Dahab
The town of Dahab lies approximately half way down the west coast of the Gulf of Aqaba, nestled between the majestic mountains of Sinai and the deep blue waters of the Red Sea. It is about an hour's drive north from the International Airport in the bustling resort of Sharm El Sheikh.
Once a small Bedouin settlement, the haunt of hippies, backpackers and occasional divers during the early 80s, Dahab is a small, friendly town, which has retained the essence of its history, and become the ideal location for that relaxed, "laid back" holiday. More recently, however, Dahab has earned renown for offering superb diving on Sinai's most beautiful and dramatic coral reefs, directly off the shore, and is rapidly becoming a major SCUBA diving venue. It offers a wide choice of accommodation, from simple rooms in "camps", ideal for backpackers, through a wide range of hotels to suit all tastes, many with their own restaurants and bars, although there is no shortage of eating places along the beach. There is a profusion of shops and bazaars to explore, while, just off the main streets, the Bedouin village of Assalah and the older parts of the town allow visitors to
sample a taste of Dahab's Bedouin roots.
Although diving in Dahab is a major attraction, the town has much to offer if you are not a diver. Choose from snorkelling, wind surfing, sea kayaking, waterskiing, horse riding, quad biking, camel riding and yoga. Alternatively, you can take day trips, or stay overnight in the desert with Bedouin guides, climb Mount Sinai and visit St Catherine's Monastery, or enjoy the spectacle of the many natural wonders of the Sinai. If that all seems a little strenuous, you can always just soak up the sun or enjoy a massage.
We dive throughout the Egyptian Red Sea, of course, but Blue Realm runs much of its scuba diving in Dahab directly from its base at Blue Beach Dive Club, and many of our guests choose to book their accommodation and dive here. The dive centre is directly on the Red Sea, facing the misty mountains of Saudi Arabia, just across the Gulf of Aqaba. We are ideally located for access to all the diving sites in the area, which include famous ones like The Blue Hole and The Canyon. There are at least twenty regular dive sites within 20 minutes drive from the dive centre, all readily reached by Jeep. Although all of the diving in Dahab is done from the shore, and couldn't be much easier, rest assured you have access to some of the best sites in Sinai, ranging from beautiful coral gardens to spectacular wall dives.
