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Coastal town in South Sinai, Egypt
Photo: (WT-en) Jpatokal at English Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Dahab (دهب) is a town in Egypt, 85 km (53 miles) north of Sharm el-Sheikh on the Gulf of Aqaba, near the southern tip of Sinai. It is a place that many have fallen in love with over the years, and return to time and time again.
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It is just a few masonry foundations, but this was once a major port receiving spices and other valuable goods from India. From here goods were taken overland to Petra then onward to Gaza for shipping across the Med. The Nabataeans emerged as an independent Arab nation in the 4th century BC, for long acting as a buffer state for Rome then annexed into the Roman Empire in 106 AD, and disappearing by the 5th century AD. Just peer through the railings on the prom, you havve seen enough.
Bedouin palm-tree oasis. Can be busy in the day. To see it at its best, include in a longer desert safari and stay for dinner and overnight.
Right next to Ain Khudra.
Mainly a day trip. If you would like to combine as part of a longer desert safari, be sure to have a full Egyptian visa as it is often needed for the best route.
A nature reserve with camping and snorkelling. No road so you need a boat or camel to get in; few bother so it is a quiet spot.
The signature dive at Dahab. It is safe and enjoyable provided you are sensible about depth limits, but the layout creates a temptation to dive deeper. Much deeper. Much much deeper and then it is curtains. This area has cafes and toilets but no dive shack, bring all your own kit. It can get crowded, as excursion buses often come from Sharm-el-Sheikh. The "hole" is a sinkhole some 100 m across and just over 100 m deep, surrounded by shallow reef, and with a "saddle" 6-7 m deep between the hole and open sea. The deep sheltered waters make it popular with freedivers, and it is often good for snorkelling and diving on windy days when other sites are too rough. Divers typically swim underwater across the hole, with the Arch glimmering far below (this would be a really bad time to lose a weight-belt). There is not much coral within the hole so they then cross the saddle to explore the better stuff outside.
The Arch in the side of the Blue Hole is the killer if you are not geared up for a technical dive, and sometimes even if you are. It is a tunnel between hole and open sea that glimmers temptingly. "Aw c'mon, just a quick extra descent to look-see, can't hurt?" But it is deeper than it looks, with the entrance at 55 m. And it is not a simple archway but a 26 m tunnel. "Still, now we're here . . . " then it springs its trap: the tunnel roof slopes down to 85 m before trending up again into the open sea, while its floor drops away below 120 m. If you come down here breathing air or even nitrox, you will be as drunk as a skunk in a barrel of moonshine. And your air consumption is 9+ times faster than on the surface; if you are only toting a single gas tank, it will last less than ten min—not enough to get back, let alone for the considerable decompression period you have incurred. Technical divers with rebreathers and trimix gas also sometimes perish here, but their kit is inherently more hazardous, and it is not clear whether they suffer more accidents in the Blue Hole than at similar depths elsewhere.
A nearby site often combined with Blue Hole by drifting south. It is a narrow groove through the reef; as well as the coral there is an arch at modest depth and a natural chimney you can swim up or down. Officially it is named for two rocks like church bells, unofficially it is because divers keep clanging their tanks against the walls.
There is a collection of cafes. The canyon is an underwater gully with overhanging walls. Enter and exit via the broader middle section, you are not allowed to pass through "The Fishbowl" chimney at its shallow end. In 2020 a humongous green moray eel resides on the canyon walls, rolling its jaws like a Moloch awaiting the pizza delivery boy.
They are sand eels, scores of them shaped like a "?" and gently swaying. They retract as you approach and extend as you leave, to resume considering their question.
The shallows are red gravel washed down from the wadi, deepening to a sea grass meadow which is a likely area to spot turtles or sea horses. A life-sized but dilapidated metal statue of an elephant at 18 m depth is the cue to turn north and come onto the attractive coral reef.
You descend across the gravel wash to the meadow then turn south along the reef. It is the house reef for the southside dive shacks.
The beach and nearby Islands. It is shallow, good for snorkelling and beginner divers.
A sheltered sandy bay good for kiddy-bathing and windsurfing. No coral so you do not cut your feet, but it means nothing for snorkellers or divers to look at.
Variously spelled, an attractive granite valley with an oasis, Bedouin gardens and beach strip. Good for hikes, dinner in the mountains and rock climbing. Sites are "Golden Blocks" (large coral blocks boiling with marine life), "Moray Garden", "Three Pools", "Om Sid" and "Caves" which are really just overhangs. This is the end of the track, as the road heads inland towards Sharm. Few come this far south, so the table corals are in better shape than near town.
