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Dahab
In Arabic the word Dahab means gold and probably refers to the golden yellow hue of the beaches that stretch as far as you can see. Dahab, is located half way between Sharm El Sheikh and Nuweiba, and has a combination of fine soft sand, crystal clear water and shady palm trees. Around the bay are shops, hotels, bars, restaurants and campsites. Dahab is perfect for water sports especially windsurfing and diving. |
We strongly recommend that whether you are trekking, diving or sight seeing you use only accredited tour opperators and guides
Places of Interest.
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The Island of Coral. The Phoenicians were the first to develop the island for trade with Egypt. Early in the 12th century the Crusaders built a fortress to safeguard pilgrims travelling between Jerusalem and the Monastery of St Katherine in South Sinai. Towards the end of the 12th century Sultan Salah El Din (Saladin) took the island from the Crusaders and strengthened the castle's fortifications. Today you can follow in the footsteps of Lawrence of Arabia Lawrence, (1888-1935), British adventurer, soldier, and author, and explore the fully renovated medieval fortress with its towers, arched doorways, sleeping quarters, baths and kitchens.
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St Katherine Monastery. The monastery is situated at the foot of the Gebel Musa in South Sinai and is owned and run by the Greek Orthodox Church. Empress Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine, ordered the construction of a small church in 330 AD to be called the Church of the Transfiguration. The fortified monastery on the site today was built around the original church during the reign of Emperor Justinian (527-565 AD). In the 11th century the monastery was dedicated to St Katherine of Alexandria who had died in 310 AD, the saint's remains, are buried in the monastery's Basilica. Its unique library houses a large collection of illuminated manuscripts also amongst its treasure are rare Christian artefacts including Byzantine icons dating from the 6th century, Slavonic prayer books plus objects of silver, gold, ivory and precious stones. Considered to be the most precious objects are pages from the Codex Sinaiticus, a 4th century version of the Bible kept in the British Museum.
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Ras Mohammed National Park. The park is located in one of the world's most extraordinary settings, on a thin and dramatically arid peninsula at the very southernmost tip of the Sinai. The peninsula rises to a dramatic promontory that looks out over some of the most wonderful coral reefs in the world. The Ras Mohammed peninsula marks the connection of the shallow Gulf of Suez and the deep intercontinental chasm of the Gulf of Aqaba, itself a small portion of the Great Rift Valley that stretches deep into Africa. Declared a park in 1983, Ras Mohammed contains within its modest area an astounding variety of life ranging from the gazelles of its northern desert area to the brilliant orange coral groupers of its skirting reefs. The perimeters of Ras Mohammed extend far out into the surrounding waters, and even the casual visitor can not fail to be impressed by how much of the park is dominated by the sea. The dry land area of the park contains large dunes interspersed with outcroppings of Miocene limestone in which are embedded a rich variety of marine fossils. In fact, the dramatic promontory that marks the Sinai's southernmost tip belongs in part to the sea, and is in fact an enormous, fossilised coral reef, left high and dry tens of thousands of years ago.
For most visitors, Ras Mohammed's most spectacular scenery is found underwater, in the broad, terraced coral reefs that encircle the peninsula. Fire corals and brilliant sea fans abound here, and among these lush reef corals roam a truly magnificent array of both reef and pelagic fish numbering more than a thousand species.
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PLACES OF INTEREST.
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St Catherins Monastery. Set beneath the mountain where Moses is said to have received the Ten Commandments, Saint Catherine Monastery has been one of the world's great centers of religious pilgrimage for over fifteen centuries. Within its imposing walls rests a citadel like no other, incredibly rich in important religious and historical structures. Among its treasures is a library of ancient manuscripts and icons second only to the Vatican's itself, and a 6th century church reputed to lie directly on the site of the Burning Bush. Quite simply, the monastery is a defining feature of the Holy Land. |
Millions of years ago, Sinai was covered by the sea, and nowhere has the ancient ocean left a more brilliant legacy upon the landscape than at the Colored Canyon, near Nuweiba.
