The Red Sea resort of Dahab
 Dahab is a small, chilled-out town that prides itself on a relaxed lifestyle and being the friendliest destination in Egypt.
There are no high-rise hotels and no American fastfood chains.
Where is Dahab? How do I get there?
>Dahab is on Egypt's Sinai peninsula, about an hour's drive north of Sharm el Sheikh,
or two hours' drive south of Taba. It's very easy and cheap to get to.
There are regular low-cost flights from the UK to both Sharm and Taba.
For example:
Thomsonfly is the most straightforward and generally cheapest
Flies to Taba from Gatwick or Manchester on Fridays
Flies to Sharm from Gatwick on Thursdays and Sundays
Flies to Sharm from Manchester on Mondays and Sundays
Red Sea flights has flights to Sharm from Gatwick and Manchester on Saturdays
Try also: Teletext holidays, and Excel airways
Taba or Sharm?
Sharm is a very busy airport with stacks of flights, you will spend a good hour
standing in a queue to pass through customs and immigration, and then there'll be a tussle over luggage and luggage trolleys.
The return flight is similar. But if you don't mind stress, Sharm is convenient.
 Taba is a small airport with only one or two flights per day. It'll take you about 15 minutes to get through customs and immigration and to collect your bags. There is no stress at Taba.
It is further to drive: you'll spend the hour that you've saved being driven along the road through the desert, past fascinating rock formations, and views of the Red Sea.
If you value your peace of mind, you'll pick Taba.
How do I get from the airport to Dahab and back?
You can get a transfer arranged from either Sharm or Taba by the dive centre you're diving with, or hotel
that you're staying in. This usually costs around 40 euros or £25/person
How do I find a hotel and dive centre?
There are loads! These are a few that we know personally and can recommend. Get in touch by email and your trip will be sorted!
For example:
Reef 2000 and Bedouin Moon hotel
Red Sea Relax dive centre and hotel
Big Blue dive centre
Happy Life Village hotel - with Orca dive centre
Dive Urge dive centre and hotel
Daniela hotel and dive centre
And if you want something posh, you can always go for the Dahab Hilton or the Swiss Inn
Do I have to arrange this in advance?
No, you can turn up in Dahab and find a hotel and dive centre to suit. There are about 40 dive centres
in Dahab, and if you're looking for budget accommodation, you can stay in 'camps' - a simple room with shared washing facilities for between £1 - £5 per night.
I'm not a diver - can I learn to dive in Dahab?
Absolutely YES! Every dive centre in Dahab will be able to teach you to dive.
I'm not so interested in diving, what else can I do?
You can also snorkel, ride horses, ride camels, rent a pushbike, windsurf or take a windsurfing course, surf, rent a quad-bike and ride it into the desert,
take a trip to St Catherines, climb Mount Sinai, get a henna tatoo, shop til you drop - bargains galore,
take a camel safari to Ras Abu Gulum (north) or Gabriel Bint (south), get a massage, meditate, practise yoga, learn to freedive... or just relax by the pool and spend your time in the many restaurants and bars!
What about packages through travel agents?
You can book a package (flight, transfer, hotel - and sometimes diving) with a travel agent - though bear in mind thay they will
add commission to every step of the process and you will often save money, and have a
better choice, by using the internet to make your own arrangements.
For example, the following travel agents offer holiday packages to Dahab
Longwood have a great webpage about Dahab here and offer cost effective deals
Crusader Travel have a variety of flight plus accommodation offers including the fabulous Bedouin Moon
Emperor Divers offer packages to their dive centre plus hotel accommodation
Regal Diving are a well-known dive operator offering diving with Sinai Divers, Emperor Divers and Nesima - all very reputable.
Oonasdivers offer packages to the boutique, family friendly hotel and centre Dive Urge
Useful articles about Dahab
BSAC Travel club article by David Dixon here
DIVER magazine article on Dahab
DIVER magazine article on Dahab's Blue Hole
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