Dahab is a small Bedouin town located on the eastern Sinai cost of Egypt in the Gulf of Aqaba, the town retains much of its original character and is surrounded by picturesque mountains. It manages to avoid much of the hustle of the larger resorts such as Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada. In recent years a number of 5 star hotels have been built in the area including the Dahab Hilton and Le Meridien.

Situated around two bays called Mashraba and El Kura, the area of Mashraba is where you will find the restaurants, cafes. To the south is El Kura which has a few amenities including a post office, bus station and the bigger resort hotels. The main street runs along the bay and can be navigated in 10 minutes with numerous restaurants and bars spread along the route looking onto the Red Sea.

The Dahab region is known for its good winds which attract windsurfers to the area, there is also the opportunity to undertake other water sports such as jet skiing and water skiing. Most of the hotels offer various organised day trips such as quad biking or jeep safaris in the Sinai desert, trips to Mount Sinai and the 6th Century St Catherine’s Monastery are also a favourite.

Dahab has an arid desert climate with two main seasons, with the main variation being in temperature, with little rain fall to talk of. The winter months starts in November and runs to March. During this period the day time temperature drops to low 20's on the Celcius scale with the night time temperature dropping as low as 12°C with the inland areas experiencing tempretures lower than this.

The summer months are very hot and dry ranging between low forties Celcius during the day and mid 30's Celcius at night. The strong sea breezes and low humidity makes the high temperatures more bearable, however dehydration can become a problem. An air-conditioned room is a must if you want to sleep!

September to November

Due to the extremes in temperature between the baking summer and luke warm winter, generally the periods between summer and winter in March to April, September to November, are generally considered the best times to go.

Dahab is well known for its excellent shore diving, deep waters, beautiful coral reefs and macro marine life. The scuba diving excursions offered by the local hotels and dive operators tend to be smaller than Sharm El-Sheikh and other diving towns which operate high volume mass scuba tourism. However having said this, Dahab does not experience the currents which attract large pelagics such as sharks and if this is an essential part of your diving holiday you may want to consider Sharm El-Sheikh. Having said this, in our opinion the macro marine life is better than other locations with plenty of lion fish, spotted rays, snappers, reef fish and barracudas.

With the majority of diving in the area being from the shore, there is plenty of variety here for all abilities. Local must do dive sites include the Blue Hole which is a large hole in the reef creating some good wall dives, the Canyon which is basically as the name suggests. The two marine parks in the region are Ras Mumlach and Ras Abu Galum located to the North on the way to Nuweiba. It is also possible to do a day trip to Sharm El-Sheikh to dive on the Thistlegorm wreck (although pick up for this trip is very early!).

The waters around Dahab are warm for most of the year with some cooling during winter; depending on your preference we would suggest a 3mm or 5mm wetsuit and a shortie during summer.

Direct flights from most UK airports operate bi-weekly into Sharm El Sheikh, typically taking 5 hours. From there it is an hour taxi ride to Dahab. Entry visas are required upon landing in Egypt and can be purchased at the airport for $25 or £15.

Dahab is also known for its windsurfing and other water sports, such as water skiing amoungst other things. With some excellent 5* hotels come the usual resort offerings, alongside good local restaurants and laid back bars. Other activities include desert night hikes, trips to Mount Sinai and also a 6th Century Monastery.

If you are looking for a more up beat night life you may consider Sharm El Sheikh instead.