Dahab (دهب) is a small village in the south-east of the Sinai peninsula. Formerly a Bedouin fishing village, the construction of international chain-hotels and other ancillary facilities has now made this a popular destination with tourists. The nearest international airport is Sharm el-Sheikh. There are very few local supplies of fresh water; most hotels have Desalination plants.
Tourist highlights include:
- The SCUBA Diving and Snorkelling are very good, with many reefs immediately adjacent to water front hotels. The nearby Blue Hole is an internationally famous dive spot.
- The seafood restraunts along the waterfront of the down-town tourist area are good, with Red snapper, Calamari and Lobster being highlights. The Bedouin-style seafood, based on baking in earthen-ware is also great.
- There are camel, horse, jeep and quad-bike safaris. These are either parallel to the shoreline, up one of the several valleys or around the township, the former two are recommended.
- It is close (two hours) to Mount Sinai (assents for sunrise and sunset are popular) and Saint Catherine's Monastery, Mount Sinai.
Things to miss include:
- Dust storms caused by any strong to moderate wind from the West due to the complete lack of vegetation in the inland desert.
- Huge amounts of litter, especially around the further flung tourist spots.
- Shops selling Coral jewelry which, by the CITES convention, toursits cannot take home with them.
The word Dahab in Arabic means gold and is possibly a reference to the fact that the village is sited on an alluvial flood plain where gold may have accumulated after being washed down from the desert mountains.
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