Dahab has about 270 days a year of wind. Experts with their own equipment can also surf from Masbat Bay, but must take care not to hit the snorkellers and freedivers on Lighthouse Reef. Kite surfing can be done around the lagoon area, at Eel Garden or at other spots. Some kiters head out to the Laguna at Ras Abu Galoum - a stunning location and you will be just 1 or 2 kites rather than 10 or 20!
For wind forecast for Dahab see Wind Guru. There are several windsurfing schools around Laguna area offering all levels of courses like Harry Nass Winsurf & Kite Centres Dahab and Happy Kite.
Familiar dive center on the coast of the Red Sea in the Mashraba area of Dahab. Bedouin Divers is in the Bedouin Lodge Hotel, which can arrange daily diving, PADI courses, camel dive safaris and boat dives.
A fully equipped 5-Star Gold Palm Padi resort meters from the reef, a relaxed and welcoming environment ideal for both snorkeling and diving. Emphasis on safety and fun with an environmental awareness. Small dive groups with highly qualified instructors and divemasters to enjoy a full range of Padi courses and guided dives at affordable prices.
Great native-run diving center (English, Dutch, German, French and Arabic available: the owner's wife is Dutch). They charge for two dives €45 (plus extra for gear rental). Package discounts are available. A 5-day PADI Open Water course here is €260, including equipment.
PADI 5-star Golden Palm Resort and Diving School at the Lighthouse in Masbat. Friendly staff, nice atmosphere, good equipment. The Technical Diving facilities in Dahab Divers is operated by Team Blue Immersion who offer both TDI, TecRec and GUE Programs up to Instructor Level. (www.blue-immersion.org and www.dahabdiverstechnical.com)
Dive, climb, trek and freedive. The owner, Said, was Dahab's first Bedouin to learn to dive nearly 30 years ago. Excellent for combining diving and desert adventure (PADI 5-Star Gold Palm Resort, Home of the Camel Diving Safari). Given their Bedouin roots, they have also led the way in developing professional trekking and rock climbing. Their efforts to integrate adventure sports and tourism with the Bedouin community are very popular - they were awarded an EU grant for developing and promoting sustainable tourism in the Sinai.
Founded by Andreas (Andy) Tischer in 1999. In 2006 Hans Lange joined Dive In as a partner to Andy. Hans left the Dive In 2011 to build iDive Dahab.
Attached to a 70-room hotel and hostel lodge, it offers a wide range of entry-level PADI courses in different languages, divemaster internships, speciality courses, and technical diving experiences (INTD and PADI-Dsat).
Founded by Lotta Ericson (former world record holder) and Linda Paganelli (Italian champion). Freedive Dahab is an instructor training center and SSI and AIDA school, providing all level courses and individual training. Freedive Dahab has a freediving shop where you can buy or rent any piece of freediving equipment you can possibly need. Freedive Dahab organizes national and world record attempts and competitions like the Triple Depth competition.
Professional, experienced and knowledgeable instructors that have been diving in Dahab for over 10 years. A friendly bunch of native English, French, German, Dutch and Arabic speakers that offer a full range of PADI courses. In Dahab's main bay – Masbat Bay. Three dive sites right on their door step: Lighthouse Reef, Mashraba and Bannerfish Bay. Bannerfish Bay’s easy entry is on their doorstep, with Lighthouse and Mashraba being a close two minute walk away.
Beautiful designed dive center at the Jowhara Hotel. iDive offers all range of courses of PADI, SSI and CMAS next to daily dive trips. Safaris and overnight trips are done as well. A Marine Research center is part of the iDive center which offers a great opportunity to get an inner look into marine sciences. iDive and its Open Ocean Center are initiating several activities to protect the sea. They are hosting frequently international universities who conduct field trips or having research projects here.
Owned and run by very professional Bedouins. They offer social diving holidays which combine safety and fun whilst experiencing a whole different culture in a truly unique atmosphere. Their groups are always small and there is a very high personal attention to all the divers.
French-run diving center generally judged to be the best in town. They charge a premium pricewise though, as two dives will cost you €47 (plus €20/day for gear rental). Package discounts available. A 5-day PADI Open Water course here is €302.
British-run diving operation enjoying a prime beach side location in central Dahab, meters from the teeming reefs but also convenient for Dahab's center and modern amenities. On site accommodation is available with a choice of suite rooms, or a bed in the dormitory complex offered totally free for divers. PADI diving courses range from beginner through to professional Open Water Instructor, or for those already qualified daily diving takes place to any of the 20 local reefs. Boat excursions and Camel Dive Safaris are also arranged.
By Bedouin Moon Hotel, is a PADI 5* Gold Palm Resort and an IANTD technical facility. It offers a wide range of courses, from beginner- to technical diving courses.
