FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

In this page I will answer to the most common questions that kiters ask me before booking a kitesurfing cruise with us. If you think a question is missing, just drop me an email at [email protected], I will answer it via email and add it here!

I’ve also prepared a long PDF with all the UPDATED important info before your departure: Sick Dog Surf – Before You Go Guide – you can find it simply clicking on the link. 

WHAT IS A KITE SAFARI?

A kite safari is a kitesurfing trip made on a motor yacht. It is usually 1 week long (typically saturday to saturday), and the boat makes it easier to reach the best spots in the Red Sea for kitesurfing. We do not launch kites from the boat, but we set up our gear directly on sand. Also the wind is more consistent and stronger on average in the middle of the sea. It is a unique experience, very different from a regular kite holiday – you will sleep, eat, chill and party on the boat (that fundamentally becomes a hotel) and you will be directly on the spot. And it is a lot of kitesurfing, cause there is not too much else to do.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

Our kite cruises in Egypt costs from a minimum of 1050€ to a max of 1250€, depending on the cabin you will choose and on the yacht we are using that specific week. Some other kite safari companies charge over 1500€ for a kite safari trip, but we own our yacht, so we can afford to give a little better prices – Kitesurfing gear is super expensive, that’s why we decided to make our kitesurfing cruise reasonably affordable. Also prices depends on the boat – some boats are more luxurious or simply more expensive according to high and low season, and therefore the difference of prices. I personally don’t need a jacuzzi or a sauna on board, so most of the trips we organize are more aimed to high standard boat, cozy and comfortable, with a strong crew that has experience in kite safaris, but without any unnecessary feature. I feel that 1050€/1250€ is a good price for a kite safari, and that’s why most of my trips cost that much.

DO I NEED A VISA TO ENTER EGYPT?

In most cases, entry in Egypt is very easy: all you have to do is to make a Touristic Visa at the airport of arrival in Egypt: the cost is 30$. No paper work needed in advance. Depending on your nationality, you may need to apply for an online visa.

CAN I BUY ALCHOL IN EGYPT?

Yes – you have 48 hours after arrival to go to the Duty free and purchase imported alcholic beverages. Otherwise, in bars and on the boat we sell and drink Egyptian Wines (not bad), Egyptian beers (pretty good) and Egyptian Vodka, Rum and Tequila (let’s say decent). Anyway, if you don’t want to buy on the boat, you are very welcome to bring any drinks you want.

CAN I DRESS AS I WANT IN EGYPT?

Yes, even if Egypt is a muslim country, they are very used to tourists dressing the way they want.

WHY DO I NEED TO BOOK IN ADVANCE?

For boat trips, we do need to organize our boats and have them ready for you and for that we need to know in advance how many people we will have on board – that’s why we request a 300€ deposit for every passenger. In case of kitesurfing lessons, booking in advance will help us organize our instructors and equipment.

CAN YOU HELP ME ORGANIZE MY TRIP FROM A TO Z?

Yes, we work with international travel agencies that will simply require a copy of your passport to make all the relevant bookings – no stress, no paperwork needed, just let us know where are you coming from and for free we will provide you a trip proposal.

I NEED AN ACCOMMODATION AFTER OR BEFORE MY KITE SAFARI, CAN YOU HELP ME OUT?

We have a good deal with Rihanna Three Corners, in El Gouna, a cozy hotel to our favorite kite spot in El Gouna, Makani Beach Club. Use code SICKDOGSURF on their website and you should receive a 10% discount.

IS EGYPT A SAFE PLACE TO TRAVEL?

Yes. Egypt and the Red Sea is having million of tourist every year, all year long, and we would be the first to not work here if the situation would not be 100% safe.

WHAT IS INCLUDED AND WHAT NOT IN A KITE CRUISE?

The cost of the trip includes pretty much everything. From where you will arrive at the airport, you will be taken care of, and all food on board, including soft drinks (water, coffee, coke, etc etc) are included in the price. On the trip you will have the option to buy beer and wine, and there is an extra cost at the end for the tips for the egyptian crew of the boat – this is common in Egypt, and you need to calculate to pay at the end of the trip 70€/80€ extra on top of the regular cost of the trip. And finally, there is a Marine Park fee that is mandatory for every passenger – this comes at 80€ extra per person.

THERE IS WIFI ON THE BOAT?

No. We used to have the Starlink system developed by SpaceX, the company founded by Elon Musk, and it was perfect. After Starlink got shut down in the whole Egypt, we decided not to replace it with a Router and a Wifi signal, that proved to be working terribly and with strong limitations at sea – it was simply unreliable, and we couldn’t count on it to be working at all.

A local sim card, an eSim like Holafly or Airalo, or your own personal data roaming plan are much better way of having connection at sea.

THERE ARE MOSQUITOS OR OTHER INSECTS ON THE BOAT?

No. We are in the middle of the sea, and there will be no problem with insects of any kind. Also at land, there is the same amount of insects you would expect in the summer in Europe.

DO I NEED TO BRING BED LINEN OR TOWELS FROM HOME?

No, we have those on board.

DO I NEED WATERSHOES? THE KITE SPOTS ARE ROCKY OR SANDY?

Intermediate kiters won’t need watershoes, while for beginners and students it will be necessary. The beaches are sandy, but there are the random coral reefs and stone in the spots – if you know how to kite, you won’t have any problem.

IS A KITESAFARI SUITABLE FOR BEGINNERS?

Yes, we are probably the only company in the Red Sea that includes lessons in the cost of the cruise – that’s why we call our kite safaris also kite camps, they are indeed focused on progression for every kiters, even the ones that start their kiteboarding adventure from zero.

CAN NON KITERS COME ON BOARD? IS IT BORING FOR THEM?

We always have some non kiters with us at sea, and we have several activities planned for them – wakeboarding, snorkeling, stand up paddle or simply swimming. The beaches where we kite are beautiful, and non kiters are always welcome with us on the kite spot, even if just for a drink and a swim. Also the boat is very welcoming, a great place to relax, listen to music, read a book or even work thanks to our satellite Starlink system. And after 6pm, we are anyway, kiters and non kiters, all together enjoying each other company on board.