Elegante Liveaboard, Djibouti
7.9 Good - Naturalist Guide
- En-Suite bathrooms
- Family Cabins
“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 compan…”
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 EUR), Visas and Fees (30 EUR per trip).
Optional Extras: Dive Insurance, Gratuities (60 EUR), Alcoholic Beverages, Soft drinks, Rental Gear, Scuba Diving Courses, Snorkel Gear, WiFi internet (20 EUR per 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.
Pay by bank transfer or online with
Drawings & Vessel Layouts
Cabin Types
Elegante Reviews
-
- 7.9 Good
- Vessel 6.7
- Crew 8.7
- Food 8.6
- Diving 7.7
- Value 7.9
-
- 7.6 Good
- Jan N
-
Germany
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.
-
- 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.
-
- 8.8 Fabulous
- Yuchen W
-
Canada
Great liveaboard for swimming with whale sharks
We had basically a private liveboard for just 3 people (myself solo and another couple). The crew was very friendly and catered to all our needs, especially with regards to the delicious food! Often for dinner we'd eat whatever fish we freshly caught during the day. The highlight of the trip was swimming with whale sharks. We didn't consistently find them everyday, but on one day we had two excursions where we encountered 10+ whale sharks feeding. The experience was incredible, especially during the week, when there weren't any day boats from Djibouti City and we were able to enjoy these magical animals alone. The diving itself was also good and its tranquility balanced out the tiring effort of swimming with whale sharks. There were lots of colourful fish and coral, but it did get a little repetitive after a while, although I suppose that's because the focus was staying at the best spots where whale sharks feed. Overall, highly recommended trip especially if you're looking for a good value-for-money liveboard for whale sharks.
- Recommended for
- whale sharks, food, crew friendliness
-
- 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.
-
- 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
-
- 8.0 Very good
- johannes V
-
Netherlands
Super holiday
Good varied dives
- Recommended for
- Good relaxed dive gide. Varied dives. Relaxed atmosphere.
-
- 8.4 Very good
- Caroline L
-
United States
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.
-
- 7.6 Good
- Ignas U
-
Lithuania
Very nice
Friendly crew, relaxed atmosphere
- Recommended for
- scienery, sun, relaxation
-
- 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.
-
- 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 🫶 .