A visit to the canyon provides instant recognition of where it gets its name. The walls of the canyon, which reach up to sixteen stories, are easily the most colorful and intriguing rock formations in all of Sinai. They were created by the erosion of water upon sandstone and limestone. In some places the deep coloration of rocks gives the canyon walls a prismatic and metallic sheen; in others, the stone is so smooth that it appears soft and pillowy.
The canyon mouth is accessible by car, and its short length (about 700 meters) makes for perfect hiking. As one ventures into the canyon, the walls narrow in width to just a few feet in some places, giving the channel a close and secretive atmosphere. The canyon is most commonly compared to the Jordanian city of Petra, although here the spectacle is completely natural. |
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Aien Om Ahmad Oasis. A large oasis at the end of Wadi El Zaghra, some of the Tarabin Bedouin tribe lives here growing their own food. |
A'Maeid. North from Dahab, and just north of Ras Abu Galoum there is a wide, beach with mountains at its back. There are no Bedouin settlements in the area. |
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Wadi Arada. In this flat sandy valley full of Broom trees you can find inscriptions from pilgrims crossing the valley as far back as 2000 BC. |
Gabr El Barga. From the top of this sandstone mountain, you can see St Catherine's Monastery. |
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Bir Ogda Oasis. Although the oasis is far smaller now due to the drop in water levels the area is still fertile, there is an old Bedouin village at the oasis that is still worked, but as the Bedouins are nomadic they are not always present. The trees in this once large oasis are said to be between 2000 and 3000 years old. |
El Gona Plateau. A mountain range, it begins at Ein Khudra and stretches 50 km west, separating the southeast and mid west areas of Sinai. There is a high plateau, with superb views over the St Catherine Mountains as far as Dahab and Nuweiba. |
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Jebel El Tih. This is where the Bible says Moses was lost for 40 years, the tribe that lives here to day are known as the lost tribe (El Tiaha). Due to its remoteness, frequent morning frost and cold weather it is a sparsely populated area. |
| Wadi Kid. This Bedouin settlement between Dahab and Sharm El Sheikh, is renown for its of sweet water. The abundant fresh water is used to supply Dahab. The road through the wadi continues all the way to St Catherine. |
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Ras Abu Galoum. Home to several Bedouin families, its is also an excellent snorkelling site, with beautiful coral gardens and lagoons. |
DAHAB DIVING.
RECOMMENDATION. Always dive according to your level of training and ask your dive center what safety and ability levels are required for each dive site. Never Dive Alone
The Blue Hole. Location; north of Dahab village; Average Depth; 20m (65 ft); Maximum Depth; 50m+ (164ft+) Average Visibility; 20m (65 ft). There are few dives in Sinai more spectacular and more dangerous than Blue Hole. The Hole is located in the shallows of a bright blue reef shelf. The amount and variety of marine life around the hole's rim are rare even for the Red Sea. Here the corals, fans, eels and dozens of other fish species flourish. Its advisable not to let the Blue Hole's dark mysterious beauty lure you too far down, you may not make it back due to nitrogen narcosis. |
The Canyon. Location; north of Dahab; Average Depth; 20m (65 ft) Maximum Depth; 50m+ (164ft+) Average Visibility; 20m (65 ft). Dahab's most popular dive site The Canyon, is close to the Blue Hole. The Canyon lies about three miles north of Assalah, and to reach it you snorkel off the beach, through a large coral lagoon. You enter the Canyon, through a narrow fissure where the coral wall sinks to a depth of 60m. Descend down to the rock and follow the fissure. Snorkelling at the top of the reef allows you to see a variety of marine life and interesting corals. Warning strict attention should be paid to depth, as the floor can reach a perilous 180 ft |
