I picked Dahab the way I pick most places now: I opened Happy Cow and looked for somewhere I could actually eat. Egypt is not a hard place to be vegan once you know that half the national diet is already beans and vegetables, but “somewhere with dedicated vegan spots” narrowed it right down. Dahab was basically the only town on the Red Sea that came back with a proper list.
The rest lined up fast. I wanted to see the Red Sea wildlife, ideally the Blue Hole. I wanted to climb Mount Sinai. And I did not want a Sharm El Sheikh or Hurghada situation, all package resorts and buffet lanyards. Dahab is the opposite of that, so I booked it, and I was right to.
Why Dahab over Sharm El Sheikh or Hurghada
Dahab is the chilled one. We went in January and there were barely any western tourists around, and the whole town runs at a slower speed: low buildings, Bedouin roots, cats on every wall, people sitting still for hours. The sea was warm enough to swim in, which in January I genuinely didn’t expect. If you want a big resort with a swim-up bar, go somewhere else. If you want to sit by the water and hear yourself think, this is the place.
The Red Sea is the whole point
Here is what makes Dahab special: you don’t need a boat, a tour, or a plan. You walk to the water, wade in, and there is a reef. Snorkel gear is cheap to buy or hire anywhere along the front, and you can swim out at almost any point and find coral, fish and giant clams within minutes.
I saw shoals of tropical fish, giant clams wedged into the coral, and one big, almost square-bodied thing I’m fairly sure was a boxfish (it looked like a fish drawn using only right angles). Up at the Eel Garden the sand is full of garden eels that sway like grass and vanish the second you get near. The reefs here also hold parrotfish, triggerfish, butterflyfish and blue-spotted stingrays, and if you’re lucky, turtles and eagle rays. Manta rays are in these waters too, though those are a rarer prize.
The Blue Hole, the famous site a little up the coast, was top of my list. I did not make it there. Which brings me to the foot.
I tore my foot open and ended up in a Dahab hospital (would recommend)
Picture it: warm sea, a ten-minute walk back to the hotel, and the genuinely stupid decision to do that walk barefoot. Somewhere between the water and the room I tore my foot open, and instead of snorkelling the Blue Hole I spent the back half of the trip getting it seen to.
The twist: the local hospital was excellent. Fast, kind, efficient, and they patched me up without drama or much of a bill. I would honestly recommend it, which is not a sentence I ever expected to write about a holiday. Learn from me though: keep your shoes on, and if you must have an accident, at least do the Blue Hole first.
Vegan Dahab: where to actually eat
This was the whole reason I came, and it held up. Vegan Lab is the standout: tofu wraps, plant-based burgers, muffins, cookies, and coffee made with actual plant milk rather than the powdered afterthought you sometimes get handed. For dinner, Eldorado Lodge near the Eel Garden is Italian-run and does real sourdough pizza, which after two weeks of Egyptian food landed like a gift. And down on the beach you can get fresh fruit smoothies between swims, which is exactly as good as it sounds.
For the full country-wide rundown, I put everything in my guide to what vegans can actually eat in Egypt.
Where to stay: Penguin Hotel (and its cats)
We stayed at the Penguin Village hotel, chosen for one shamelessly simple reason: it advertised a vegan breakfast, and then it actually delivered one every single morning, included in the price. That is rarer than it should be. The other perk is the cats. Dahab is full of them, and Penguin has its own resident crew (my partner made friends with one that supervised most of our breakfasts).
Mount Sinai, bikes, and getting around
Dahab also works as a base for Mount Sinai, the overnight climb up to catch sunrise from the summit, which was one of the reasons it made my list in the first place. It is close enough to do as a trip from here rather than basing yourself somewhere holier and a lot duller.
In town, the move is a bike. You can hire one almost anywhere and cycle the promenade up and down the seafront, which is easily the nicest way to get between your hotel, the water and dinner. (Keep your shoes on for that part too.)
Is Dahab worth visiting?
Is Dahab good for vegans?
Yes, it was easily the most vegan-friendly spot I found in Egypt, with dedicated cafes rather than just “salad, hold the feta.”
Can you snorkel straight from the beach?
Yes. Wade in almost anywhere along the front and you’ll find reef, fish and giant clams. Gear is cheap to hire, no boat needed.
Is January a good time to go?
It was for me: quiet, warm enough to swim, and no resort crowds. Bring something warm for the evenings.
Sharm El Sheikh or Dahab?
If you want calm, wildlife you can reach on foot and good vegan food, Dahab. If you want a big all-inclusive resort, Sharm.
Dahab rewards doing very little: swim, eat, cycle, repeat, with a reef full of life a few metres off the sand. That is exactly the kind of travel World Kind is for. If Egypt is on your list, start with what vegans can actually eat in Egypt, or read why I didn’t ride a camel at the Pyramids.
Dahab is one piece of the puzzle. The rest is in my guide to ethical travel in Egypt.
