Dahab or Sharm El Sheikh

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agarrow38

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I have booked flights for Sharm El Sheikh for next April. I am not sure whether to stay in Sharm or go upto Dahab. Can anyone offer any recommendations regarding which would be better? I am looking for a resort type hotel as we are going as a family.
 
Try both ! If you're planning to stay for -say- ten days, then it's worth spending 5 days on each destination. They are only 90kms apart, and there are buses and taxis to get you form one place to the other. Hotels can also take care of the transfer. It matters how big is your family, how old are the children and whether you travel light.

If you opt for only one destination, then consider the following :

1. Diving : Sharm offers a better variety / interest for new divers. However, most worthy dives are done by boat, boats depart in the morning and you won't be back at the hotel until late in the afternoon (issue to be considered if the family does not come along in the boat). In Dahab, diving is typically done from shore, not far from the town centre.

2. The place : It depends what you are looking for. Sharm is very touristic with lots of fancy spots. Dahab is pure and relaxed. You may "like" Sharm, but you can "fall in love" with Dahab. Sharm can be more appealing to kids, however, Dahab offers better/easier non-diving activities (e.g. a ride on camels or horses in the desert).

3. Hotels : Sharm = resorts. Dahab, too, has some big(ish) resorts but the norm is small hotels (yet with swimming pools, bars and restaurants).
 
Hi there

My hubby and I have been to both Sharm and Dahab , and we much prefer Dahab. If you are going as a family and you don't all dive , then Dahab is alot better as you have the option of doing just one dive per day and having the rest of the day together , or coming back and having some time together before going off. We have stayed twice in the Meridien Dahab and dived with Poseidon on site. Can't recommend them or the hotel or indeed Dahab iteslf highly enough.

So much depends on your diving experience , your budget , the ages of your family and how many dive and/or snorkel. We have very happy memories of our 2 weeks in the Hilton Fayrouz in Sharm , when we learned to dive , but I really do think that Dahab is much better.

Happy diving !
 
Agree with the everything above especially Vassilis - try both!

The diving in Sharm is, in my opinion, much better than Dahab. Both locations can easily cater for non-diving partners and kids but as Vassilis also said, a boat trip to Ras Mohamed, for example, would mean being away from the hotel for 10 hours or more. Non diving partners and kids are usually welcome, but it can be a long day out at sea and it can often get quite "lumpy" - not ideal for all families.

The big hotels and resorts in Sharm will cater for younger children with babysitting facilities, kids clubs and animation teams keeping the kids busy while mum and dad sip margheritas in the bar, and you will find plenty of entertainment without having to stray too far from your hotel (or even leave it!), but yeah, Dahab is a place where if you stray too far from your hotel, you will fall in the sea, and the atmosphere is much more chilled and relaxed.

You'll find organised excursions such as camel safaris, quad bike riding, snorkel trips, visits to Cairo, Luxor or wherever in both locations, but I usually recommend the trips arranged through the hotels, especially if you are in Sharm, because yes, although it's all very touristy, it's usually well organised and safe, with no hidden extras!

And as tippytoes said - a lot will depend on what exactly you and your family are looking for.

Ask away!

Cheers,

C.
 
Agree, both destination worth visiting. As I'm lazy I prefer boat dives but if you choose this in Sharm you'll spend the whole day on the sea. In Dahab there is the Blue Hole, the Islands and some other well known spots from the shore. If you want to spend more time with your family, Dahab is better in my opinion. (And you haven't mentioned Taba, which is a bit far in the north of Sinai but they have all inclusive resorts there with unlimited shore diving options, and it's easy to visit Eilat's Dolphin Reef in Israel. The diving is less interesting in Taba but for family holidays maybe it's better.)
 
I'd agree with the advice given on here. Dahab is shore diving which means it is more accessible than the boat diving in Sharm. However this accessibility comes at a price. Lighthouse is getting trashed by divers and Canyon well on the way. The Blue Hole isn't all that exciting IMO- interesting entry down the Bells chimney and nice coral bar as you return to the lagoon. Lives on its infamous reputation due to the mainly tech divers who died in the arch. Sharm is better diving though Dahab more convenient.
 
Same question, except I'm going by myself. Is there any places that have a stay and dive package. I think I would prefer not to stay on a boat all day, but I realize you often get to better dive sites by boat. Any chance of seeing dolphins or sharks in one area vs. the other? Though I planned this trip for scuba diving, it looks like I'll only get 4 days out of the 7-day trip for diving... I should have accounted for travel time a little better. I fly out the 16th, will land in Cairo at 4 pm, catch another flight to Sharm, arriving at 9:30 Pm. The reverse trip has me leaving Sharm at 1:40 PM and getting back to Cairo an hour later (want to see the pyramids while I'm there.) I then catch a flight at 2:05 am on the 23rd home. I'm leaving in 10 days. In conclusion, I would like to see some big critters, in a stay and dive hotel, that can pick me up and drop me off at Sharm International.
 
Thanks for the response. From what I've researched to Dahab is not known for it's large marine life. I get the feeling the overall experience is great as far as vibe, location, and town size. I'm am going to Egypt to experience some of the best diving in the world and want to make sure I go to the right place. As an example, I went to Mexico this past February. Diving the reefs off Playa Del Carmen was nice (any time you're underwater, right? :), but my dives off Cozumel were the best I've seen. I'm looking for that level of diving with larger marine life. I'm just wondering how the diving itself rates between Sharm and Dahab.
 
Thanks for the response. From what I've researched to Dahab is not known for it's large marine life. I get the feeling the overall experience is great as far as vibe, location, and town size. I'm am going to Egypt to experience some of the best diving in the world and want to make sure I go to the right place. As an example, I went to Mexico this past February. Diving the reefs off Playa Del Carmen was nice (any time you're underwater, right? :), but my dives off Cozumel were the best I've seen. I'm looking for that level of diving with larger marine life. I'm just wondering how the diving itself rates between Sharm and Dahab.

Best Red Sea diving with chance of bigger life? That would be a liveaboard to Brothers, Daedalus and some further southern reefs....
 

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