Eel Garden. Average Depth 18m (60 ft); Maximum Depth 30m+ (100ft+); Average Visibility 20m (65 ft). This is a gently sloping wall dive to suit all levels of divers and offers easy entry and exit through a shallow sandy lagoon, home to several lion fish. As the name suggests there are numerous garden eels that can be seen opposite the wall on the sand bank. The wall starts at 3m and has a maximum depth of approximately 16 meters. Exiting the lagoon and swimming across the sandy slopes, viewing the garden eels (Gorgasia sillneri) at close proximity, will bring you to a beautiful coral garden littered with hard and soft corals and other aquatic life. Divers can then return to the lagoon along the wall that is alive with colour and texture. For those with good air consumption, a drift dive from the Eel Garden to the Lighthouse offers a varied and relaxing dive. |
The Lighthouse. Location Dahab Bay. Access is by car from Dahab. Average Depth 18m (60 ft); Maximum Depth 30m+ (100ft+); Average Visibility 20m (65 ft). The Lighthouse is made up of a large rocky wall that wraps around the point, with large sandy slopes and gentle drop off. There are a number of different dives from here depending on the route chosen. This is often done as a night dive where its not uncommon to see sleeping parrot fish, Spanish dancers, Red Sea lobsters, shrimps, hermit crabs |
Coral Gardens. Located along the south west coastline of Tiran Island, the Coral Gardens, also called Hushasha. These Gardens are a sandy shelf that slopes down from the shore to a depth of about 75 feet. Along the shelf are many coral heads that are full of marine life. In the many crevices and shallow caves, you will find Regal and Emperor angelfish, Red Sea banner fish and butterfly fish. You will also want to be on the lookout for lion fish in the caves and crevices as well as the blue spotted stingrays that can be found in the sand. The expertise required for this area is a novice to advanced. |
Ras Um Sid. The dive site is located at Ras Umm Sid point southeast of Sharm El Moya and Sharm El Sheikh town. Access the dive is from the shore or by local or live aboard boats from Sharm El Sheikh, Naama Bay and some other ports. Average Depth 20m (65 ft); Maximum Depth 35m+ (115ft+) Average Visibility 20m (65 ft). Ras Um Sid is a coral shelf that starts at the shore and slopes to a depth of 80 feet with a sandy bottom. There is a steep sloping wall, extending from the point at Ras Umm Sid inward toward the bay to the west. The reef follows the shoreline, and is marked by intermittent sand patches, coral heads and pinnacles. The coral heads include gorgonians, acropora, fire corals, dense soft coral patches and some remarkable coral formations. There are many reef fish including lion fish and off the reef you can see rays, barracudas, sharks and crocodile fish. There are also big and small jacks/trevally, emperor and regal angelfish, various parrot fish, picasso and other trigger fish, Yellowstone and ring tail surgeons, Napoleon wrasse and moray eels. The expertise required for this area is a snorkelled, novice, advanced, dive master or instructor. |
The Islands. Location; on the Dahab coast; Average Depth; 12m (40 ft); Maximum Depth; 16m (52 ft); Average Visibility; 20m (65 ft). The Islands is a dense concentration of coral pinnacles and patch reefs in a sheltered location along the Dahab shore. There is a labyrinthine of peaks, valleys, corridors, sand patches, bowls, amphitheatres, deep wells and pristine coral peaks. The reefs seem almost to glow like a precious jewel. This is probably the most diverse and well-preserved selection of coral in the Sinai area. Every conceivable hard coral is present, plus a diversity of soft coral. Here the fish life is magnificent with huge schools of barracuda, snapper, surgeon, unicorn fish. There are also many brightly coloured reef species including sea bream, emperors, big trigger fish, rabbit fish, birdhouse and wrasse its also possible to catch a glimpse of turtles. The highlight of the dive is the large amphitheatre halfway along the reef, where huge schools of immature barracuda gather. |
The Bells. Average depth - 20 meters Maximum depth - 50m+. Average visibility 25m+. Often included in a dived at the Blue Hole, its located about 45 minutes north of Dahab by road. This dive is often regarded as having one of the most memorable entries. The entry point is a small slot in the reef top, through which you drop and swim out through the sheer wall above more than 2000m of water. This dive is along the vertical wall to the south of the entry toward the Blue Hole reaching a maximum depth of 20 meters. Although the wall is very interesting it is also worth looking out into the deep as a number of big pelage's and sharks have been seen here. Coral cover includes the plate and cabbage coral, black bushes and white soft corals. |
