I’ve been a huge fan of Dahab since my first trip to Egypt in 2002. It was my last stop, and all during my trip I kept meeting other travelers who spoke highly of it. I met some Japanese-Brazilians in the desert, and their daughter, the only one who could speak English, said, “For me, it was the best.” So I made it a point to get there, and it lived up to expectations. Unfortunately I only had three days there. One of those was spent climbing Mt. Sinai.

Then I came back to Sinai with my older brother in 2003, and we spent about four days in Dahab. We took a quick trip to Cairo to see the pyramids, but spent a couple of relaxing days snorkeling and reading. We also took an amazing two day camel trek into the Sinai desert. Both times I stayed at the Penguin, which at the time was managed by Jimmy. He has a way with backpackers that I imagine is something like a politician has with donors at a fundraiser. He remembers everyone, what trips they’re taking, where they’re from, what they’ve been up to for the last couple of days, what they’re doing next. He seems to have limitless energy and he’s always smiling. It’s people like Jimmy that make independent travel so fun - sometimes your hotel or hostel in a neat and exciting location is as memorable down the road as the place itself.

So I was disappointed to hear when I talked to Alex and Rose (of BTBtv fame) that they ate at the Penguin a lot when they were in Dahab, but didn’t meet Jimmy. I had been looking forward to going back for my third visit, and this time with almost a week to do as close to nothing as possible. We decided not to stay at the Penguin, mostly because it’s more expensive than it used to be. Like most places in Dahab, the past few years have been prosperous and it’s shifted from a budget place to upper budget or even midrange.

Alex and Rose recommended Sunsplash Divers to us, and for 30 pounds (about $6) the price was right. We emailed Anita, the friendly German owner, and were excited to get the same cabana Alex and Rose had, the one with the little balcony. It was a great place to spend six days. Because we had the mosquito net, we could sleep with the balcony door open, letting in the moonlight in the evening, and giving a perfect view of the sun rising over the sparkling waters of the Gulf of Aqaba every morning. Going to sleep and waking up to nothing but the sound of the crashing waves (only 20 feet away) was incredible.

Now there’s a sidewalk that runs the entire length of Dahab, connecting Assalah, the northern end, with Mashraba, the southern end. All along this sidewalk are little restaurants, hotels, and dive shops. The only hassle you ever get in Dahab is when you run the gauntlet of restaurants, with each trying their best to get you to sit down there. During this first walk, right past the Penguin, I heard a familiar voice and saw that it was Jimmy. He still worked in Dahab, and now instead of managing the Penguin, he had his own place, the Funny Mummy. He recognized me and said he hoped to see us later on at his place.

We went all the way down and had some Indian food, and on the way back hit up the Funny Mummy for some beers and a sheesha. It quickly became our favorite spot because of the friendly staff. Everyone always takes time there to sit down for a few minutes and talk to you, especially when they see you several times a day.
If you ever go to Dahab, which you should, make sure you pay the Funny Mummy a visit. You won’t regret it!

The only active thing we did in Dahab was go snorkeling. It’s one of the best spots in the world for diving and snorkeling, so we chose the cheaper of the two. I’m sure we’ll get our diving certifications one day, but for now, just swimming above the reef and occasionally diving down for a closer look is enough for us. We rented some equipment from Sunsplash and walked down to a place called the Island two days in a row and spent a few hours in the water.

Other than that we did a lot of reading, sleeping in, walking up and down the beach looking for new places to try, and researching our upcoming trip to Nepal. It was sad when those six days came to an end, but we had to make it to Cairo for Thanksgiving, then our flight to Nepal, the beginning of what we’ve been calling Phase Two.