Dahab Recommendations-on a budget

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roegenwalder

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Hello. I would love some help. please.
I know there is a bunch of great information on Dahab in here somewhere, but I am currently in Kathmandu, and I am stuck using very slow internet connections.

We are heading to the Red Sea at the start of May/08. That's one month away, and we don't have anything booked other than our flights. Any recommendations on good-quality, budget hotel and dive operators in Dahab? Is it advisable to just arrive there and sort it out by feel, or is May kind of busy season and hard to arrange that way?

Any help would be appreciated!
 
- I thought I'd add one more question to this. For any of you who have been to both Dahab and Sharm in the past, what would you recommend in this scenario: We'll have enough time to spend about a week in Dahab and another 3-4 days in Sharm. Would it be worth it to go to Sharm for a short bit? Does Sharm's dive scene have anything to offer that Dahab's doesn't? Or would I be better off to stay in Dahab for a few extra days?
Thanx!
 
Well, my 3 cents :
since You haven't specified what You considered as budget hotel, I would recommend Nessima Resort (52 EUR/nigh for double with breakfast). Very conveniently located, quiet and clean. Tiny rooms though.
Othwerwise, hotel in Planet Divers dive center, that is really cheap, and You get what You pay for :).
Dive operators - Planet Divers - well organized, a bit crowded in high season, EAN 32 -34 free of charge.
Last year we did both Dahab and just one day trip to Sharm - it was well worth it. In Sharm there is also a lot of diving, and You will hate missing Thistlegorm dives and Ras Mohamed. Dives are different, not only You dive mostly from the boat , opposite to Dahab, where it's mostly shore diving. Well, Dahab is really special, and it's hard not to fall in love with it :). Been there twice, planning to return maybe next year.
 
Gorcio gave you a very good reply - mine's another vote for both Nessima and Planet divers.

And yes, going to Sharm for one day to visit Thistlegorm and Ras Mohammed is well worth it.
 
For Dahab , the Nesima is actually one of the more expensive places.
A good budget / midrange place is the Penguin Hotel, with a good dive shops attached to it as well. There is no need to book anything in advace, really, have never had any problems in that regard, and May is not the busiest season.
Dahab diving is mostly shore diving, so quite different from the boat diving in Sharm. However, there is no need to actually move to Sharm unless you want to, as the Dahab dive shops usually organise overnight trips and mini dive safaris to Ras Mohammed, Tiran etc., which involve transport by minibus and boat trip from Sharm for 2-3 days.
 
- I thought I'd add one more question to this. For any of you who have been to both Dahab and Sharm in the past, what would you recommend in this scenario: We'll have enough time to spend about a week in Dahab and another 3-4 days in Sharm. Would it be worth it to go to Sharm for a short bit? Does Sharm's dive scene have anything to offer that Dahab's doesn't? Or would I be better off to stay in Dahab for a few extra days?
Thanx!

For Hotels:

"Neptune" is right on the beach and a single room costs U$20.00 a night.
"Monica" is a couple of blocks away from the water and a single room costs U$12.00 a night.

I dive regularly with Desert Divers. They're very flexible, will accommodate any diver and quite fun to dive with.

Desert Divers - Diving & Desert Adventure in Dahab, Sinai, Red Sea - Desert Divers, Dahab
 
For Dahab , the Nesima is actually one of the more expensive places.
Maybe let's say it is not the cheapest. However 52 EUR a duble a night (=26 EUR per person) is not really a high price, is it ? And I suppose You are much better off with what You get for what You pay :)

When seeking for the cheapest ... well, You can get a room around 10 EUR/night, but ... You do not get location, clean and quiet room, breakfast, swimming pool with cold beer just at the pool bar ...

Anyways, when one say budget one means "100", the other's got "10" on one's mind ... I suppose roegenwalder will have to figure out what he wants :)
 
I didn't say it was expensive for what you get (even though I personally don't need pool when I spend half the day under water anyway), I just said that for Dahab it's hardly budget.
 
There are lots of very cheap Bedouin style camps in Dahab, mostly situated near the seafront. Prices from about LE15/1Euro per night. They're quite basic but if you're going to be diving all day then all you need is a place to shower and sleep.

Have a look here for some ideas. Off the top of my head, Alaska, Crazy Camel and Fighting Kangaroos are right in the middle of town so it's noisier there. Sinbad are 10 minutes walk along the seafront where it's quieter. No need to book these in advance. May is not especially busy, but Dahab is not especially busy any time of year.

Sharm is much more expensive, though you can get some good late deals. The diving is different, Thistlegorm is well worth doing but it's a *long* day - 23.00 start from Dahab, 04.00 from Sharm!

Enjoy yourselves, I wish I was back there.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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