Elegante Liveaboard, Djibouti

Very nice

Friendly crew, relaxed atmosphere

Recommended for

scienery, sun, relaxation

28 Mar, 2019

Cool week

We had a very nice week. The boat is very basic and not very comfortable, but we like it that way. Alicia was a super great companion for us, she had everything under control and was always there for us with a good mood and expertise.

Recommended for

Alicia. Essen. Dive sites.

21 Jan, 2026

An authentic, relaxed diving holiday with a great crew, excellent food and impressive underwater world - an all-round success.

We are completely thrilled with this diving holiday. The ship is very authentic and has everything you need: not a luxury ship, but clean, well-maintained and comfortable. Just the right balance for a relaxed Livaboard experience.The staff is great – from the chef, who conjures up something really incredible (honestly: one of the best meals we have ever had on a trip), to the always attentive service, to the dive guide. All of them are highly professional, extremely friendly, courteous and with palpable passion for what they do.The route is pleasant and relaxed, with two to three dives per day. The area is very varied and impresses with an intact underwater world: large schools of fish, colorful corals and many special moments. We saw a whale shark – but you don't just go here for the whale sharks. Rather, it is the overall package of authentic ship, relaxed atmosphere and great dive sites that makes this trip so special.Everything was very well organized, safe and at the same time pleasantly "laid back". A Livaboard without stress, but with a lot of heart and quality.Clear recommendation.

Recommended for

Great food. Very friendly staff on board. Authentic experience.

11 Jan, 2026

Super holiday

Good varied dives

Recommended for

Good relaxed dive gide. Varied dives. Relaxed atmosphere.

24 Jan, 2026

One of the best liveaboards we've ever experienced

We were on the road at MSY Elegante in Djibouti from 3 to 10 January 2026. The prerequisite for this liveaboard was open water certification with at least 20 logged dives, which suited the route well.According to the announcement, 15 dives were to take place, but in fact there were 13 dives. That was a bit of a shame for us, but overall the quality of the dives compensated well.Booking & OrganizationBooking via the homepage was uncomplicated. Particularly positive is the very good support by e-mail in advance: All our questions were answered quickly, friendly and in detail.Boat & EquipmentThe Elegante is a rather simple, functional boat, but very clean and well-maintained. The 15-liter steel bottles were top-notch. A small minus point: There is no coffee machine, only instant coffee – a bit disappointing for coffee lovers.DivingVisibility was limited due to a lot of plankton, but at the same time this significantly increased the chances of catching big fish. In fact, we could see guitar sharks and even whale sharks that appeared right next to the boat in the evening.The corals were very healthy and diverse.On average, two dives were carried out per day. The briefings were easy to understand and informative.Our dive guide Alice was very experienced, had excellent local knowledge and showed great commitment – both underwater and on board.Food & ServiceThe service on board was excellent. There was a varied range of food and dietary requirements were easily taken into account (e.g. extra meat instead of fish).The crew was super friendly, helpful and attentive throughout.Atmosphere on boardThe atmosphere was very pleasant throughout. There was a relaxed, international atmosphere in which you quickly felt at home.Value for moneyOverall very good value for money. There were no hidden costs, everything was transparent.Highlights & Special MomentsAbsolute highlights were the whale sharks on the boat, diving with guitar sharks – and a very special moment:We were able to celebrate our 100th dive on this trip. Alice surprised us underwater with a beer and the crew also prepared an extra cake from a watermelon – a beautiful, personal gesture that we will remember for a long time.ConclusionAn absolutely recommendable liveaboard with great dive sites, dedicated guide, warm crew and special experiences.⭐ 5 out of 5 stars

Recommended for

sighting of whale sharks. Sighting of guitar sharks. The nice crew.

15 Jan, 2026

Incredible diving, a few rough edges — worth every bit of it

Elegante offers something genuinely rare: access to world-class diving in one of the least-visited corners of the planet. The boat is comfortable, the crew is friendly, and the food is solid. There are some operational rough edges — the dive guide situation was a bit more chaotic than I'm used to on liveaboards, and the rental gear showed significant wear from sun exposure (I had an O-ring blow on my tank underwater, which was handled but never really acknowledged by the crew). That said, the diving itself more than compensated for all of it, and the value for what you're getting is excellent. If you're a serious diver and Djibouti is on your list, Elegante is the way to do it — just bring your own gear if you can.

Recommended for

Whale shark encounters in the Gulf of Tadjourah — one of the most reliable aggregation spots in the world, and we had multiple encounters. The Crack — an underwater dive along the tectonic separation of the African and Arabian plates; unlike anything I've done in 300+ dives. Healthy, uncrowded reefs — a reminder of what diving looked like before the crowds arrived.

19 Apr, 2026