Losing Track of Time - Dahab.
It just so happened that my favourite stop on my magical, eye-opening a week trip around Egypt was the final stop on my itinerary. And so I became smitten with the bohemian, Bedouin beach town of Dahab, tucked away in a quiet corner of the Sinai peninsula.
Dahab isn’t exactly a hidden gem it’s well known as one of the only destinations in Egypt with a true independent traveler scene. There are hostels, co-working cafes, and dive shops teaching courses in enough languages to hold a United Nations summit. Yet this starkly stunning town reminiscent of a set piece from Arabian Nights and famed among free divers and tech divers the world over maintains a quiet, undeveloped, under the radar feel. With very little expanses of beach, there are only really two main activities in Dahab, diving and snorkelling . Dahab is one of the cheapest places for divers to safely get underwater in the world. Competition is fierce meaning you will always get a good deal and equipment is usually in good shape at most places (always check). While the dive sites around Dahab are good, experienced divers are not going to be blown away by anything they see.
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Before going deep diving there are few day trips that you can enjoy too in Dahab. There are two really good day trips from Dahab, one heading to St. Katherine’s Monastery, and the other to the SS Thistlegorm Wreck. Both can be arranged by almost anyone in Dahab.
The tour to St. Catherine’s Monastery takes visitors to the world’s oldest continually occupied monastery and up to the summit that inspired the story of Moses encountering the burning bush and the Ten Commandants. Most tours target to have visitors up at the top for sunrise or sunset when it can be pretty chilly so be sure to pack a jacket and hat.
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One of the best things about diving in Dahab is the water clarity and sharp drop offs. The ocean floor plummets rather sharply from shore and water visibility is as clear as it gets. Most of the shoreline is adorned in beautiful coral reefs and small sea life, but seeing big marine creatures isn’t common in the area. The places I went for diving and snorkelling were some of the most wonderful experience. Staring with the Blue Hole i.e one of the most famous dive site perhaps in all of Egypt, a sink hole that drops to 115 meters (492 feet) directly offshore. While the site has taken hundreds of lives, the dive itself is very safe and only gets dangerous if you go beyond your limits. Most of the deaths occur when divers go beyond their training ability and try to reach an arch that leads to the open sea located 54 meters down. The second place i.e located a few kilometres north of Dahab is the Canyons Dive. The dive takes you into a narrow canyon in around 30-35 meters of water. Once you come out of the canyon, notice all of the bubbles making their way up through the sand and to the surface. It creates a magical curtain effect and is caused by diver’s air getting trapped in the cave near the canyon and permeating through the porous rock underneath the sand (This is why you can no longer enter the cave as it is now unstable). There are a lot of Octopus in the area so keep a keen eye out for them. The third place in list was The Islands, while I didn’t dive here, but me and my friends did snorkelling and it was beautiful. The water stays shallow for an unusually long stretch for Dahab standards and opens up to these small coral reef bowls. The site is a long walk away from the main tourist area near the small peninsula that hooks around the south end of Dahab. The last place we went was Lighthouse Reef this place is a joy for snorkelers and divers alike. In fact this is where I spent most of our time in Dahab as it is within walking distance of the tourist area and is the best place for snorkelling when not diving. The water is clear, the reef is bright, and there are plenty of pretty little creatures to keep you busy for hours. For divers, this is popular as a night dive spot. The shallow reef wall is full of places for fish to chill and allows you to spend more time underwater due to the shallow depth. If your snorkelling, the coffee shop across the street will be more than happy to watch your belongings in exchange for buying a coffee or other drink.
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Losing Track of Time - this line describes my trip to Dahab.
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While Dahab lacks any must see dive sites unless you are a technical diver, there are many good reasons to take a trip to this sleepy little town. Those looking to take their first breaths underwater or looking to advance their certifications will be hard to find cheaper prices elsewhere in the world (even within Egypt). Experienced divers or those not looking to take a course will want to look elsewhere in Egypt for diving by heading south to Sharm- El Shek or, even better, Marsa Alam where Egypt’s prime dive sites are located. It is hard to find a more chill place, as Dahab is a place where even time seems to get lost.
