Where to Live in Dahab as a Digital Nomad

Below are my recommendations on the best places to live in Dahab as a digital nomad to make the most of your experience.

Where to Live in Dahab as a Digital Nomad

Dahab isn’t a big city, but it is larger than you might expect. And it is pretty spread out. You can walk from one end to the other but it is quite the walk and not something I’d prefer to do often.

Deciding where you should live in Dahab as a digital nomad largely depends on what type of activities you might want to do, whether you are an avid kitesurfer, freediver, or just here for the vibes.

There are about 5 main neighborhoods you’ll want to be familiar with when you live in Dahab which I’ve outlined in detail below.

What is the Best Area of Dahab for Digital Nomads?

The Lagoon

The lagoon is the southern most part of Dahab. There are many beachfront resorts and the outer beach-like band bar gets quite popular at sunset. The lagoon is where most people kitesurf and where all the kite schools are located due to the smooth conditions of the water.

Although this area seems to be a nice place to stay, especially if you are an avid kitesurfer, it is actually quite far from the main part of Dahab. You would definitely need a taxi to get to and from this area if you want to do almost anything in town.

Besides large resorts and kite schools, there is not much else going on here. Even if you want to kitesurf every day, I think it would be better to stay in Dahab proper and bike or taxi to the lagoon instead of the other way around.

Mashraba

Mashraba is the southern part of the main area of Dahab. If you decide to stay here, it is still walkable to nearly everything, although I hope you enjoy walking.

Luckily, getting from Mashraba to the other parts of Dahab involve walking along the boardwalk which is lined with restaurants, shops, cafes, and sitting areas for nearly a mile.

The first place we ever stayed in Dahab was in the Mashraba neighborhood. Although the location isn’t too far from everything we wanted to do, there isn’t a lot going on down there. To get to all the best restaurants, grocery stores, and dive shops was at least a 15-20 minute walk.

Mashraba also limits where you can stay to hotels or hostels, there are no Airbnb’s in this part of town. Some of the hotels and hostels do have their own in-house dive shops which is convenient. And you are welcome to join them even if you’re not staying there.

There are some good restaurants in this neighborhood and our favorite gym, so although we ended up moving 30 minutes north, we would still walk down there or taxi several times a week. None of these neighborhoods are really that far apart honestly, but the longer you live in Dahab, the more dramatic it seems.

The best idea if you decide to stay in Mashraba is to rent a bike. You can get rentals for a day, a week, or a month. Make sure to shop around to a few places to get the best deal and make sure you’re not getting ripped off.

Lighthouse

Lighthouse is what I consider to be the heart of Dahab. This is where all the action is. There are tons of amazing restaurants and this is also where most scuba diving and freediving takes place.

Living above the main boardwalk may prove to be too loud, but staying somewhere within a few blocks is a great location close to everything you could want. Our second accommodation in Dahab was just north of the Lighthouse area, and it was so convenient and fun.

Unfortunately our Airbnb was not great and overpriced, so we decided we’d rather live in a better house than a better neighborhood.

Eel Garden

Not too far from Lighthouse along the eastern shore is Eel Garden, named after the popular snorkel spot which is home to a bunch of eels. If you can score a spot in this area, you are not only close to all the action in Dahab, but you’re right next to the sea. It is also nice that it’s a bit closer to Assala which I’ll explain next.

If you are an avid kiter and brought your own equipment, Eel Garden is also a good kite spot. The water is much more choppy than the lagoon and there are lots of rocks and coral in the water, so this spot is usually not recommended for beginners. There are no kite schools around here either, but if you have your own equipment, there are several patches of beach you can launch from.

Eel Garden hotels and apartments are prime real estate, and you can most likely get sea views. This area is also the first to go during the high season and a little pricier for obvious reasons.

Assala

Assala is the northern part of Dahab and although it is pretty far from Lighthouse, about 15 or 20 minutes walking, there is a lot going on up there. The best grocery stores, vegetable and fruit markets, and vet clinic are located in Assala Square. Even when we lived close to Lighthouse, I would walk to Assala to buy all our groceries.

