Dahab is a small Bedouin town, located approximately 100 km to the north of Sharm el-Sheikh’s luxurious tourist resorts. Dahab, which means “Gold” in Arabic, is named for the town’s beautiful beaches, and the atmosphere here is relaxed and peaceful. Popular with backpackers because of its affordable prices, the area also boasts some unique diving sites, making it a tranquil paradise for peace loving souls to relax and explore.

The Dahab area is protected and resource managed to ensure that the rich natural environment remains unspoiled.

As with many other areas of the Red Sea and Sinai coast of Egypt, Dahab has some famous dive sites and snorkelling opportunities. The famous Blue Hole, literally a deep hole in the coral reef, is located around 30 minutes from Dahab by jeep, and is suitable for more experienced divers. Around 150m wide, and up to 110m deep, the Blue Hole is one of nature’s oddities, and is in fact a sort of cave or pothole, giving it the appearance of an eerie gap in the coral reefs which surround it.

On land, Dahab offers a wealth of relaxing activities. There are restaurants here right on the beach itself, where delicious meals can be followed by a relaxing walk on the beach, or something a little more physical, such as horse and camelback riding, or riding the water’s surface with some windsurfing or kite surfing.

The breeze blowing from the Red Sea onto the coast makes Dahab a centre for windsurfers, and the Laguna (lagoon) seems almost tailor-made for wind and kite surfers to enjoy their sport. Some hotels here specialize in wind and kite surfing in the same way that many others specialize in scuba diving and snorkelling, and there are areas of the lagoon dedicated for these pursuits.

A little closer to Sharm el-Sheikh, around 30km to the north of the bustling resort, is Nabq, where the coral reefs stretch along the length of the coast where the desert meets the sea. A protected marine reserve has been established here since 1992, in order to protect the coral reefs and the mangrove fringe which extends along the shoreline.

The reserve also serves to preserve the way of life of the native Bedouin people, who are also responsible for much of the tourist services here.

Scuba diving is popular and well-served in Nabq, with unique and varied underwater landscapes, offering sandy slopes leading to the rich and amazingly well-preserved coral reefs, which boast a very rich and diverse variety of fish.

The beaches are beautiful, as one would expect in a protected area, and activities such as beach volleyball, beach football and basketball are available all day, so visitors can enjoy some energetic exercise.