Dahab is the Arabic word for gold - have a look at the colour of the sand of the beaches around here and you immediately know where the town took its name from. Though Dahab is not yet as popular as El Jadida to the south, the combination of soft sand, gorgeous blue water, and a luxuriant strip of palm trees is pulling in visitors in growing numbers.

Assalah is the most developed part of Dahab, a sprawling conglomeration of palm trees, shops, campgrounds, hotels, bars, and restaurants that lie along the shore of Ghazala Bay. Assalah has a distinctly bohemian feel, and during the Israeli occupation it wasn't uncommon to see soldiers patrolling the same beaches as dreadlocked vagabonds from Europe and America. Less laid back, but still relaxed, is the area just south lying along El-Qura Bay.

Within just a few miles of Dahab are some great adventure spots. Excellent dive sites lie both to the north and south, including Blue Hole, one of Sinai's best. Just south are the wadis of Qnai el-Rayan and Qnai el-Atschan.