Dahab lies eighty kilometres north of Sharm El Sheikh, on the Sinai Peninsula. It has a transfer time of one hour from Sharm El Sheikh Airport, or two hours thirty minutes from Tabor International Airport. Dahab, originally a small Bedouin village is situated around a crescent shaped bay of sparklingly clear water in the Gulf of Aqaba. It is an area renowned for its perfect wind surfing conditions as there is a constant breeze across the bay. The cinnamon coloured mountains frame the resort where the low rise hotels blend with the traditional architecture. The soft golden sands are dotted with palm fringed sun shades and there are many small cafes and restaurants supplying refreshments.
With year-long sunshine and invitingly warm waters of the Gulf, beach lovers and aqua sports enthusiasts can enjoy a Dahab holiday at any time of year. The water conditions, its clarity and its wealth of marine life are perfect for snorkelling and scuba diving. The winds across the bay offer ideal windsurfing conditions for over three hundred days every year.
A Dahab holiday offers traditional charm with a guarantee of sunshine and warm clear waters providing numerous water sports, as well as a range of leisure activities.
A Dahab holiday has wide appeal. It is an ideal destination for those who want to relax by a pool in pleasant surroundings, or to bask in the warmth on sun-bleached sands. Water sport enthusiasts, particularly wind surfers flock to Dahab because of its ideal conditions.
Although December to March is the most popular time to take a Dahab holiday, when the temperatures lie comfortably in the twenties, holidays can be taken at any time of year.
Dahab, on the Gulf of Aqaba, was actually two villages. To the south is Assalah the Bedouin fishing village and to the north Dahab which has the commercial and administrative centres. The white sugar loaf houses and domed roofs of the mosques, contrast sharply with the rich cinnamon mountains and the red desert sand which frame the town. Golden sand and sparkling waters glisten in the foreground. It is a relaxed resort, ideal for those wishing to intersperse sun bathing on the beach, or around a pool, with water sports. The constant breeze across the warm water of the bay is perfect for wind surfers, while the clarity of the water, the coral reefs and the untold numbers of colourful tropical fish offer a treat for diving and snorkelling enthusiasts. For experienced divers the Blue Hole which drops to a depth of two hundred feet is an exciting attraction. On land there are camel, jeep or quad bike safaris into the desert and the hills.
The sea food restaurants on the coast are particularly good with red snapper, lobster and calamari being firm favourites.
It is worth being an early bird in Dahab, as the sunrises, as well as the sunsets, are spectacular, with vivid colours moving through blue to violet and orange.
With the desert on your doorstep, it is worth taking a trek into it, either on camels or by jeep. The Coloured Canyon is one of the most popular visitor attractions. Another popular excursion is to St. Catherine’s Convent which is said to have been built on the spot where Moses was given the Ten Commandments.
A Dahab holiday offers relaxation in charming surroundings with a wealth of recreational facilities.
Dahab is a quiet resort by night as well as by day. Evening entertainment is often hotel based with traditional music and dance. There are numerous Bedouin style cafes and restaurants along the water front where you can enjoy the sunset over an early evening meal.
Dahab’s bazaar is the place to go to haggle over holiday bargains. Here are found the traditional souvenirs such as carpets and rugs, silver jewellery, ceramics and papyrus pictures of ancient Egyptians and hieroglyphics. Take care when buying papyrus items and make sure they are not made of banana leaves.
There are many restaurants and cafes in Dahab providing a wide ranging cuisine that caters for most tastes. Along the sea front are fine fish restaurants serving the freshest of ingredients. An unusual dining experience in Dahab, are the Bedouin restaurants on the beach where you sit by a low table on cushions in the sand. The restaurants normally display fish which you chose before it is then cooked to perfection.
Drink only bottled water which is cheap and plentiful. Always make sure that the seal is unbroken.
