Everything you need to know about Dahab: A Byron Bay-esque town on Egypt’s coastline

Take everything you think you know about Egypt and toss it aside for a minute, because where the desert meets the sea, Dahab is giving Australia’s Byron Bay a run for its money. 

Photo: Raimond Klavins

South Sinai is home to Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt's tried-and-tested resort hub that hordes of Italians flock to each year. Despite the four hour journey from Rome, it seems an Egyptian summer has something an Italian one does not. But it’s not Sharm El Sheikh where I set my bags down after a considerably longer journey from Australia. 

Instead, I travel just slightly north through the desert and follow signs pointing to Dahab. When translated from Arabic to English دهب (Dahab) aptly means gold. Some say it was so dubbed, because it represents the colour of the sand which makes up much of the Sinai Peninsula, while others believe it got its name after the brilliant sunset that peeks through the desert skyline.

Alessandra basking in the Sinai sun, post quad bike ride. Photo: Loretta Muscat

Swap the Pacific Ocean for the Red Sea and the Aussie slang for Dahabian Arabic, and you’ve found yourself in a place akin to Byron Bay. As if stepping into a mirrored universe, you can expect crystals galore, bohemian style pants, a sweet sea breeze and an electric community spirit. Dahab is nestled on the Gulf of Aqaba; turquoise waters that stretch out to Saudi Arabia. In fact, when the sun sits high up in the sky, you can see the strip of jagged mountains that shadow the town of مقنا (Magna) in the distance. The Bedouin tribes of Sinai called Dahab ذهب وقت (Waqaat Thahaab) which means ‘time goes’ and this has everything to do with the fact that time moves slowly here. 

My ideal Dahabian day? A 5:30am wake up to watch the sunrise, followed by a dip in the blue waters of Eel Garden. I read my favourite book, Anna Karenina and listen to a playlist called ‘misty mornings’, although the mornings here are anything but. Another option: a yoga session at Nour Wellbeing.

Dahab's quaint coastline. Photo: Luca Ladi Bucciolini

Breakfast is a traditional Egyptian dish called مدمس فول (ful madammas). A stew of fava beans accompanied by hummus, olive oil, cumin, garlic, onion and lemon, a freshly chopped salad and a boiled egg. Despite what many think of Egyptian cuisine, Dahab offers an array of plant-based options. Something its new wave of visitors indulge in regularly. 

By midday I’m heading to Laguna. This corner of the Red Sea is a 15-minute drive south of Dahab’s centre, and boasts waters so clear; a testament to the commitment of the Dahabians who place a heavy importance on keeping the environment clean and free of rubbish. I hire a small boat for the day (split between a few friends it comes to around $15AUD per person) and journey into the calm Red Sea. Divers from across the globe come here to see the untouched coral for themselves. The not-so-faint of heart can try their hand at scuba diving or kite surfing. 

The unparalleled ecosystem of the Red Sea. Photo: Carlos Negrete

At night, after a traditional Egyptian feast at one of the many restaurants along El Masbat Street, I’ll grab a bottle of Stella beer and find a spot on the rocky shore. No words can do the panorama justice, you’ll just have to see it for yourself. 

Local food rec

Head to El Fanar Street and find Tota. With a newly-renovated pizzeria out front, a hole-in-the-wall window and vibrant music ringing in the air, you can’t miss it. The family-run restaurant founded in 1983 by Mimi Abou El Leil, reopened in 2022. The menu here gives Aussie brunches a run for their money. Just order Tota’s homemade dulce de leche ice cream with honeycomb and caramel sauce and you’ll understand why.

Your go-to for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Photo: reeftrecker

Walk upstairs to the rooftop and find yourself sandwiched between the Sinai mountains and the glimmering Red Sea; a backdrop that’s yet to surpass one I’ve seen in all my years of travel. The Abou El Leils host parties headlined by DJs (Sinai Streets), movie nights on Sundays and open mic nights on Tuesdays. If you happen to visit, tell them Alessandra sent you!

Dahab is vastly filled with rich culture, electric music, a tight-knit community, friendly locals and a horizon that’s perhaps unbeatable, even by those on Australia’s shores. (Sorry.) Gustave Flaubert once said that ‘Egypt is like being hurled while still asleep into the midst of a Beethoven symphony… a bewildering chaos of colours’. I couldn’t agree with him more. 

Escape Route

Emirates offers direct flights to Dubai from Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth. From there catch a short flight with Air Cairo or Egyptair to Sharm El Sheikh. You can organise a taxi or shuttle from the airport straight to Dahab. 

Originally published as Everything you need to know about Dahab: A Byron Bay-esque town on Egypt’s coastline