Dahab Visitor Information

Located on the eastern Sinai coast of Egypt on a branch of the Red Sea called the Gulf of Aqaba you will be able to found the Bedouin town of Dahab.

Getting to Dahab couldn’t be easier. With less than 5 hours flight time from most European cities Egypt is still a short haul destination for the holiday diver. There are now many flights a week from the UK, leaving not only from London Gatwick and Manchester but also several new regional airports, making it much easier to plan to your trip. With two local airports in Sinai, flights to Cairo and the ferry from Hurghada there are many ways to get to Dahab.

Dahab manages to retains a character all of its own. Surrounded by mountains it offers a haven of tranquillity in which to shelter from the modern stresses of large resorts such as Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada.

Dahab twelve years ago was a Bedouin village containing a Mosque, and a collection of Bedouin tents and camps for the local people to gather for socialising, fishing, and trading. About this time backpackers began to frequent Dahab for the experience of living in Bedouin tents by the sea for next-to-nothing. Soon after this divers discovered many unique and world-class dive sites that are only a short jeep ride from Dahab and are easily accessible from the shore giving rise to a diving Mecca, and as the diving industry grew so did the town.

In the last few years the Egyptian government has targeted Dahab as a tourist development zone and has already helped in the establishment of a number of five star hotels. Dahab now offers all the comforts and facilities you need but still retains the laid back atmosphere it’s famous for. Dahab is based around two bays – Mashraba and El Kura. Mashraba is where you will find the Bedouin village of Assalah and the centre for the restaurants, cafes, bazaars and camps. In the centre of Mashraba bay is where you’ll find Poseidon Divers.

Just a few minutes drive to the south, El Kura (known locally as Dahab City because it has a post office and bus station!) is where the bigger resort hotels, including the Meridien, are situated. The ‘high street’ of Dahab curves around the Bay and can be walked in 10 minutes with a selection of restaurants and bars spread along it, allowing you to take a break (even a camel if you have the urge).

Dahab overlooks the mountains of Saudi Arabia, a mere 28km away, and the waters beyond the fringing reefs plunge here to nearly 2000m, among the deepest in the Red Sea, and provide the rare opportunity of seeing pelagic and reef life coexisting a few metres from the sandy beach and as a result you can be guaranteed some of the best diving in Egypt, with the chance of diving in coral canyons or visiting the famous Blue Hole.