Spending time in Dahab - What to do while in Dahab - Hippie Egypt - Egypt Budget Guide

The days here in Dahab have passed by quickly.  Sometimes I feel lazy here, not doing much with my time.  Perhaps that is why I have not posted too much since getting to Dahab.  But, we will soon be leaving, and with that, we are both very sad.

At first, I did not know what to think of Dahab.  It seemed more developed and commercial than other places we had been to.  Furthermore, there was more hassle going on here than in Siwa or St. Catherine's.  Walking down the waterfront one is bombarded with offers to enter a restaurant and/or shop in one of the stores.  In fact, we have found that prices in Dahab are higher than other areas of Egypt, and the prices for souvenirs is much higher than in Siwa.

But, perhaps the reality is that Dahab is not hurting as bad as other areas of Egypt are.  Tourism is very much present here, even if it is not as high as before the revolution.  Prices here are higher because the people who do come have money.  Many will not venture to the African part of Egypt.  Many visitors to Dahab, we have found, are repeat visitors.  They come back year after year, as flights to this area of the world are cheap from places in Europe.  How much is a flight to this part of the world from the United States?  $850 and up, especially if you are flying from the west coast.



Although I was not found of Dahab at first, the reality is that it has grown on me.  I do not want to leave.  I have found a liking for this dry stretch of beach, full of vendors and loud waiters who try to lure me into their establishments.  I will miss seeing the sun rising over the water every morning as I make my way to the shower.  I will miss looking up at the stars and at the moon every night, or having ice cream as we walk along the moonlit water.  I will miss seeing Saudi Arabia in the distance and hearing the sounds coming from the mosques throughout the day.

Dahab is unlike any other place I have been.  It is like a Bedouin Cancun.  It's a place where girls will stop at nothing until you buy their bracelets, and if you don't, you will be labeled a liar.  It is a place where the food is as diverse as the people.  A place where people who pretend to be hippies and hippies pretend to be people.  I like it like that though.

This may be our final night in Dahab.  We may head to Luxor.  Or we may stay here.  We are not sure yet.  We would love to have more time to decide, yet time is something that we are running out of.  The bus from Dahab to Luxor is 125 EGP we have been told.

On an unrelated note, my Puerto Rico blog hit 10,000 views.