Liveaboard Highlights
Farasan Banks, Saudi Arabia
Trip Highlights
Explore the waters of Farasan Banks and, with some luck, you can spot one of the most striking sights of the Red Sea: schools of hammerhead sharks in their natural habitat. Watching them move together in organised groups makes for a dive that you will not forget.
Dive into the Virgin Reefs!
Discover one of the world’s most pristine reef systems. Pure adventure for divers who want to explore an untouched underwater paradise.
Almonda, an Exclusive Liveaboard
Experience diving in a private boat Sailing through the mysterious waters of the Red Sea. Enjoy premium service and access to remote sites that few can explore.
Dives in Imposing Volcanic Walls
Explore breathtaking depths with volcanic walls that rise to depths of over 400 meters underwater. Explore a unique environment where diving reaches its peak.
A Diving Trip in One of the Most Exotic and Least Explored Destinations
Farasan Banks offers a hidden paradise with exclusive access to marine ecosystems pristine.
If you’d rather not bump into many other divers at your dive destinations, the adventure of a lifetime awaits you.
Located in the Red Sea, Farasan Banks is an archipelago of pristine coral reefs with very strong marine biodiversity. The area is still well outside the mass tourism circuit, which makes it a real destination for divers who want to explore reefs that remain in good condition. From the moment you arrive in this part of Saudi Arabia, the contrast with more developed dive locations is obvious.
The best diving in the Red Sea?
Why is Farasan Banks special?
What makes Farasan Banks special is precisely its remote location, which has protected its underwater landscapes from heavy tourism. The crystal-clear water and the diversity of marine life add up to one of the better diving experiences you can do in the Red Sea right now.
When is the best time to visit Farasan Banks?
The best time to visit Farasan Banks for diving is between May and October, when sea conditions are calmer and underwater visibility hits its peak, often exceeding 30 metres. During these months temperatures are also comfortable for dives, with warm water and air. Outside this window, weather conditions become more changeable and the trips are harder to plan, so timing your liveaboard in Saudi Arabia within the season is the safer call.
Why is Farasan Banks one of the best diving destinations in 2024?
Diversity and Marine Life
At Farasan Banks, every dive shows you something different. The coral reefs cover vast areas and give shelter to a remarkable variety of marine species. Among them, brightly coloured fish like snappers and angelfish move through the coral formations, and in the open water you find tuna, jacks and the occasional reef shark patrolling the edges. The variety on a single dive is one of the reasons people end up coming back.
The Encounter with Hammerhead Sharks
The hammerheads here move in organised groups, which is exactly what makes the encounter so memorable. They are already a fascinating species in any setting, but seeing them in a reef this clean and this undisturbed pushes the experience further. And the chance to dive with them in this part of the Red Sea is, in our opinion, the strongest argument to plan a trip to Farasan.
Deep in the Red Sea, beyond the turquoise water of the most popular spots, Farasan Banks is a quieter destination. Here, the reefs are well preserved and the contrast with other heavily dived areas is immediate. The corals are still vibrant, the schools of fish remain large, and the wider underwater landscape feels closer to what it must have looked like decades ago.
Pristine Coral Reefs
Red Sea diving experience, the best corals
The coral reefs in Farasan Banks are not only beautiful, they are also genuinely well preserved. Because of how remote the area is, the reefs have escaped the worst of mass tourism, which means divers can enjoy clear water and very high biodiversity. From small reef fish to bigger species like sharks and rays, the variety of marine life is one of the strongest points of any liveaboard diving Saudi Arabia trip.
Almonda the best liveaboard
Do it with a liveaboard with guarantees
If you are looking for a serious diving trip in Farasan Banks, the Almonda Liveaboard is in our opinion the best option. The boat combines comfort and exclusive access to the most remote and pristine areas of the destination. Onboard, the team takes care of everything: dive planning, equipment, food, schedule. You only need to focus on the diving.
Comfort and luxury in every corner of the Almonda
The Almonda is a boat designed specifically to give divers comfort over long trips. On board, guests enjoy 22 cabins, all with private bathroom, air conditioning, and spacious beds for proper rest after a full diving day. The atmosphere is genuinely calm, and the small details (clean towels after each dive, a well-stocked dive deck, fresh fruit between dives) are what set it apart. The level of service is what you would expect from a high-end liveaboard.
Itineraries designed for the best diving spots
The Almonda Liveaboard works with carefully selected itineraries that cover the best dive sites of Farasan Banks, a destination known for its very strong marine biodiversity. Divers consistently mention the chance to dive in pristine reefs and the variety of marine life, including the hammerhead sharks, the schools of tuna and jacks, and the occasional reef shark sighting. It is a route that delivers exactly what it promises.
The Almonda Liveaboard was the right choice for us and we recommend it to anyone looking for a complete, well-organised diving trip in Farasan Banks. With solid equipment, a first-class crew and access to some of the best dive spots in Saudi Arabia, it ticks every box for serious divers who also want a comfortable base after each day in the water.
A experience worth having
Imagine waking up every morning surrounded by the Red Sea. Aboard the Almonda Liveaboard, the rhythm of the days settles in quickly: dive briefings in the morning, breakfast on deck, two or three dives before lunch, time to rest, and another dive before sunset.
With every dive you drop into a healthy reef where the marine life is still everywhere you look. Hammerhead sharks, tuna, jacks, snappers, angelfish, large gorgonians and corals in good condition: there is constant movement around you, and visibility is usually generous.
Between dives, you have time on the upper deck. Fresh fruit, coffee, conversation with the rest of the group. The crew of the Almonda Liveaboard does the heavy lifting (gear preparation, dive site selection, safety), so the day flows naturally.
If you are planning a liveaboard in Saudi Arabia, our experience with the Almonda was the kind that justifies the trip. Farasan Banks as a destination is genuinely worth it, and the boat is one of the very few options that gives you full access to it.
