Hey there, folks!

I have to say, for someone who can't swim or is really scared of the water, a submersible like this is a total lifesaver! I mean, who hasn't heard the tragic story of the Titanic and the submersible that went down with it? I didn't do my research on this excursion, but my guide assured me it was worth it – the underwater world is just so fascinating!

At first, I thought there were a ton of excursions to choose from in Hurghada – boat tours, desert safaris, Luxor and Cairo trips. But with the temperature soaring above 40 degrees, some of those options just weren't feasible. Plus, the private tours were way out of my budget – $300 per person! So, I decided to give this a shot.

I have to admit, the idea of exploring the underwater world on my own is super appealing – but it's also kinda terrifying! I found some deals online for a 10-meter dive for $30 per person, but I was too chicken to go for it.

I booked this excursion through the hotel rep – San International, you can spot him in my photos, the guy in the orange shirt. I'm not gonna lie, the description made it sound like a pretty sweet deal – a small submersible with a lower deck that offers a panoramic view of the underwater world. Since I didn't have a mask or the guts to go scuba diving, this seemed like the perfect compromise.

I'm not entirely sure how much it cost – I booked a few excursions at once and got a $5 discount per person. Plus, the guide was all like, 'Hey, you should totally book these all at once!' So, I did.

I paid around $50 for the two of us, maybe a bit less – it's the cheapest excursion, and in Egypt, it's way too hot to take a jeep safari. So, I agreed, and we went. The departure point is Marina, the largest yacht harbor in Hurghada.

So, what makes this excursion worth it? It's short, only about three hours, because they take the whole boat and do a full landing.

We were lucky, and our hotel was conveniently located, so we were either picked up last or second-to-last. That meant the tourists who left first had to wait for everyone else.

Of course, they say this excursion will be a hit with everyone because it's short. But we went on a scorching hot day, and it's peak season, so the temperature is through the roof, and it hardly ever rains.

The boat was sweltering, and there was shade only in one spot. For the most part, the sun was beating down on us, and our skin started burning quickly. Even the little kids were crying.

We were waiting for the departure for at least 30 minutes, waiting for other tourists. I have no idea why we didn't set off right away – maybe it was a queue.

We spent around 15 minutes on that rickety old boat, and man, it was rocking back and forth like crazy. I got absolutely drenched by the salty spray, and those who were sitting at the front of the boat were basically soaked to the bone. There was no room to move – we were packed in like sardines.

We were all pretty bored, but then we were finally called to go check out the fish. We were the first ones to go, and they split us into two groups. I was stoked to be one of the first ones to see what all the fuss was about.

The second group got to see the underwater world last, and I'm pretty sure they didn't see much of anything. We had already arrived at the reef and stopped, and by the time their group got there, we were already heading back and moving pretty fast – so they pretty much missed out.

The boat was super old, and the windows were all rusty and grimy – it was hard to see anything. We did see some fish, but you could've seen the same thing just by snorkeling off the beach near our hotel. We were really hoping to see some amazing underwater sights. We asked our guides where the good stuff was – we wanted to see some dolphins, but apparently we just weren't lucky enough...

We were expecting a ton of excitement, but in the end, we just got a sunburn because there was no way to escape the sun and our sunscreen wasn't doing much to help!
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So, in the end, we got: free transport from our hotel to the boat's parking lot on a microbus, a boat ride, a look at the underwater world through the windows on the lower deck of the boat, but it was crowded and had a strong air conditioner, and then we got taken back to our hotel. It was all over in about 3 hours – 1.5 hours of that was just traveling to and from the hotel, 30 minutes waiting for other tourists, and a whopping 10 minutes of actual underwater time.

When they poured us drinks, I was stoked to see they had Sprite and Coke on tap – those are local faves, and the best part? They were ice-cold, just like I like 'em. We also got a little tour, where they gave us the lowdown on some local customs. I've gotta say, it was a decent experience, but I wouldn't say it was worth the cash, especially considering the current exchange rate. I mean, I've had better deals on similar tours.

I found a super cheap option online for $15 per person, but even 3200 rubles for two people is way too steep for what you get. I mean, I've seen better value for my money.