Safaris in Dahab

So you want to go on Safaris in Dahab, there are mainly two forms of safari. Either you go by camel or you go with the jeep safari. witch one you like is a personal preference but my recommendation is not to go on a long camel safari if you are not used to camels because to be honest it can be a very unpleasant experience if you do it over a long time.

You have a few places where you have to go by camel (or you could use boat) like Ras Abu Galum because the road out there is impossible by car. So it takes around 2 hours to get there by camel one way. I did this before and i don't have the experience in riding a camel so i was not able to sit for about 2 days. It can be very uncomfortable if you are not properly trained and a few end up walking back. So before you set of on a long camel journey make sure that you know what you are up to and that you are properly trained for this.

Here is a list of a few places that is popular for safaris, but be warned that there are many different ways of spelling the names of some of these places since some of them are Arabic.

Colored Canyon

The colored canyon is famous for its spectacular colors you find in some of the areas. The canyon is basically composed of this red ish sand stone, but in some areas it goes into different gradations like a rainbow from red to yellow and all the way to purple. The canyon itself is about 2 meters wide and bout 5 meters deep and it last for as long as maybe 500 meters. It has a sandy ground that is quite comfortable to walk on. All in all the colored canyon is a nice sight it is quite dull at times if your not really into rocks, but it has some areas were you cant help feeling that its a spectacular piece of scenery.

White Canyon

The white canyon is a good trip for many reasons. First i can start with the negative part to get that out of the way. The entrance is well to be honest a bit dangerous, for me its ok. I used to be a mountain climber and even for most young people its not even worth mentioning, but there are a lot of people who might not have strong legs or might be a bit scared of heights will have a bit of a problem just so you are warned. You start of walking down the white stone that is covered with fine sand that makes it a bit slippery and it goes down like this for three plateaus. Its about 6 meters from the top to the bottom, its not really dangerous, but if you are not comfortable with heights it can feel like it is.

When you are down you have a nice trip. The whole canyon including the sand is almost completely white. The best part about this trip is to take off your shoes and the cold white sand will make it feel like you are walking in water. The white canyon is about the same length as the colored canyon about 500 meters to walk, but you will have lots of shadow down here so even on a hot day this is very comfortable.

Back To Top

Ain Hodra Oasis

This is one of those places that not single person in Dahab knows how to spell, but everyone know where it is. There are many Oasis closes to Jebel Musa (Mount Sinai), but this is probably the biggest one in the area. It is an underwater well inside a cave where the Bedouin people extract water for sale in Dahab and other places. Like many of the oasis its not an industrial site, but a historical source of cultural growth and this is the home of many Bedouin families. They live and work here, create art and sell it. Its a green area, but if you think that an oasis looks anything like it does in old cartoons you are in for a big surprise. It is an interesting place, but the place is dirty and many of the people are poor so don't go off thinking that this is a Disney picture of an oasis. This is a sight if you are interested in seeing something real and a completely different culture. People might be pour, but no one is starving, they are good at taking care of each other and much more so than most of us in Europe.

Ras Abu Galum

Very good place for all you snorkelers out there. Its also an important place in Bedouin tradition. Ras Abu Galum has for many years been a port of trade with huge significant to the Bedouins in this area. It has surprisingly one of the biggest faunas and you can find 2000 different plant species. Many of these plants are rare herbs and spices and export all over the middle east. For most tourist this is a fact, but not really an important fact.

For the tourists this is more famous as the best place in the world to relax. There is not that much here facility vise, like there is no proper restaurants or any resorts at all, but there are beautiful beaches. You usually get food served in one of the Bedouin huts down at the beach and its usually included in the trip. This is a semi popular spot for diving, but its also one of the best places for snorkeling. The corals here are so well preserved and they are everywhere. Most important is that it has very calm conditions, good visibility and most of it is so shallow that you can enjoy it all from the surface this is what makes this such an excellent site for snorkelers.

To get to Ras Abu Galum you have two options, one being camel and the other being boat. I think the camel ride is good, but it is a bit long it takes about two ours each way and you ride the camel your self. Riding a camel is quite easy, you basically have one rope for left and one for right, but it doesn't really matter what you do because the camel will follow the crowd no matter what you do. You have a small rope you can whip it with, but they will only speed up for about 10 seconds before they go back to their slow pace.