Ras Muhammed (Shark Reef) Located at the tip of the Ras Muhammed Peninsula it is within the boundaries of the Ras Muhammed National Park The typical depth range of Ras Muhammed is 30 to 300 feet and is reached by drift dive, boat dive or local guide. The expertise required is a snorkel, novice with an instructor, advanced, dive master or instructor. There is no other dive site that has such a huge variety of diving conditions in a relatively small area. There is access to the area from the beach for snorkel's and shore divers and mooring sites for boat divers. Ras Muhammed wall begins at the point of the peninsula and descends down from the surface to over 300 feet. Along the wall are sharks, jacks and other open ocean marine life moving in and out of the Gulf of Aqaba. Heading south along the wall, you enter into a bay where the wall begins to slope to sandy shelves below. When the depth reaches about 60 feet, the bay begins to turn back toward the sea and its here you can find Anemone City. Anemone City is a shelf on the reef covered with Anemones full of clown anemone fish that live amongst them. As the reef continues out to sea it meets two submerged islands called Shark Reef. There is a very large drop-off on the outside of the reefs, covered with soft corals, large fan corals and many resident fish. Off the wall, are many open ocean fish, such as rays, sharks and jacks. As you come to the end of the path around Shark Reef, you descend down to a sandy channel between Shark Reef and the shore. Here you can see the wreck of a freighter that sank in the 1960's carrying a consignment of bathroom fittings. The wreck slipped down into unknown depths in 1986, but some of the fittings were left behind and have made unusual habitats for some of the reef animals. |
Wrecks. There are a number of wrecks in the area this is just a few of the best known ones. |
The Dunraven. A British steam freighter that went down (and turned over) in 1876 on a voyage from Bombay to Newcastle in England. The ship is thought to have been used as a spy ship for T. E Lawrence, (Lawrence of Arabia.) The wreck is located near Beacon Rock, a jetty off the Ras Muhammed Peninsula in the Gulf of the Suez, within the boundaries of Ras Muhammed National Park. The park covers all marine and coastal environments along the entire 250 kilometres of the Sinai coast. Beacon Rock itself is a jetty off of the Ras Muhammed Peninsular in the Gulf of Suez. There is a wall that you can swim down to the wreck and return is the same way. The dive can be cancelled due to the strong current. The depth of Beacon Rock is 90 to 130 feet and is best done as a boat dive with a local guide. The expertise required for this area is advanced to a dive master or instructor |
Thistlegorm. Minimum depth to the wreck; 10m (at Bridge); Maximum depth to the seabed; 31m (Railway Engine); Average Visibility; 25-30m. Sinai's most prized wreck is a British warship that sank with a full consignment of war supplies, including tanks, jeeps, and guns, after being bombed during W.W.II (1941). Discovered in 1956 by Jacques Costeau, it was rediscovered in 1993, lying (on a sandy floor) at a depth of 17 to 35 meters north west of Ras Mohammed, (stripped of many of its wartime memorabilia). It's usual to do this dive as an overnight trip, as it can take over 3 hours each way from Sharm el-Sheikh by boat. |
The Toilet Wreck. The wreck probably occurred in the 1970s since it was intact and known in 1980. An unidentified Yemeni ship, with a cargo of sanitary porcelain, sank near the Horseshoe reef and was thereafter named the "Toilet" wreck. The hull of this ship was wooden and has disintegrated over the year's. However, the metal frame of the hull remains protruding out of the sand like dinosaur bones. The engine, gear box and propeller shaft and propeller remain visible. Much of the cargo is scattered around the sea floor. The maximum depth near the wreck is about 80 feet. |
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