scubish.com: Scuba diving Dahab - Sinai - Egypt

Dahab (دهب) is a town in Egypt, located some 85 km (53 miles) north of Sharm el-Sheikh on the Gulf of Aqaba, near the southern tip of Sinai.

Understand

Dahab was once an isolated coastal village, but now there are "more backpackers than Bedouin", and the town has become something of an alternative resort, the "Ko Samui" of the Middle East.

Super cheap accommodation positioned right by the beach, inexpensive food and drink and a relaxed atmosphere combine with the natural wonders of the Red Sea (swimming, snorkeling and scuba diving) to make it a heady enticement for the young and young at heart.

Orientation

Dahab has two distinct parts. To the north is the former Bedouin village of Assalah on the kilometer-long beach, full of backpackers, cheap accommodation and the part that most resembles Ko Samui. To the south is Mashraba, the modern town of Dahab, where the resort hotels, banks and other amenities can be found. This is also the location of Dahab's telephone office and the post office (the latter unfriendly at first, with its standard advice a barked "Go to Sharm for that!", but more mellow if customers are politely persistent).

Get in

Buses connect Dahab with Sharm el-Sheikh (11EGP - 1h), Cairo (65/75EGP - 9h) and Suez daily. Alternatively, Eilat and the Israeli border at Taba are only around 2 hours away by taxi (100-180EGP) or by bus (22EGP - 3h). You can book bus tickets at most of the hotels/hostels or simply pop up at the last minute, they will also arrange a taxi (5EGP) to the bus station which is a short drive out of the tourist strip . Shared taxis, in essence mini-buses are a cheap way to travel local.

From/to Sharm el-Sheikh, you can get a private car to/from Dahab for around 150EGP if you miss the bus or simply want to avoid the hassle of dealing with various taxis and a more reliable schedule.Most lodges will also arrange pickup on request.

Get around

Shared taxis, in essence mini-buses are a cheap way to travel locally, these do not tend to conform to a timetable so become useful if you have missed the day's bus to the closer spots such as Sharm el-Sheikh or need to get into Dahab when arriving on the Aqaba ferry. To get to Dahab from Eilat if you don't have a car, take a taxi to the border, walk across, and grab a shared taxi on the other side.

Getting around Dahab itself is quite simple on foot, the promenade runs right along the seafront, with all the amenities appearing along it. Bicycles would be an excellent way of getting around, but most rental bicycles are badly maintained and in terrible shape. Many businesses are distinctly unenthusiastic about the bicycle-rental part of their commercial operation, quoting inflated prices and creative time definitions ("1 day" = 6 hours). The huge "Sphinx" hotel/restaurant/travel agency/diving...