Small professionally run outfit on the sea front. Offers the full range of courses as well as guided dives. Staff are knowledgeable, experienced, enthusiastic and friendly, the equipment is a good standard and well maintained.
A freediving school which offers a wide range of freediving courses and training options for every level of ability, including AIDA Instructor Courses. All the courses are AIDA courses and the staff are all experienced AIDA trained instructors.
Blame Gordon Ramses for the name. Gets good reviews for its Mediterranean food.
Good Italian food, pricey but most reviewers thought it worth the extra.
Serves good pasta and pizza. Also has rooms.
Beachfront restaurant offering standard Arabic fare, higher prices for the central location.
Good sea food and other specialties.
Authentic, tasty Indian food: curries, snacks, vegetarian dishes and Indian tea (chai). Big portions, you won't need a starter.
Good sea food, also chicken kebab or kofte on the menu and starter (pita and dips). Cheap drinks too.
Great relaxing place for a light bite and drink on the beach, but limited menu.
Red Sea Relax Resort (on the promenade 50m down from Lighthouse), red-sea-relax.com/Resort%20Restaurant.htm. Lively establishment, with a good mix of tourist and resident trade. Serves draught Heineken on tap and British orientated cuisine at very reasonable prices. Premiership football and other major sports shown on the big screen terrace and downstairs in the air con bar.
Relaxed budget camp in middle of town close to the beach. With nice big central garden with lots of places to chill. The staff is friendly and the rooms are clean. It is possible to volunteer for 3 hours a day in exchange for accommodation.
Simple accommodation in clean friendly place, very central, seven of the 30 rooms have their own shower and toilet.
formerly El Bulti
Clean basic accommodation in the middle of the beach strip.
A well-run 30-room hotel on the south stretch of promenade, with a good restaurant and dive center. Popular with 20-30-some travelers.
21 self-catering studios, pool, restaurant.
Simple hotel, rooms are en suite with a/c. Some arrivals have found only a locked gate and no response from within.
Budget hotel next to the bridge in the center of Dahab. Central courtyard with Bedouin seating area. Free wifi. Clean, en-suite rooms. They went through a bad patch in mid-2019 but appear to be well-managed since.
Simple hotel in a mixed European / Oriental style, by the promenade bridge. Minibar, sea view, balcony, and air-con.
Bedouin-owned hotel, very central, gets consistently good reviews for comfort, service and food. Simple rooms have bathroom, AC or fan. Small beach, sun roof, restaurant, dive center.
Hotel on northern beach, pool with views, pool bar and restaurant, and dive centre. En-suite sea view and mountain view rooms available.
Clean friendly place set up for divers, with own dive shack. They also run Moses Guesthouse 50 m away.
Small pleasant hotel, peaceful and well-run.
Basic hotel with swimming pool and garden. All rooms have A/C, fridge, TV, bathroom/toilet.
Small basic hotel, can also arrange safaris and diving. Also has a dorm.
Small friendly beachfront place, consistently good reviews for comfort and cleanliness.
Has hotel B&B and self-catering facilities, a kitchen and a washing machine. Cleanliness erratic.
Small hotel, very central opposite Lighthouse beach and dive area. Friendly, usually clean, some nearby construction noise.
Hotel off main Peace Road, five mins walk to promenade, with 22 pool-side suites with balcony or terrace. Clean, friendly and well-run.
6 two-bedroom self-catering apartments set in a garden one block back from eel garden diving area.
Small hotel in a quiet spot at the northern end of the promenade. Budget rooms with sea views and shared bathrooms or suites with air con, tv and satellite & kitchen.
A pleasant family-run guesthouse at the south end of the strip. Good location with restaurant and dive center.
If your stay extends with or without intention your shopping behaviour will focus on this market. Here you can find anything you need to update your on-the-road-equipment from functional to convenient. For local fare and much cheaper fruit and veg, go to Assalah shopping area (5 min taxi, or walk to Eel Garden then head into town).
You will find hand-made Bedouin and Egyptian crafts, jewelry, clothes, second hand bargains, foods from around the world including homemade Egyptian food, cakes and desserts.
By taxi
Always arrange this in advance through your accommodation! They should be able to negotiate something near the local price, about half what you would achieve by haggling yourself.
By boat
See Nuweiba for details of the ferries from Aqaba in Jordan.
By taxi
A taxi within the centre should not exceed LE30, and LE40-60 for further out including the bus station, as of Aug 2021. Expect them to try to charge you twice that.
On foot
Getting around Dahab on foot is quite simple, the promenade runs right along the seafront and all the usual amenities are located along it.
By bicycle
Bicycles are a convenient way to get around Dahab and to get to surrounding sites such as Blue Hole and Three Pools.
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Sharm El Sheikh · International · SSH
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