beds, some have large double beds. If you go on a kite safari yourself, keep in mind that you can live in a cabin more than one / one (unless of course you pay for the entire cabin), but since On safari all the guests are super positive, so there are practically no problems with living together.
In the photo: standard double cabin
Cabins also come in different classes - regular or Master Suite. Master Suite is larger in area, with a large bed for two and large windows with a beautiful view. Of course, Suites are a little more expensive.
The entire ship is necessarily equipped with an air conditioning system, all cabins and rooms.
In the photo: we are holding a theoretical lesson. Very often in the evening not everyone is ready to sit in the classroom :-), so we do it very briefly, so that we can quickly go and relax to the fullest
One of the main places is the dining room, where they cook very tasty food for you 3 times a day (much better than in Egyptian hotels).
Remember - the better (newer and bigger) the yacht, the better the kitchen, rooms, cabins, the more expensive it is for the organizer.
A nice addition to a vacation on a yacht is a jacuzzi, well, what else can I do with my beauty and dog, if not soak in this bath :-)))
We do not use cheap ships, where everything will be killed, torn beds and an unpleasant smell in the cabins. But the choice is always yours, to take a little cheaper and a tired yacht or a little more expensive and a newer yacht, both the first and second options have their pros and cons.
What activities and entertainment are there on a kite safari?
As for entertainment, I recommend you look at our page - Activities and Entertainment on a Kite Safari, there are some photos and a description of what you can do on a kite safari besides kiting.
What to take with you on a kite safari
Everything is described in detail here - in kite safari conditions. What I would pay attention to - a wetsuit (depending on the month) and wet shoes (if you are a beginner - mega obligatory always, because in the sand at the bottom there may be pieces of coral, shells, etc.)
If you need alcohol - say soorganizers or bring it with you, buying it in duty-free shops at the airport of your departure. Alcohol in Egypt is not the best. At the same time, on some yachts, they do not allow you to bring your own alcohol and may ask you to pay the so-called "corkage fee" (pay something for drinking your own bottle)
Be sure to get sports insurance in your country of residence. There is a saying: "God protects those who are careful."
When is the best time for a kite safari
Peak months for kite safari in Egypt, with the best wind and comfortable temperatures are September, October, April, May.
Large kite schools and organizers conduct their kite safaris both in winter and summer, but then there is less wind and uncomfortable temperatures.
What is the price of a kite safari?
Some guys think that the cost of a kite safari is very high and that kite schools earn a lot of money. In fact, it all depends on the organizer and what he spends your payments on.
A small calculation for those who are interested:
- renting a good yacht with 26 seats (from 20,000 to 40,000 euros). At the same time, these are 26 places not for guests, and here you also need to accommodate instructors and kite school workers, listed below
- professional photographer (1000 euros)
- chef (600 euros)
- yoga master (500 euros)
- diving instructor (500 euros)
- special workers according to Egyptian law (there must be 1 special worker for every 12 guests), 2*400=800 euros, often these are our beachboys
- 4 kite instructors (tax must be paid according to Egyptian law), 4*150=600 euros. If there are many students, then you need to take more instructors
- DJ for parties (instructors or guests can "work" here)
- sound and light (some yachts have this, on some we pay 300 euros for rent)
Total, approximately for an inexpensive yacht - 20,000 + 4,300 = 24,300 and 20 free places (a dive instructor and a massage therapist will live on deck, this also happens :-) and 6 places will be occupied by instructors and workers), it turns out 1,215 euros - for one guest, this is only the price for the organizer, which he will pay to the owner of the yacht. All this is provided that the organizer fills 100% of the yacht's seats and no one refuses by the time of departure. If at least 1 person is missing, this is equal to a loss of 1,215 euros, two - 2,430 euros, etc.
This calculation is rough and can change in both directions, but I think the principle is clear. At the same time, the guest should remember that in addition to this price, he separately pays port and service fees (this is 150-200 euros, depending on the yacht, the owner of the yacht takes it).
The service fee is what I call "tips" for the yacht workers, not to be confused with the kite school and organizer workers. You can't not pay these "tips".
How to get on a kite safari
Everything is very simple - fill out the kite safari booking form, the organizer contacts you, agrees on cabins, conditions, services, etc. Then, you leave an advance payment (depending on the conditions of the organizer), buy yourself an air ticket to Egypt and arrive in Hurghada on the appointed date.
As soon as you leave the airport building - all your worries are over, now it is the organizer's responsibility to meet you, take you to the yacht, accommodate, feed, take care of you all the time on the kite safari, etc.
In the photo: riding kite boards with our design and waiting for you to visit!
I hope I described clearly enough what we call a kite safari. Do you have any questions? Write, call, I will be happy to answer and will be glad to see you on our kite safaris.