Dahab is located an hour and a half drive to the Northeast of Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. It is a small resort town that has just a few hotels (compared to Sharm or Hurghada), but a very popular diving destination. I have actually heard from experienced divers that Dahab is their favorite diving spot. There are two great dive spots that everyone talks about: the Canyon and the Blue Hole, which is considered to be one of the world’s most dangerous diving spots. That is why if you are staying in Sharm El Sheikh and looking for new diving spots, Dahab is a great choice for a day trip. Perhaps you really like it and will move there for a week or two.
Due to the unique weather conditions Dahab aslo has become a center of windsurfing and kitesurfing. In fact, recently a few schools where you can learn how to kitesurf and windsurf have opened.
From a small Bedouin fishing village Dahab has turned into a popular “hippy” place full of things to do and see. And compared with Sharm El Sheikh where you can meet mostly families and older people, Dahab is full of chill young people that seek adventures.
While I was getting my PADI Open Water Certificate in Sharks Bay, Sharm El Sheikh at Butterfly diving center, one of the instructors offered us a trip to Dahab after I passed all the exams. That was really convenient for us, since everything was taken care of and we didn’t need to worry at all.
We got picked up at our hotel, Hilton Sharks Bay, at 9 am by a minibus and drove for an hour and a half to Dahab. The diving center brought all necessary equipment and as soon as we arrived at the beach cafe in Dahab we went underwater.
During our day trip we had two dives (18 meters). I saw some pretty corals and fish on the first dive and on the second we went to explore an underwater museum with statues and sculptures. If you are a more experienced diver than me you can ask to dive at the Blue Hole or a canyon. Our dives lasted about 45 minutes, and for an hour between the dives we had hot sweet tea and Egyptian desserts.
After two dives we got into dry clothes and went to a great restaurant (Alibaba). The restaurant served us some really delicious food (red snapper, fried calamari, all the delicious dips with hot pita bread and at the end Egyptian tea).
Price: total price was $100 a person ($25 each dive, $50 for the trip itself including food).
If you like how organized my day trip to Dahab was, you can contact Butterfly diving center through Facebook or find them at Sharks Bay next to Basata cafe. If not then talk to the nearby excursion shops or diving centers and check their offers.
There is also a much cheaper way to go to Dahab yourself. You can book your bus from Sharm El Sheikh to Dahab on Bookaway, which will cost anywhere between $3 and $30 each way (depends on the bus). Going by package excursion through the dive shop was easy and convenient, but I understand it isn’t the cheapest way to go.
Well, other than diving I’ll be honest, there isn’t that much to do. But if you are just looking for a chilled out location to relax and maybe get some work done if you are a digital nomad, then Dahab is a great choice for a long term stay.
You can of course snorkel from the shore, eat tasty seafood at plenty of restaurants, or rent some bikes and explore the dusty trails of the old town.
In fact, I plan to go back to Egypt next month for another dive trip and will be staying in Dahab. The AirBnB choices are far cheaper than Sharm El Sheikh, and you don’t have to worry about crowds packing the beaches.
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