Egypt Guide
Sinai
Dahab City
Don't be discouraged by DAHAB CITY, the colony of municipal housing and government offices next to the holiday villages. The only reason to go there is to use its facilities: petrol stations, a post office and 24-hour telephone exchange (international calls with phonecards); a supermarket (daily 8am–10pm); and a bank with an ATM (Mon– Thurs & Sun 8.30am–2pm & 5–8pm, Sat 9am–2pm). The nearby Swiss Inn Golden Palace Resort has a bank that opens on Fridays (9am– noon & 6–9pm). The tourist police ( 
069/364-0188) are located opposite the Coralia Dahab, while the hospital ( 069/364-6208) is to the southeast of the bus station.
The holiday villages around Dahab Bay are self-contained, with private beaches and access to a coral reef on the headland. They all arrange shuttles for their guests directly from Sharm el-Sheik Airport for around €30 each way. At the eastern end of the string of resorts is the opulent 
Hilton Dahab ( 069/364-0310, 
www.hiltonworldresorts.com ; Price: ₤E450-900), the best of the upmarket resorts, with whitewashed Nubian-style chalets in a lush tract of garden surrounding a series of lagoons, plus extras such as WiFi Internet access; the beach is open to non-residents for £E40 a day. Next door, the Swiss Inn Golden Palace Resort ( 069/364-0054, www.swissinn.net ; Price: ₤E450-900) has its own dive and windsurfing centres. Next along the coast, the Ganet Sinai Hotel ( 069/364-0440, www.ganetsinai.com ; Price: ₤E450-900 including buffet breakfast), has air-conditioned rooms with TV and sea views, a private beach without coral (£E25 for non-guests, including a soft drink) and also a windsurfing and diving centre and a large yacht for dive trips. The most lavish hotel is the Greek-inspired Iberotel Dahab ( 069/364-1264, www.iberotel-eg.com ; Price: ₤E450-900), a 145-room palace with windsurfing and diving centres, plus a kids' club. Back at the eastern end of the bay, but accessed by a separate road near the lagoon, the charming Coralia Dahab ( 069/364-0301, www.accorhotels.com ; Price: ₤E300-450), monopolizes a windswept bay enclosed by a sandbar – a fabulous spot to learn how to windsurf.