Dahab

This pearl of the gulf actually consists of two villages; the Bedouin village of Assalah is the southern half, and the business and administrative center of Dahab is the northern half. Dahab means 'gold' in Arabic. In Sinai it means golden sands, turquoise sea, and off-beat cafe life. It is a focus of tourism development, with swaying palms, fine sand and wonderful snorkeling opportunities. Dahab has excellent hotel accommodations, but also affords less expensive housing in the village, or camping. About 5 miles from town is the famous Blue Hole, for diving. Towards the Israeli border is the Island of Coral, where the Crusaders built a fort. The remains can still be seen.

* Blue Hole

Located few miles north of Dahab village. A pleasant site with the greatest attraction lying not in the blue hole itself, but on the rich sloping reef outside. Entry to the site is through a large lagoon in the reef top, about 50m across.

This lagoon is the "blue hole" which gives the site its name. A shallow lip at about 6m leads from the lagoon to the outer reef; deep within the hole, an arched passage also links the reef face to the hole itself.