1. Jackies, boulevard near the Bridge

Lovely Mexican restaurant. Unlike many places in Dahab, here it all ‘fits’, from the interior to the nice salsa music and the nice Mexican food.

2. Kitchen Express, just before you enter Lighthouse area

Very affordable and tasty Asian food. Only a few tables, but set between other small restaurants in an area that almost resembles a food court (although it’s on a street that cars can enter) the atmosphere is really nice.

3. Boxmeal, near lighthouse

Lovely small restaurant that serves Asian food. Very popular among expats. From fried noodles and fried rice to chicken teriyaki and spicy noodle soup. You can find Boxmeal on the road from Eel Garden to Lighthouse, close to, but not on the boulevard.  The menu doesn’t offer too many options, but the food is tasty. We love the atmosphere with the nice wooden decorations. If you’re lucky you can sit upstairs.

4. YumYum Falafel, Mashraba

The best place in Dahab to get a falafel sandwich, and one of the cheapest. During lunchtime, you’ll find the terrace full. Locals and tourists alike love the authentic and affordable Egyptian food served here.

5. GreenValley, boulevard near Lighthouse

GreenValley (oppposite GreenValley hotel) is another one of those hidden gems. We love that they still have some bedouin style sitting areas, with cushions and low tables. The food is really good and the appetizers are a really nice gesture. Try the chicken shish from the barbecue, you won’t be disappointed!

6. Al Sharkawy, Assalah Square opposite Ghazala supermarket

A great local place for a quick lunch or dinner. The grilled or bbq chicken is accompanied by some bread, rice and a choice of salad, white beans, zucchini or potato. The BBQ kofta is also very good. Basic meals, but tasty and great value.

7. Namaste, on Fanar Street near Lighthouse

Great Indian restaurant. It’s not much to look at and it’s not on the boulevard, but the food is amazing and the prices fair.

8. Athanor, near Lighthouse

In the old days Italian owned Time Cafe on the boulevard made the best pizza’s and of course there’s Dai Pescatori, but I think Athanor actually makes a pretty decent pizza nowadays. They’re very quick to deliver too.

9. Churchill’s Bar

If you’re looking for a great burger, this is the place to go. We love the chill atmosphere on the roof terrace. They call themselves ‘sports bar’ but it’s not really a sports bar as we know it. Although they do sometimes show major soccer matches upstairs, mostly you’ll have to make do with a small tv downstairs. The upstairs is not very suitable for very small kids, it’s quite dark and the fence has large gaps.

10. Friday Market, Sheikh Salem House near Eel Garden

The Friday market is mostly a food market, with some jewelry and other crafts stalls thrown in. A surprising number of westerners sell their wares on the market. A nice place to find some different kinds of foods, from Egyptian mahshi to German torte and Italian lasagna. The food can be a bit overpriced, but the atmosphere is nice.

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Also read:
– 10 reasons to visit Dahab Egypt
– Our favorite dive sites in Dahab

What to do in Dahab?

Learn to SCUBA DIVE. In only 4 days you can get your PADI Open Water certification. Dahab has many beautiful dive sites, both for beginners and advanced divers.

RELAX in one of the many restaurants by the sea. On clear days you can see Saoudi-Arabia on the other side of the water.

The silence and special energy of the Sinai make Dahab an excellent spot for YOGA.

WIND OR KITE SURFING for beginners and advanced surfers alike the Dahab Laguna is one of the best surf spots in the world.

Where better to learn how to BELLY DANCE than in the country where this sensual dance was invented?

In the evening go into the mountains for a lovely BEDOUIN DINNER, prepared on site on a campfire by the locals.

FREE DIVING: how long can you hold your breath? Do you want to dive without air supply? In Dahab many world records were broken.

Do you want to become a scuba dive professional? Do the PADI IDC course in Dahab and become a DIVE INSTRUCTOR.

Go HIKING in the mountains around Dahab and discover beautiful deserted desert areas.

Don’t feel like walking? Go on a HORSEBACK RIDE, enjoy a spectacular sunset while riding on the beach.

Go on a DESERT SAFARI and spend a night under the stars in the South Sinai Desert.

Travel bedouin style on the back of a CAMEL. A must-do while in Egypt!

Treat yourself to a lovely RELAXING MASSAGE with one of the many massage parlors on the boulevard.

Go SNORKELING at the world-famous Blue Hole or one of the many other amazing dive sites in Dahab. Snorkeling with kids is a lot of fun.

RENT A BIKE and ride along the boulevard and the small streets of Dahab.

Take a QUAD RIDE into the mountains. Various tours are organized from the bridge on the boulevard.

ROCK CLIMBING: Dahab is a rock desert and there are some spectacular sites to climb.

Enjoy a wonderful BEDOUIN TEA at the nice and relaxing area of WADI GNAI in the south of Dahab.

Visit the ST CATHARINE MONASTERY and climb MOUNT MOZE to see the sunrise.

Go on a camel safari to RAS ABU GALUM and spend a relaxing day with the bedouins.

