Dahab is an easy going place on the Gulf of Aqaba about 100km north of Sharm el Sheik, Egypt, South Sinai. The Lonely Planet travel guide about Egypt describes it with the words "Dahab is the wannabe Koh Samui of the Middle East". You'll find cheap accommodation as well as resorts with any facility you might want to have during your vacation. There are lots of restaurants right on the waterfront from where you can watch the moon rising over Saudi Arabia while you are having your dinner. During the day you can just hang out on the waterfront, do some excellent snorkelling, horse riding, camel safaris and so on. Local travel agencies offer trips to Mount Sinai, St. Katherine's Monastery and even to Petra in Jordan.

As a diving destination Dahab offers world class diving almost in front of your hotel or resort. We'll have some dive site descriptions coming soon in our diving section.

Klck on the image to the left to see some pictures of Dahab in our gallery!

Nirvana Hotel and Dive Center

Anil, the american/indian owner, created an atmosphere with a truly indian touch. Besides diving pictures you will also find indian paintings and Hindu signs on the walls and over the doors, which makes this place unique in Dahab. Besides, the people working at Nirvana will not only offer you their very friendly service, but make you feel at home. As for the diving you will be taken care of by professionals who know how to make your dive trip unforgettable in an easy going way. You will wonder why you ever went out diving with bigger dive shops and in big groups before.

Naama Bay in Sharm el Sheikh

However, as a diving destination Sharm is an excellent base to explore world famous dive sites like the Straits of Tiran and Ras Mohammed, as well as the Dunraven and the Thistlegorm wrecks. Something of interest might be the water and air temperature. If the air is too hot in summer or the water too cold in spring will pretty much depend on what you are used to. For myself the water temperature in summer is just alright, while I try to avoid the sun wherever I can at that time. In spring I really had to get used to the water temperature of 22-23°C, and although there were sunny skies, the wind can easily make me freeze once I get out of the water, and getting back into the (wet) wetsuit for the second dive was a bit of a challenge.

Up to 380 boats operating from Sharm el Sheikh

If you are planning to go there it might be a good idea to do some research about how many other tourists or divers you would have to expect in a given season. There are something like 380 (!) boats in Sharm, a number that includes all dive boats, snorkelling boats and glassbottom boats. In summer you might find up to 15 dive boats on a single dive site, so be prepared.

See more pictures in the Egypt gallery