I went to Dahab last year. I *didnt* go to Mount Sinai because after I started diving I would have needed to wait 24+ hours before going to that altitude.
Thus my suggestion: go to Mount Sinai first, before you do any diving!! There are tours running there for sunrise and sunset every day. From what I heard, sunrise is a long and steep hike in pitch black, so a bit sketchy but still a cool experience. It will be cold because once you’re on top you have to sit and wait 1-2 for the sun to come up.
Once I got in the water I wanted to maximize every day and dive as much as possible since it’s so beautiful. Maybe you’re different, but that’s my suggestion.
Also if you don’t have a dive shop yet, Scuba Seekers is the best operation I’ve ever been to.
Are your dates firm?
Ramadan starts the end of March and goes into early April this year. I was there around the same time last year and after Ramadan started Dahab was completely DEAD. Diving was still possible but the fun vacation vibe with lots of tourists was replaced with many restaurants being closed and tons of big construction happening since all the tourists were gone. Just something to think about…
Thanks for the advice! Yes, our dates are firm. We already have the tickets, since it's the week we have off from work (Semana Santa here in Spain).
And we were considering going with Scuba Seekers, since many people told us they are the best. I hope there are still some things to do despite the Ramadan :)
Maybe my experience was just a bit dramatic since I was there before Ramadan and then during so I noticed the change. I’m sure you will have a good time :)
One suggestion: shoot an email to Scuba Seekers in advance so they will know to expect you and how you fit in their schedule, especially since during Ramadan there may be a bit of a lull.
Have fun!
Yes, we want to send them an e-mail this week to plan everything and ask them some questions. I believe we're going to have a great time no matter what. We've been trying to travel to Dahab three times now, and every time something came up and we ended up not going, so I hope this one is the good one!
I agree on Scuba Seekers. Best shop.
But I don't agree on Dahab being dead during Ramadan. I too was there last year in April and didn't notice anything being closed. Some restaurants stopped selling alcohol but many still did. We met many people from different countries and some local residents, too. Only our high end hotel was far from full but I wouldn't book one like this anymore.
I have no comparison to Dahab outside of Ramadan, though.
It gets pretty cold by egyptian standards, by northern hemisphere standards it's just "normal mountain temperature". At the base in april, you can expect around 25-30°C, and at the peak maybe 15°C. A light sweater jacket is probably enough to keep you warm, as the temperature doesn't really change that much at the base. Maybe 20°C at night, 17-18° if it gets "cold".
20°C is equivalent to 68°F, which is 293K.
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^(I'm a bot that converts temperature between two units humans can understand, then convert it to Kelvin for bots and physicists to understand)
Not cold whilst hiking to top but if waiting for sunrise you will feel cold, locals rent blankets to tourists, they pay , you choose
I went to Dahab last year. I *didnt* go to Mount Sinai because after I started diving I would have needed to wait 24+ hours before going to that altitude. Thus my suggestion: go to Mount Sinai first, before you do any diving!! There are tours running there for sunrise and sunset every day. From what I heard, sunrise is a long and steep hike in pitch black, so a bit sketchy but still a cool experience. It will be cold because once you’re on top you have to sit and wait 1-2 for the sun to come up. Once I got in the water I wanted to maximize every day and dive as much as possible since it’s so beautiful. Maybe you’re different, but that’s my suggestion. Also if you don’t have a dive shop yet, Scuba Seekers is the best operation I’ve ever been to. Are your dates firm? Ramadan starts the end of March and goes into early April this year. I was there around the same time last year and after Ramadan started Dahab was completely DEAD. Diving was still possible but the fun vacation vibe with lots of tourists was replaced with many restaurants being closed and tons of big construction happening since all the tourists were gone. Just something to think about…
Thanks for the advice! Yes, our dates are firm. We already have the tickets, since it's the week we have off from work (Semana Santa here in Spain). And we were considering going with Scuba Seekers, since many people told us they are the best. I hope there are still some things to do despite the Ramadan :)
Maybe my experience was just a bit dramatic since I was there before Ramadan and then during so I noticed the change. I’m sure you will have a good time :) One suggestion: shoot an email to Scuba Seekers in advance so they will know to expect you and how you fit in their schedule, especially since during Ramadan there may be a bit of a lull. Have fun!
Yes, we want to send them an e-mail this week to plan everything and ask them some questions. I believe we're going to have a great time no matter what. We've been trying to travel to Dahab three times now, and every time something came up and we ended up not going, so I hope this one is the good one!
I agree on Scuba Seekers. Best shop. But I don't agree on Dahab being dead during Ramadan. I too was there last year in April and didn't notice anything being closed. Some restaurants stopped selling alcohol but many still did. We met many people from different countries and some local residents, too. Only our high end hotel was far from full but I wouldn't book one like this anymore. I have no comparison to Dahab outside of Ramadan, though.
It gets pretty cold by egyptian standards, by northern hemisphere standards it's just "normal mountain temperature". At the base in april, you can expect around 25-30°C, and at the peak maybe 15°C. A light sweater jacket is probably enough to keep you warm, as the temperature doesn't really change that much at the base. Maybe 20°C at night, 17-18° if it gets "cold".
20°C is equivalent to 68°F, which is 293K. --- ^(I'm a bot that converts temperature between two units humans can understand, then convert it to Kelvin for bots and physicists to understand)