Not convinced yet? Read this post for even more things to do in Dahab! And why not check out this complete guide to Dahab for lots more information about our favorite destination in Egypt.

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So far:
We traveled by plane, train, car, bus, boat, motorcycle, scooter, horse carriage and becak, 
visited 5 countries,
went to 16 destinations,
took 11 flights,
and stayed in 20 hotels, apartments and bungalows and 1 night on a boat.

And some more general things we love about this trip:
being able to spend so much time together as a family
discovering new places together
watching Jace try loads of different types of food and loving most of them
meeting lots of new and inspiring people
being outside so much and seeing Jace run around and play with everything he finds
watching our little boy grow and learn and seeing him so at ease wherever we are

Of course it’s not always easy. Like all young parents we struggle with raising a very active and stubborn toddler, but we’ve added an extra hurdle by doing it while traveling. Also we’re still adjusting to this new way of traveling as a family. If you’ve read our post about traveling with a child, you’ve noticed that there’s quite a few things that change when it’s not just the two of you anymore. That being said, we’ve had so many amazing experiences, met so many fantastic new people and seen so many great places, we wouldn’t have missed that for the world!

Jace is generally a very happy child and it’s a lot of fun to watch him discover all these new places, new people, new tastes, new animals… He smiles a lot and is constantly running around checking out his new environment. He loves to go exploring with us We know he won’t actually remember this trip, but we hope this sense of discovery, the idea that anything is possible, all the impressions he gets and the foods he tastes will stay with him when he grows up.

We’re very much looking forward to our next 6 months on the road!

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I was a bit worried about the 8,5 hour flight on day 2, but he was very relaxed and flirting with all the flight attendants. When we arrived at the apartment in Bali however he collapsed, too tired to sleep and over-stimulated. We spend our first night in Bali trying to help him get some sleep.

Our travel schedule:

Day 1:
– Got up at 05:00
– Dahab to Sharm el Sheikh by car
– Sharm el Sheikh to Cairo by plane
– Sharm el Sheikh to Dubai by plane
– Arrived at Dubai airport at 17:30 then spend over an hour trying to locate our stroller and find the shuttle to the hotel
– Arrived at the hotel in Dubai at 19:30, had dinner and went to bed too late

Day 2:
– Got up at 05:30
– Dubai to Bali by plane
– Arrived in Bali at 21:40 local time and were at our apartment by 22:30

Even though we had a rough first night, this morning we were sooo happy to be back in Asia! The apartment we rented through Airbnb is comfy and clean and it’ll be great fun to go exploring our new environment. We’ve never been to Bali before, so it’s a new experience for all of us.

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Dive gear? Check! Toothbrush? Check! Sheets and blankets? Check! Toilet paper? Check! Plates and cutlery? Check! Wonder where we’re going? We’re in Dahab, Egypt and we’re going camping! Tonight we will sleep under the stars. Fantastic…

Also check out:
– The best places to eat around Dahab
– Our favorite dive sites in Dahab
– 10 reasons to visit Dahab Egypt

Sinai Camping Bedouin style

In Dahab you usually don’t bring a tent when you go camping, you sleep ‘beddo style’. Under the stars, just like the Bedouins. One big difference, Bedouins role themselves in a thick wool blanket (even when it’s 30C outside) and sleep anywhere. We westerners need a little more comfort, so we pull the mattresses off the upstairs sun beds and pack some sheets and blankets. We can’t be bothered to buy summer sleeping bags for such a short trip. Our Bedouin driver manages to get all our stuff in the Jeep and we’re ready to go!

Four poles and a roof

We’ve been camping around Dahab lots of times, but every time it’s a surprise where we’ll end up. This time we go South, in the direction of Gabr el Bint. Once we get to where we’re going we see a wooden shelter close to the water. It isn’t much, just four poles with a roof. ‘Home’ for the coming two nights. Eating, sleeping, making amazing dives, reading a bit, going for a walk or a swim. Getting through the day is easy and relaxed. In the evening our Bedouin friends cook a lovely dinner for us over an open fire. Fresh flatbread, rice, vegetables and fish caught that afternoon. It’s delicious. It gets dark early in the South Sinai Desert. So by the time our friends start cooking it’s already completely dark. After dinner we drink the spicy and sweet Bedouin tea we love so much. After some more stargazing, it’s bedtime. We’ve already created a sleeping space with the mattresses of the sun beds. It takes a little while to get used to the open space, but we sleep very well.