The boat ride can be organized, but its usually a bit more costly. The boats usually take up to 20 people and are not that common to use unless there is a big group. The ride out there can be a bit choppy at times so personally i recommend the camel for this trip.

Mushroom Stone and Jaba Machroon

Mushroom stone is not really a place you go to by it self. Its more common to have it as part of a package trip. As you might guess its a massive rock shaped like a mushroom in the way that its narrow at the bottom and goes out quite big at the top. Jaba Machroon is a mountain with several holes in it so you can go inside the mountain and look out the holes. The Jaba Machroon is quite an interesting sight and is recommended.

Blue Lagoon

Blue Lagoon is pretty much the same as Ras Abu Galum, but its a bit further away and there is literally nothing there. The place is good for romantic getaways were you can sleep under the stars. You will find nothing of electric, computers or any other thing that reminds you of civilization. The lagoon is beautiful and is an excellent place for snorkelers people have seen Manta Rays here and the coral is stunning. This one is a bit to far away to use camel so I recommend going by boat.

Back To Top

Wadi Ganai

This has been a popular spot for Egyptian tourist for many years. Its a national park and its around 20 minutes by car from Dahab center. Here you can find a few restaurants where you can eat and relax. I would bring some snorkeling gear a few bucks and take a whole day in Wadi Ganai doing nothing but snorkeling, eating smoking shisha and just take full advantage of the fact that you are on vacation and have nothing better to do.

You can enjoy many different dive sites in this area from the surface since the best corals are in shallow water and everything can be enjoyed from the surface. If you want the hotel can arrange a taxi for you and you can go out there in the morning, stay there all day and it will cost you next to nothing.

Closed and Double canyon.

These trips are not that popular and unless you have a die hard passion for canyons or rocks in general i dont really reccomend these trips. The closed canyon is a canyon that is closed in the end so you walk 30 minutes til you reach the end and then you start walking back. Double canyon is two canyons that are overlapping each other like the number 8. You walk from one point til you gone around and you end up where you started.

The Dunes

The Dunes have a certain charm that you don't get to see dunes in many other countries. You can come to Egypt and see interesting rock formations or beaches, but you can find that in most countries, but dunes are pretty much reserved for deserts. Its a long stretch dune with fine powdered sand that just takes the breath away. I wouldn't go there just for the dune, but try and make a trip that you combine with the Dunes.

The Blue Desert

The Blue desert is a very uncommon tourist attractions because not many companies are allowed to enter the area. So if you get to do this you are in for a treat. The Stones contain a material that gives the rocks an intense blue color. Its a big area covered with these stones and it looks like its taken from a science fiction movie and it really makes you think that there is more to a desert than what meets the eye.

Back To Top

Salah El Din Castle

Salah El Din Castle is one of the forgotten treasures of South Sinai. It is unbelievable that this location has not caught the eyes of the tourists yet because its a massive castle. It is built in 1115 as a way to get taxes of the Arab merchants in the area. It also served a purpose to offer protection to the pilgrims going between Jerusalem and The Saint Catherine Monastery located close to Dahab. The castle was conquered by Salah El Din in 1170.

Salah El Din is a famous historical character in Arab history and is most famous for regaining Jerusalem from the Crusaders. The Crusaders took Jerusalem creating one of the biggest blood sheds in history and Salah El Din offered the crusaders a peaceful retreat when they knew they were defeated after days of battle. The castle was abandoned soon after the conquest, but was taken by the Ottomans later on and rebuilt. They built bath houses, kitchen and barracks for the troops.

The castle is located on Pharao Island and except for the historical value it is also a great place for snorkeling.

Arranging The Trips.

I created this list of sights in Dahab because of otherwise a complete lack of information about the safaris in the area, but if you wish i can arrange trips to these places for you. Some of these trips are complete day trips while others are small excursions where you can customize the trip your self depending on what you want to see. If you are interested please contact me for further information.

Back To Top