Laid-back Dahab, Egypt

Dahab (Gold in Arabic) is a small tourist town located on the southeast coast of the Sinai Peninsula. Dahab was once a small Bedouin fishing village, but the arrival of international hotel chains has meant that Dahab is now a thriving tourist resort. It is one of the oldest and most established diving areas in Egypt and is home to some of the most spectacular dive spots on the Red Sea. The Blue Hole, which is a few kilometres from Dahab is a world renowned dive site. The Blue hole reaches depths of 130m is places,

Dahab can’t really be compared to the larger resorts such as Sharm el Sheikh or Hurghada as these are much larger and more commercial tourist resorts. Dahab is a much more laid back and quieter resort and is known for attracting many backpackers.

One of Dahab’s main attractions is its unique restaurants, a mixture of Bedouin and hippie styles. Large cushions and low tables, decorated with colourful cloths, line the beach. Many of these restaurants have fish stalls in front where you can choose your own fish and have it prepared to your own taste. After your meal you are able to lie back and relax on the cushions or sample the traditional Egyptian sheesha pipe.

There is so much to do in Dahab, that you will never run out of things to do such as Bedouin safaris, yoga, wind-surfing, kite surfing, kayaking, quad bike trips, horse and camel rides and much more. You can also take an overnight trip to Mount Sinai from Dahab, and climb to the summit through the night to watch the sun rise over the Sinai Mountains.

For the ‘shopper’ there are many great buys in Dahab such as sheesha pipes, rugs, silver jewellery, oriental lamps etc. Haggling is a must, as most of the prices are geared towards tourist, you should expect to pay around 60% of the price first offered.