Dahab was once an isolated coastal village inhabited only by the local Bedouin. As little as 30 years ago, there were fewer than 30 Bedouin families in Dahab. Like the Bedouin inland, they had a self-sustaining lifestyle but in Dahab this was based on fishing as well as traditional goat herds. During the summer, many inland Bedouin came to Dahab for fishing and to collect dates, and to enjoy life by the sea. To this day, favourite presents from Dahab (for the inland Bedouin) are dried fish & dates.

 

Dahab's isolated location, idyllic setting and laid-back Bedouin hospitality made it a favourite destination for all who stumbled upon it. In the beginning (1970s), this was mainly Israeli soldiers or people from the kibbutz during their leave. During the 1980s it turned into a hippie hangout, and in the 1990s adventure enthusiasts from around the world began to discover Dahab's natural wonders. The combination of Red Sea & Sinai desert make Dahab perfect for world class windsurfing, scuba diving, freediving, rock climbing & of course desert trekking with the Bedouin. Add to this cheap accommodation on or near the beach, inexpensive food and drink and a relaxed atmosphere, and you have a heady enticement for the young and young at heart.

 

Today's Dahab has evolved into an "alternative resort" - the home of independent & adventurous travellers, but also with some more upmarket resorts & hotels. Most of the latter are in the Laguna area or outlying. For some people, this mix is part of Dahab's charm ("everyone welcome"), others regard the mix up as a problem: Prices in Assalah are artificially increased which makes it less and less interesting for backpackers, though some locally-run camps still keep affordable. In contrast to that, many package tourists and families won't feel comfortable with the lacking conveniences and the all-handmade-look among the hippies. Note the grotesque, forever unfinished concrete structures as a sign of this mismanagment.

Still, for everyone with an open mind, Dahab is definitely worth a visit and a place to fall in love with. Particularly in the old part of Dahab (Masbat & Mashraba), you will rarely find a visitor who comes only once to Dahab. To many people this has become a second home.

 

Getting around Dahab itself on foot is quite simple, the promenade runs right along the seafront and all the usual amenities are located along it. Bicycles would be an excellent way of getting around, but most rental bicycles are poorly maintained and as such are in terrible shape. Many businesses are distinctly unenthusiastic about the bicycle-rental aspect of their commercial operation, quoting inflated prices and creative time definitions ("1 day" = 6 hours). Even large and supposedly reputable operators are not immune from deficiencies in this area.

 

The most "traditional" thing to do in Dahab is not to do anything. It's one of the best places in the world to indulge this most exquisite passion and a lot of Dahab's reputation among travellers is based on that. Anyway, if "doing" something to you means "activity" or "sites" there's also a great variety of options:

• Windsurfing

• Kite surfing

• Scuba diving

• Freediving

• Desert excursions

• Desert Trekking

• Rock Climbing

• Sandboarding

• Yoga, Reiki, Chi Gong, etc

• Horse back riding (& camel riding of course!)

• Quad bikes

• Learn Arabic

 

Dahab has about 270 days a year of wind. Wind patterns are different in summer and winter and between these seasons (mid Oct - mid Nov) you may hit occasional 1-4 relatively windless days in a row. Lagoona area is divided into kite surfing (north) and windsurfing parts and provides a good protection from waves and currents, while keeping the wind good. Right outside the lagoona there's a professional zone with higher winds and waves.

• Wind surfing: There are at least 6 big wind surfing stations around Laguna area offering all levels of courses, as well as equipment rentals. Experts with their own equipment can also surf from Masbat Bay, but must take great care not to hit the snorkellers & freedivers on Lighthouse Reef.

• Kite surfing is mostly done in a shallow "kite lagoona", as well as at other places, like Eel Garden and other local spots. Recently, some kiters have started heading out to the Laguna at Ras Abu Galoum - stunning location and you will be just 1 or 2 kites rather than 10 or 20!

 

Diving & freediving are extremely popular in Dahab and need a bit more explanation. The reefs here are still in relatively good shape in town, and excellent shape in the Protected Areas like Ras Abu Galoum. Known dive sites include Abu Helal, Blue Hole, The Bells, Canyon, Coral Garden, Eel Garden, Lighthouse, Moray Garden, Islands, Three Pools, Gabr El Bint, Ras Abu Gallum.

 

 

NOTE: Dahab's most infamous dive site is the Blue Hole, 107 meters deep with an arch opening onto the reef face at 58 meters. This site is considered to be the most dangerous scuba diving site on earth, regularly killing inexperienced and experienced divers foolish enough to risk it. A high number of instructors and divemasters have met their fate in the Blue Hole, as well, including many who had successfully passed the arch dozens of times. Should you be interested in descending to the arch you MUST go through technical dive training and visit the Blue Hole on the correct gases. Diving this site on air alone is near suicidal, so even if a very experienced person offers to take you through, do not at any price do this unless you have technical training and are using it.

 

You can dive the Blue Hole within safe recreational depths (that is without descending to the arch) - it is one of the top ten diving spots in the world. Bells / Blue Hole is extremely popular and beautiful. But be aware that it's crowded because lots of buses from Sharm come here. A normal dive in the Bells, a chimney which goes down to 30 metres perpendicular (very exciting experience!), needs you to possess advanced open water skills. Otherwise you are not allowed to go to 30 metres! Freediving is the new kid on the block in Dahab thanks to the very convenient Blue Hole site and an ever increasing range of world top freedivers training here.

