Elegante Liveaboard, Djibouti
7.9 Good - Naturalist Guide
- En-Suite bathrooms
- Family Cabins
“Great diving on unspoiled reefs. We've been lucky to find whale shark on every attempt, thanks to the amazing crew who were very e…”
Highlights
The beautiful Elegante is a traditional wooden schooner offering diving trips in Djibouti from November - January each year. During this special time of the year, the seas are full of plankton-rich nutrients, and whale sharks stop off in Djibouti as part of their annual migration to feed in these waters. Besides whale sharks, divers may also encounter manta rays and diving spectacular reefs and wrecks far from the Red Sea crowds.
Topside, the Elegante caters to just 14 guests in 7 cabins. Each cabin features double or twin beds, private bathrooms, and AC. Communal areas include the indoor lounge with an entertainment area, and a covered outdoor lounge and dining area, a great place to relax and enjoy the sea breeze and amazing views.
Join the Elegante liveaboard for a fantastic diving trip in Djibouti. Book online today to reserve your space.
Choose your departure date
Included: VAT, Airport Transfer, Drinking Water, Tea & Coffee, Full-Board Meal Plan (All meals), Snacks, Diving Package, Beach Towels, Cabin Towels.
Required Extras: Port Fees (€130), Visas and Fees (€30 / trip).
Optional Extras: Dive Insurance, Gratuities (€60), Alcoholic Beverages, Soft drinks, Rental Gear, Scuba Diving Courses, Snorkel Gear, WiFi internet (€20 / week).
Book now, pay later: You can easily place your booking online. We will then hold the spaces for you and you can confirm with a payment later.
* Extra fees are shown per person.
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Drawings & Vessel Layouts
Cabin Types
Elegante Reviews
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- 7.9 Good
- 28 Verified Reviews Only people who have booked through LiveAboard.com and joined the trip can write a review.
- Vessel 6.6
- Crew 8.7
- Food 8.6
- Diving 7.7
- Value 8.0
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- 8.0 Very good
- johannes V
-
Netherlands
Super holiday
Good varied dives
- Recommended for
- Good relaxed dive gide. Varied dives. Relaxed atmosphere.
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- 9.6 Exceptional
- Rudolf H
-
Germany
Encounter with whale sharks
There is a warm, familiar and cheerful atmosphere on board.We were spoiled with absolutely delicious and varied food.The captain is a master of his craft. His serenity and calmness is beneficial.Our dive guide Alice: Never before have we seen a dive guide with many years of professional experience who still goes diving several times a day with such great joy and enthusiasm. Their underwater singing will always be remembered.We came for the whale sharks and were surprised by the variety of large and small fish underwater.If you are looking for pure diving without mass tourism, this is the place for you!We would love to come back!
- Recommended for
- Diving. Food, friendliness and service. Dive guide Alice 🫶 .
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- 8.8 Fabulous
- Georg G
- Germany
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.
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- 8.8 Fabulous
- Dieter V
-
Belgium
World class whale shark experience
Great diving on unspoiled reefs. We've been lucky to find whale shark on every attempt, thanks to the amazing crew who were very experienced in finding them. Apart from the the whale sharks, we've seen turtles, rays (including manta ray), an much much more. Good food, relaxed atmosphere, and truly astonishing encounters with the whale sharks.
- Recommended for
- Whale sharks, Unspoiled coral reefs, great helpful crew
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- 8.0 Very good
- Uwe S
- Germany
Experienced and seen a lot with moderate comfort.
I would definitely do the safari again, but not immediately. There are other beautiful diving destinations. The encounter with the whale sharks was already very moving under water as well as for hours in the evening around the boat. Up to 6 whale sharks swam around the boat at the same time. I was also impressed by the number and size of the other fish species found in the Red Sea. To linger with more than 50 oversized batfish on the anchor line, just great. I have not seen this in Egypt by far. Visibility was ok, where there is a lot of plankton for whale sharks in the water it can't be 25m.To the boat: for a week, if the focus is on diving, ok. I have never booked "luxury boats" for safaris (5), but this was the easiest liveaboard ;-). Small cabins, very warm and not quiet. Since I slept outside, it was ok. Everyone was very friendly on board and the food was plentiful and tasty. I was not the only one who missed a proper boot and safety briefing. No central collection point for passports, etc. It would certainly be easy to convey a little more structure and a sense of security here. I didn't feel unsafe, the crew already knew what they were doing and we were always close to land. For my taste, it could have been at least three dives a day. I think 50EUR for a bottle of air for an additional Tg is more than exaggerated. The two shore excursions on the last day to the market of Djibouti and the trip to the salt lake were also very nice. Here the country and culture gave the safari a nice end.
- Recommended for
- Whale shark, whale shark, whale shark and many fish that I have not seen in Egypt in this way and in this size. the open and friendly interaction on board, the two shore excursions on the last evening and day. the peace and quiet without masses of other boats and liveaboards ;-).
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- 8.4 Very good
- Nadine F
- Germany
intact, species-rich underwater world
very friendly crew, always trying to make you feel gooddelicious, varied foodgreat experience with the whale sharks very nice dive sites, intact reefs with many fish / large schools of fish and very beautiful partly huge corals
- Recommended for
- Whale sharks, intact huge corals, underwater biodiversity
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- 9.2 Superb
- Philippe G
-
France
A superb and very friendly and relaxing stay
The dive into the fault, very impressive. The encounter with the whale sharks, although we only saw them on the penultimate day.The excursion to Lake Assal with beautiful scenery and the impressive tectonic fault.And then all those very nice evenings over a drink.
- Recommended for
- The boat is beautiful, well appointed. Claudio's friendliness, the friendliness of the crew. And tasty food.
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- 7.6 Good
- Ignas U
-
Lithuania
Very nice
Friendly crew, relaxed atmosphere
- Recommended for
- scienery, sun, relaxation
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- 10 Exceptional
- Simon H
- France
A unique experience
We spent an incredible week on the Elegante. The crew was adorable and we really had fun with them. The food was delicious (quality and quantity) with various menus. Dives were various as well and the underwater life there is rich (many pods, big fishes, turtles, rays, dolphins...). We had the chance to swim with whale sharks while snorkelling AND diving which will remain quite a great memory. We also really appreciated the vintage style of the boat which contrasts with the now usual big white yachts. We definitely want to come back to discover sudanese waters ! Thanks for these precious moments. Marine & Simon
- Recommended for
- Dives, Kindness of the crew and whale sharks
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- 8.4 Very good
- Peggy M
- Belgium
Unique experience
Very pleasant trip with a friendly crew and on an old boat but which gives a unique experience You have to get used to the access on the boat but you quickly get used to it We could see 5 different whale sharks despite the weather conditions (very big unusual showers), but also a large group of risso dolphins from the shore and impressive guitar rays But also corals of different and unique types I recommend doing the asal lake tour with amazing flotation The only downside was the visit of a cockroach and some missed information because it was mainly multilingual.Tip: take a windbreaker because it blows a lot, and something to snorkel
- Recommended for
- The wild side, no overtourism. Whale sharks and guitar ray. The crew.
