This section is dedicated to take away all your "I wish someone had told me that before I went!" experiences. This way, you can spend less time settling in, and more time making new friends in your chosen hostel. We share our insider knowledge of tips, tricks and important things to look out for in Dahab.
Dahab is in Sinai Egypt -- an arid land mass of biblical note and also blessed by the Red Sea. Dahab is in the Gulf of Aqaba and is a tourist-oriented oasis for those staying at Dahab hostels -- it's around nine hours from the Israeli border and three hours from the larger and more expensive resort town, Sharm-el-Sheik. Dahab started life a couple of decades ago as a small hippie hangout with a few camps and not much else apart from the reef. It has grown and developed into a tourist hub, for better or worse. All the facilities you would expect are here, as are the baking, hot weather and day-long sunshine.
The main draws for those going to Dahab are the ocean and that Dahab is one of the cheapest places in the world to get your diving qualifications. A dozen or more operators will take you on three- or four-day courses at affordable prices and most will let you dive at least some of the time at the National Protected Area just to the south of the town. Other than diving, there are excellent snorkeling opportunities (bring your own or pay daily at one of the many places renting them), quad biking, rock climbing, and Bedouin desert tours. There is an ATM in town.
The Dahab hostel scene is great and there are so many choices available from dorms to hut to camping or full-on luxury resorts. Prices drop the further from the shore you go and these tend to be quieter (the volume on the shore tends to be high, especially at weekends). Bargaining is expected. There is so much competition for customers, especially in the shoulder and off-season, that some amazing bargains can be found, so shop around. There are myriad restaurants and bars on the narrow strip along the Dahab coastline. Restaurateurs will try to lure you in with offers of free food and drinks. The seafood is excellent.