There are more than 60 diving & freediving centres in Dahab, but some are not properly licensed by the Ministry of Tourism (subject to annual inspections & fees). This is an open list - simple alphabetical order, described in their own words. Before you book, check the CDWS web site to make sure you avoid blacklisted centres: [2]

Note also, all dive shops can Dahab offer a trip to the Thistlegorm organised through a central agency in Dahab organised on a fairly regular basis provided they have adequate numbers. 3 dives, breakfast lunch and transportation for 110 euro, US$150 is actually cheaper than doing it from Sharm el Shiekh and also saves you on the trip down there / expensive accomadation in Sharm.

 

There are numerous desert excursions available.

 

The Sinai Desert has excellent rock climbing in the granite mountains & wadis. October-April only (i.e. not the hot summer months).

 

Sandboarding is said to have originated in Egypt in the time of the Pharoahs where they slid down dunes on pieces of wood. Yet, it only began to capture the center stage as one of the most exciting outdoor adventure sports within the past couple years. Today the sport has evolved in many countries with idyllic settings like Namibia, Peru in Latin America, Australia, the Western USA and Dubai in the UAE with ever-increasing followers throughout the world.

 

Sandboarding is said to have originated in Egypt in the time of the Pharoahs where they slid down dunes on pieces of wood. Yet, it only began to capture the center stage as one of the most exciting outdoor adventure sports within the past couple years. Today the sport has evolved in many countries with idyllic settings like Namibia, Peru in Latin America, Australia, the Western USA and Dubai in the UAE with ever-increasing followers throughout the world.

 

Great buys are the usual Egyptian suspects: water pipes, rugs, oriental lamps, shirts in different lengths with embroidery, backgammon games, silver jewelery, etc. Prices are geared for tourists, so haggling is a must, pay max. 50%-60% of the first price offered, anything else is a rip-off. If you are not sure about the price, go to the next shop, they all offer more or less the same things, and start bargaining again there.

Look out for Bedouin Handicrafts, some beautiful pieces are avalible. Hand embroidered and made in Dahab, St Catherines and El Arish by Bedouin women. Sheikh Salem House has a good selection of items as does some of the other Bedouin establishments in Dahab.

If your stay extends with or without intention your shopping behaviour will focus on the Ghazala Market where you can find anything you need to uptate your on-the-road-equipment from functional to convenient. For local fare & much cheaper fruit & veg, go to Assalah shopping area (5 min taxi, or walk to Eel Garden then head into town).

It is almost impossible to get rolling tobacco in Dahab, be prepared if you are not keen on factory made ones.

 

The trick to eating cheaply in Dahab is to avoid seafront establishments and use restaurants inland, along and beyond the pedestrian zone, where identical meals are regularly on offer for half the seafront price.

Note: some restaurants offer fishes freshly caught from the Sea. although that may sound appealing truth is this is a natural reserve and so fishing here is illegal.

 

There are several bars on the beach. You can also buy beer, wine and liquor in special shops called Drinkies. One is located at Azzahla market square, another in Mashraba in the small road after Sea Bride fish restaurant.

Some egyptian alcohol brands mimic the names and labelling of better known liquors elsewhere. Restaurants will often advertise Stella beer, which isn't Stella Artois, as well as Sakara, Luxor and Heineken.

 

Women travellers are safe in Dahab, but please be smart:

• Dress: As a matter of courtesy to the local customs, even though you will see quite a few girls with short skirts and tight t-shirts, please respect the fact that Egypt is a conservative country and dress appropriately in the city. On the beach a bikini is no problem.

• Local men: flirting and even chit-chat are likely to be interpreted very differently here than in the west. Take care. Be polite but don't invite more than you want.

Snorkeling along/past the reef can be very dangerous when very windy: strong underwater currents develop, and it is very difficult to come back onto the shallow reef. Always ask a dive center nearby if it is safe to snorkel - they will be happy to help.

Eel Garden is a beautiful beach area with a wonderful coral reef popular for snorkeling and scuba diving located just north of the Dahab bay area. In calm weather it is one of the most beautiful places to relax and enjoy the sea however, care must be taken in rough weather as it becomes very dangerous to enter the water. Rip currents prevent even strong swimmers getting back to shore and there have been numerous fatalities at Eel Garden over the years. A community project has erected signs (October 2012) to warn of the dangers of swimming and snorkeling in bad weather - please read them.

Drugs, particularly marijuana, are available in Dahab but that doesn't make them legal. Consider very carefully if you want to risk at best large fines and at worst lengthy prison terms in Egypt's notoriously squalid prisons before indulging.

 

Dahab and most of the red sea area is considered a natural reserve so please be aware that.

• Fishing in the whole area (including Sharm and Nueiba) is illegal

• Some restaurants brag about having "Fresh fish", its either not fresh or illegally caught from the sea. By buying it you participate in coral destruction caused by fishing nets and frequent death of sea creatures like turtles and eels

• Dahab is a very popular diving spot try to enjoy it but do not touch any sea creature. Many people were caught before handling a sea turtle or a fished shark. If you see your dive master doing or encouraging such behavior you must report him

• Dahab has a big problem with plastic bottles, if you can refill your bottle from your hotel or a restaurant you will save both your money and the environment