Sunrise in the desert

The Bedouins just role themselves in their blanket and lie on the beach or next to the Jeep. We’re on our thin mattresses in the area between the four poles, under the roof. Somehow it feels weird to just randomly lie down and go to sleep. Maybe it’s imaginary, but the roof seems to offer some protection. In the night you really don’t need it, but in the morning when the sun rises you understand why those little wooden structures exist. It gets dark really early, which means the day starts early too. We sleep through the sunrise but wake because of the heat. We find a way to hang the sheets we brought between the poles so we can create some shade. It’s too hot for us to be out in the sun, lounging in the shade is the better option. Or being in the water of course…

Dahab diving safari

Not only have we brought some basic camping gear, we also have our dive gear and tanks! So as soon as we wake up, it’s time to hit the water. I love early morning dives! We’re not at an official dive site and the reef here is still in great condition. No other divers around, just peace and quiet. We are careful not to disturb anything and keep the reef as pristine as before we entered. Only take memories and only leave bubbles…

Observing Bedouin lifestyle

During the day numerous bedouins pass by to have a chat with ‘our’ bedouins. Fresh fish and other foods are exchanged, they share a cup of incredibly sweet tea and then they go on their way. It’s fun to observe what they do all day. From what we can see it isn’t much. They make food, drink tea, go fishing, chat, pray and take naps. All very relaxed. For a little while we also get to enjoy this relaxed lifestyle. A great way to escape the rat race and be close to nature. We can see why many Bedouins prefer the desert over city life, even if life is Dahab is at a much slower pace than back home.

Back to Dahab

Unfortunately after two days we have to return to civilization. The only good part about it is that we will have a toilet again. For me, as a woman, it’s always slightly more uncomfortable than for the gentlemen in our group. But I don’t mind giving up my toilet if it means we get to enjoy nature that way. The stars are amazing at night in the desert…

I think next time we’ll take out little boy. I think he would also enjoy the desert very much.

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There’s a lot to do and see in Dahab, but if you’re only there for a short time these are the 5 things that you really have to experience.

1) Discover the amazing underwater world during a dive or a snorkel session
2) Accept a bedouin family’s invitation to come for tea
3) Go to Wadi Gnai for a relaxing day of swimming, sunbathing, snorkelling or diving
4) Go on a camel safari and sleep under the stars with the bedouins at Ras Abu Galum
5) Eat falafel with the locals at YumYum Falafel in Mashraba

The post Dahab: 5 must do’s appeared first on FlipFlopGlobetrotters.com.

Also read:
10 reasons to visit Dahab Egypt
You won’t be bored in Dahab

With 30+ dive sites to chose from, both beginners and advanced divers can enjoy the fascinating and colorful underwater world Dahab has to offer. Most dives are shore dives, but a dive safari with camels or a boat dive can also be arranged. And if you have time, try an overnight camping trip in the desert.  Just like the rest of life in Dahab diving is also very relaxed.

Here’s a list of our 5 favorite dive sites

1) Canyon

Next to Blue Hole Canyon is one of Dahab’s most famous dive sites. It’s usually pretty busy, but definitely worth it. Underwater you’ll find an impressive, beautifully coral covered canyon that is created by volcanic activity a long time ago. You descend until at about 30 meters you reach the sandy bottom. Take a dive light to see all the colorful corals on the canyon walls! Tec divers can leave the Canyon via an exit at 52 meters deep.

2) Islands

Islands is the most Southern dive site within the city’s checkpoints. This is one dive you definitely shouldn’t miss! The impressive reef of hard corals forms an underwater labyrinth. During the dive you get to discover this fascinating underwater landscape that looks unlike any other dive site in the area. Besides the usual reef inhabitants you will also find a big school of yellowtail barracuda’s.

3) Gabr el Bint

One of the most colorful dive sites of Dahab. You can reach it by zodiac from Wadi Gnai or, for the adventurous divers, on the back of a camel. This site is a bit more ‘off the beaten track’. Because less divers frequent this site, there is an abundance of live and beautiful hard and soft corals. The dive site is a bit further away, that’s why you normally do two dives when you go. It’s worth the effort!

4) Three Pools

The name of this dive sites is derived from the three naturally formed underwater ‘pools’ that you swim through at the beginning of the dive. The pools are about 4 meters deep, so it’s also a great place for to snorkel. It’s like swimming in an aquarium, with numerous colorful fish and corals You can combine this dive with a dive at Golden Blocks, Moray Garden, Caves or Umm Sid. Spend your surface time relaxing in one of the Bedouin restaurants at Wadi Gnai.

5) Blue Hole

For its fame alone Blue Hole has to be on this list. For tech divers it’s a very interesting dive because of the Blue Hole’s depth. Fun divers will discover that there’s not a lot of life in the Blue Hole itself. A great dive however is to drift over the beautiful coral garden from El Bells to Blue Hole, ending the dive with a safety stop in the Blue Hole. While waiting at 5 meters in the blue, you will often see freedivers training along the walls. The advantage of staying in Dahab is that you can dive the Blue Hole early in the morning, before the crowd from Sharm el Sheikh arrives. Often the dive at Blue Hole is combined with a dive at Canyon.

Bonus! Our secret favorite: Dutch Reef

At Asssalah Beach, the closest beach to our holiday house (3 minutes walk) you will find a dive site we named Dutch Reef. It’s not an official dive site, so it’s still very pristine and amazing. To enter it has to be high tide, because you have to swim about 50 meters over the reef top to get to the drop-off. It’s a bit of a swim, but well worth it! Please, only do this dive at high tide and make sure not to damage any of the coral on the reef top!

So, these are our favorites. Feel inspired yet? Or, if you’ve been to Dahab do you agree with our choices? Which dive sites do you think should be on this list?

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