Explore The Gorgeous Red Sea With Roaga

Let's play a little game – when we say the word 'safari', what comes to mind? Going to someplace in the wilderness to explore uncharted territories or hunt (or just observe) wild animals? Does it involve desert trips with quads and sand dunes, topped off with a hot cup of Bedouin tea? Sure, none of these perceptions are particularly wrong, but have you stopped to think that maybe exploring the other 71 percent of your planet is an option as well? Yeah, we are talking about the seas! Well, it is true, exploring the natural beauty of our waters is a safari. We've all heard about the beautifully blue Marsa Alam, even though not all of us are fortunate enough to have visited it; but, for a very long time, locals didn't have access to all the beauties Marsa Alam has to offer. The live-aboard safari and yacht accommodation was a service only provided for tourists. Yeah, Egyptians get the short end of the stick for a lot of things, even in our own country; it sucks. At least we can finally cross live-aboard safari and yacht accommodations off that list, though. Across the Southern Red Sea, from Quseir to Sudan, the Ababda and Besharya tribes command the seas; now, while the tribes in Sinai are desert pros, the Ababda and Besharya are natural-born sailors. ‘Roaga’, their official greeting, comes from the word 'rayeg', which means laid back. Well, we can imagine that living at sea all the time does leave you very rayeg; can we get in on this? Apparently, now we can. Roaga is now not only a greeting, but the name of a community that invites Egyptians to join the live-aboard yacht and sailboat experience and utilise it as a base for sea exploration and activitiesRoaga Founder Omar Sherif feels like it's his duty to encourage people to truly explore and experience the Red Sea; "How many people can say they've truly explored – truly feasted their eyes and souls on – the riveting aesthetic that this element of nature has to offer? Roaga is not just about the high quality accommodation; the whole point of Roaga is the experience," he says. They are not about to take you on a honeymooner’s cruise; they are taking you on a full throttle adventure all over the coast of the Red Sea, with bases in Hurghada, El Gouna, Hamata, Somabay, Safaga, and Sahl Hasheesh. Roaga's activities are designed to take your soul on a unique journey – you know, swimming with the sharks; who, by the way, aren't as harmful or bloodthirsty as the guys in Jaws or Deep Blue.

It's not just about swimming with the sharks, though; there are also playful dolphins to adventure with and over 50 islands in the Red Sea waiting to be explored. Plus, where else other than the wide open clear blue seas would you prefer to have that morning yoga session? We're pretty sure that's the epitome of relaxing – not yoga at 8 AM in the office before work starts. Offsetting the tranquil relaxation for all the thrill-seekers out there, kite surfing and snorkeling are always options.

If your fancy happens to be tickled at the idea of island adventures, you'll probably care to know that Roaga's headed out on two trips in the near future – the first a 30-metre live-aboard as a base for island-hopping through Hamata and Marsa Alam, complete with a visit to a dolphin house; the second a mini-safari from Hamata to the Fury Shoals reef system, visiting the famous dive sites of Maksour, Satayah, Malahi, Claudio, and others. The former happens from April 29th to May 2nd, while the latter is heading out from May 2nd until May 5th.

"The Red Sea is a corridor of marvels, the happiest hours of my life were spent there.” – Jacques Cousteau.

Hop aboard and check out Roaga on Facebook and Instagram.