What was once considered a hippie hangout, Dahab still maintains a more laid-back atmosphere than Sharm El Sheikh, but long gone are the true vagabonds. Instead the town is full of young travelers looking for inexpensive accommodations, cheap food, sun and sand, and a party. I can hear the rave music blasting through our hotel window, as I type this now.
Dahab also boasts some excellent dive sites. The blue hole, a vertical canyon about 100 meters deep, being it’s biggest attraction. Most divers only go to about 30 meters, and only a few as deep as 60 meters. But without an advanced PADI certification, Mike and I were shut out from diving altogether. That said, one good thing about diving in the Sinai is that most dives are shore dives, which means the coral/sealife is accessible from the shoreline (ie. you don’t need a boat to get to the dive site). So instead, we rented a 5mm wet suit (it was cold, windy and overcast today), walked into the water and snorkeled the reef.
Dahab was supposed to be a quick one night stop, before heading to St. Catherine’s Monastery on Mount Sinai. Unfortunately, it turns out the monastery is closed Friday, Saturday and Sunday this week. So, we’re going to hang in Dahab a few more days, maybe do some more snorkeling and enjoy the bedouin lounges (photo).