The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

‘It’s like the mountains of Sinai are kissing the sea,’ is what this writer once overheard froma conversation between strangers about the small coastal town of Dahab – and it’s a sentence that has stuck.

Though popular with Egypt and tourists alike, Dahab still doesn’t quite get the same level of recognition as its fellow seaside locales – it’s a little too off the radar for some, but still too much on the radar for others. One thing that all can agree on, however, is Dahab’s unique beauty.

Located just over 80km away from its brasher and rowdier neighbour, Sharm El Sheikh, the area is a hotspot for diving fanatics, but also for those that looking for a calmer, more unhurried beach getaways.

At Bedouin Moon, it’s all about nature and scenery and the small hotel brings modern, organic touches to the area's inherent aesthetic. The huts and rooms are built in a way that is completely unobtrusive to the natural landscape of Dahab and almost mesh with the surroundings into one gorgeous, simple work of natural art.

The camp is located in northern Dahab, on your way to the Blue Hole diving site, about twetny minutes from the Super Jet bus stop. It’s directly on the beach, but also features adult and kid sized pools as well as a bar. Additionally, the backdrop of the hotel is the mountains.

The hotel houses a total of 29 rooms, half of which offer visitors a sea-front view. All the rooms are equipped with air conditioning units, small refrigerators and small closets. The rooms are spacious and Wi-Fi equipped, though there are not televisions – we love 90s action movie marathons on MBC2, but there’s so much more to feed your eyes in Dahab.

The prices of the rooms differ from Egyptians to foreigners; for Egyptians, the bed & breakfast sea-view double rooms cost 300LE per night and the single rooms cost 200LE per night, while non-sea-view rooms cost 250LE and 150LE respectively. Keep in mind in that these were the rates at the time of our visit and that, like the erratic ‘foreigner prices’ which change season-to-season, these prices can also fluctuate.

The open buffet breakfast offered as part of the package at Bedouin Moon is a typical, but satisfying, mishmash of eastern and western basics; think different variations of egg, cheese, foul and falafel, as well as cold and warm drinks and fruit.

 Lunch and dinner – not included in the package – come in the form of featured Western and Oriental a la carte menus, with prices ranging between 50LE and 200LE per person, with fish, beef and chicken dishes on offer.

As mentioned earlier, Dahab is popular with water-sport junkies and there’s plenty to do when staying at Bedouin Moon. These excursions include diving trips to the Blue Hole, Bedouin dinners, a trip to Mt. St. Katherine, snorkelling, camel rides and desert safaris. Bedouin Moon is also pet friendly!

There is one drawback, however – peculiar one at that. Phone reservations can only be made by ‘old’ or regular customers, though you can do everything via the official Bedouin Moon website. Oh and one more thing – the hotel is pet friendly.