Life on a kite safari yacht: cabins, food and the day-by-day plan

Life on a kite safari yacht includes time on the beach and in the water: beginners learn in the shallows, and non-kiters can go ashore too. The trip lasts 8 days and 7 nights. You stay on the yacht, though the last night may be in a hotel in Hurghada, depending on the programme. Your cabin, food, drinks and the beach camp on the island are all included.

I've been on Mohamed's safari several times. People going for the first time often wonder whether they can handle a week on a boat with the same people. The cabin is mostly for sleeping and showering. You spend the day on the water, on the island beach or out on deck. In the morning the boat heads for an island with a good wind forecast, drops anchor, and a smaller boat takes you to the beach.

Cabins: what they're like and what they cost

The base price for 2026 is €1,250 per person in a twin cabin with 2 beds. Every cabin has air conditioning, a fridge, a toilet and a shower, and Wi-Fi is included. For couples there's a cabin with a double bed for €100 extra per person and the TOP SEA VIEW suite with a double bed for €200 extra per person.

In the Paradise price list the double-bed cabin is labelled "single room", which confuses people. It's a cabin for 2 with 1 double bed. If you want a cabin to yourself, that's priced on request, so mention it when you enquire.

The October 2026 trip ran on M/Y Hermes, a 36 m yacht with 3 decks, 10 deluxe cabins and 2 suites. The boat is chartered and confirmed together with each set of dates, so on your safari you may be on a different one. Paradise lists air-conditioned cabins, a sun deck, a jacuzzi and a bar on board.

In the evenings there's usually music on deck and sometimes a party. If you're a light sleeper, ask where your cabin is when you enquire and pack earplugs.

Food and drinks

You get 3 buffet meals a day, with snacks and soft and alcoholic drinks in between, all included. Breakfast is before the boat moves, lunch is on board between the morning and afternoon riding, and dinner is often a BBQ on deck or on the beach.

Guests on the Paradise website, which I built for Mohamed and translated into Czech years ago, mostly praise the food. Daniela Kohnová wrote: "The cooking was really good!… even vegetarians would find something to their liking." If you have an allergy or eat gluten-free, put it in your enquiry so the kitchen can plan for it.

What a day on board looks like

• morning: yoga, breakfast and a briefing where the crew tells you where you're heading and what wind to expect
• late morning: the boat moves to an island, morning riding and beginner courses
• midday: lunch on board and a rest in the shade
• afternoon: more riding, and depending on conditions wakeboarding behind the boat, snorkelling or diving
• evening: sunset, dinner, video analysis of the day's riding, then music, a party or a quiet night

Getting back on the water after lunch takes a bit of willpower, because the shade on deck is very tempting. Go to the evening video session even as a beginner: on the footage you'll see what you're doing with the bar and board that's different from what you think you're doing.

The average air temperature near Hurghada, according to the NASA POWER model, is around 24 °C in April and November and around 27 °C in May and October. That's a day-and-night average, so bring a hoodie for evenings on deck. The rest of the list is in my guide on what to pack for a kite safari.

The day-by-day plan

The wind decides where the boat goes. When conditions are good at an island, the boat may well stay there longer. For the full picture, from price to islands, see Kite safari Egypt: what to expect.

From the boat to the island and back

There's nothing on the islands, just sand, but the wind blows there. That's why the crew sets up a camp on each beach: a tent with a carpet, water, cold drinks and fruit. Your gear is stored on the boat, and the compressor and pumps are included. The beach boys are crew members on the beach who carry your kite, pump it up and help you launch and land. There's a rescue boat on the water.

A boat runs between the yacht and the beach. Take only what you need while you're out riding: sunscreen, sunglasses and something to cover your shoulders. You'll be back on the boat for lunch anyway.

Life on board as a beginner

Yes, you can learn on a safari. The beginner course costs €600 for 6 days including gear and starts on day 2. Lessons happen in the shallows where you can stand, for example at Abu Minqar, which Paradise describes as shallow, calm water over sand. If you've already had a few lessons, there's a 3-hour refresher for €180.

In April 2024 we took 8 beginners along. We spent the first 2 days at Geisum. Day 1 was tough, by the middle of day 2 everyone was riding, and then we moved on to Ashrafi. How fast it goes for you depends on the wind, the instructor and how much you've done before. Ask more of a course than just getting up on the board: safety, how to read the wind and what to do when something goes wrong. Before you start riding independently, check with your instructor which skills you've mastered and what still needs work. These include controlling your speed, getting back upwind and rescuing yourself and packing down your gear in deep water.

As a beginner, it's a relief to finish a lesson without having to sort out where to eat or how to get back to a hotel, and to rest in the shade between lessons. In his review on the Paradise website, Jan Procházka describes how the shallow-water spots changed his view that safaris were only for pros. I go into learning on board in more detail in Kite safari for beginners, and the course and dates are on the kite safari Egypt page.

When one of you doesn't kite

Snorkelling gear, wakeboarding behind the boat, fishing gear and morning yoga are included. Diving costs extra, €50 for a 45-minute dive, and so does massage, €35 for 45 minutes. Gubal has coral reefs and the SS Thistlegorm wreck nearby, but the boat only goes there if people want to dive. Around Geisum you may see dolphins on the way between spots.

A non-kiter doesn't have to spend all day on the boat. The boat will take them to the island beach too, where there's shade, water and cold drinks. And if they end up wanting to learn, they can add the course.

The Paradise price list doesn't show a non-kiter price, only cabin types. Ask about it when you enquire. For everything else to think about when only one of you kites, see Kite safari for couples.

What's not included

On top of the price there's a fee for the national marine parks, the marina and crew tips, €100 to €150 per person. Mohamed confirms the exact amount with the dates. Diving, massages, private lessons (€65 per hour), full gear rental (€300 for 6 days) and kite photos on request (€2 per photo) are paid separately.

Away from the boat you pay for flights to Hurghada, the visa and travel insurance that covers kiting. The full budget is broken down in How much does a kite safari cost.