Sydney diving is great fun, but we’ve been aching for the warm, clear waters of the Red Sea, and the spectacular dive sites off the coast of Dahab. It’s a place we frequently talk about, especially with other divers, and it’s always been one of the highlights of our diving memories.
Sitting on the plane from London to Sharm el-Sheikh therefore, I found myself fretting that perhaps our rose tinted glasses may have resulted in an ever so slightly unrealistic expectation of the diving that was to come. We needn’t have worried!
Last time we were here there was so much hope that the revolution of 2011 would eventually bring about real, meaningful change and prosperity to the country . . . . however, on our first night, sitting in a mostly empty restaurant on the sea front, it was clear that change and prosperity were still some way off.
Despite this, the small town of Dahab, located in the south of the Sinai Peninsula at the crossroads of Africa and Asia, has somehow managed to maintain the laid back, relaxed, happy–go-lucky vibe it is famous for.
A vibe that continues to be reflected at Big Blue Dahab, our favourite dive shop on the peninsula. They looked after us expertly during our next six days of diving the Red Sea, six days at dive sites we had almost exclusively to ourselves . . . .
Our underwater adventures began at the Lighthouse, a nice easy dive with colourful fish and coral, as well as a man made reef that includes a life sized elephant – a great way to ease ourselves back into diving this underwater landscape.
We then jumped in, quite literally, at the deep end – diving the famous Canyon, one of our all time favourite dive sites, so good in fact we dived it twice! An easy swim out through a coral garden takes you down to a large crack in the coral wall at 20 or so metres. After slipping through the crack you swim through an amazing canyon, enjoying the rock and coral formations, as well as the odd moray eel and scorpion fish.
We followed up the Canyon with multiple visits to the Islands and Eel Garden dive sites, to see some of the best preserved coral pinnacles in the Red Sea, and of course, a large colony of garden eels, as well as a visit to Rick’s Reef.
Of course no visit to Dahab is complete without a visit to the Blue Hole. And while we didn’t get this site to ourselves, it’s hard not to marvel at the deep, deep blue nothingness that greets you when you swim over the rim and into this amazing sink hole.
This exhausting, yet thoroughly enjoyable week in Dahab was made all the better by staying at the lovely Red C Villas on the north side of Dahab. A place to relax in the winter sun after diving, and enjoy cheeky sundowners on the roof overlooking the mountains behind us and the Red Sea out front.
All in all, a perfect antidote to the frigid weather we left behind in London.
Good to know
Getting here: Our return flights from London to Sharm el Sheikh were with Easyjet. Given the ongoing security situation we opted for the reasonably priced transfer service offered by Big Blue Dahab. As you depart Sharm el-Sheikh, vehicles going to Dahab wait at the start of the highway until several are ready to go and then travel in convoy to Dahab.
Stay: We stayed at the Red C Villas, just past a small village called Assalah in northern Dahab on the way to the Blue Hole dive site. See my review here for more details.
Tip: Dahab, like the rest of Egypt, is feeling the economic pinch from the lack of tourists so we ate somewhere different each night to try and spread our meagre dollars around. Most of the restaurants along the waterfront offer pretty decent food at a reasonable price. Be warned that most of the restaurants along the front have precocious resident cats that will stalk your food, and if spraying cats with a water bottle to keep them away from the table isn’t your thing, you may want to consider finding a restaurant inside one of the resorts.
Tip: Dahab is a brilliant place to learn to dive – clear, warm and lots to see. Also, allow plenty of time to explore as many of Dahab’s fantastic dive sites as possible, and remember, if you’re like us, there will be a few you’ll want to go back to a second and third time. We always dive with Big Blue Dahab, see my review here for more details.