There are also quite a few restaurants, cafes, and coffee shops to work at in the area. For whatever reason, this area is seen as ‘trendy’ among Egyptians and is actually a coveted area to stay.

Most expats who live in Dahab permanently live in this northern area because you can find large houses with yards, while still being close to the water. If you are looking to permanently settle in Dahab, there is also another nice neighborhood more inland called Sababa, but I don’t think it’s ideal to stay there as a digital nomad.

Assala is where we eventually moved and stayed several months. I didn’t like how far it was from my favorite area, Lighthouse, but Assala is where you find the most Airbnb’s plus we were only a few minutes from the beach.

If you stay too far north of Assala Square, you’ll definitely want a bike or you’ll be taking a lot of taxi’s around.

Tips on Where to Stay in Dahab

Dahab attracts tons of travelers every year. Not only is it one of the top spots in the world for freediving and scuba diving, but it is a kitesurfing and windsurfing paradise, and a popular vacation spot for Russians, Europeans, and Egyptians.

There are tons of options when it comes to finding a place to stay. It all comes down to what type of nomad you are and what makes you feel comfortable to live and work.

Hotels

Hotels are a great option if you are a solo traveler or don’t plan to spend much time at home. Many hotels even offer apartment-style rooms with kitchenettes if you like to cook. Any many offer breakfast as well.

Hotels in Dahab come at a great price. But be sure to read the reviews about the WIFI, especially if you plan to work at home. The first two weeks we stayed in Dahab, our hotel had dismal WIFI and I could barely even send texts on it.

You can stay at almost any hotel in town for under $50 USD a night. I even met a lady who got a hotel room (with a shared bathroom) for $150 for a month.

Airbnb

Airbnb is ideal for travel couples or families who want some extra space, especially if you’re both working from home. I also prefer staying in Airbnb’s so I can cook meals at home.

Staying in an Airbnb in Dahab is also a great way to save money. The average monthly price for an Airbnb is $950, but most are in in the $700 range (USD). Remember, staying at least 28 days in the same Airbnb usually results in a significant discount.

If you do decide to stay in an Airbnb, it does limit your location a bit. Most are located in the northern part of town, but as I already mentioned I think those are the best areas anyway.

Hostels

If you really want to save money, you can stay at a hostel for $10 a day or less. Some are a little dodgy, but some aren’t too bad. Hostels in Dahab are sometimes called ‘camps’ when you’re looking them up online.

There isn’t really a party scene in Dahab, so if that’s something you’re looking for, staying at a hostel would be your best bet. Many of them also have dive centers associated which is a wonderful way to make friends.

The two best hostels I’ve heard of are My Hostel and Rafiki Hostel, but I can’t speak to how good they are for working.

Summary: Where to Live in Dahab as a Digital Nomad

Lighthouse and Eel Garden will be the most convenient in terms of being near all the dive shops, restaurants, and the main boardwalk. This is where I’d prefer to live since you’re in the middle of everything.

Assala is also a good place to live and has the best grocery stores, but it’s kind of a separate entity. To get back to the center of Dahab, it’s at least a 20 minute walk. The majority of Airbnb’s are located in Assala and we actually lived here for 2 months.

Mashraba would be my last choice, but if you’d prefer to stay in a hotel or hostel there are many options in that area. There are some good restaurants and our favorite gym is in this area.

I would not recommend staying near the Lagoon. There’s nothing down there besides resorts and if you want to go kiting you can easily rent a bike, or take a taxi for less than $2.

If you end up at a hostel or hotel and have buyers remorse, whether you don’t like the area or the place is a sh*t hole, don’t worry. There are so many hotels in town that are cheap, you can easily find a new place without losing a lot of money. And if the WIFI is bad, there are tons of places around Dahab you can work from with decent WIFI, check out my comprehensive list.

I also recommend getting a portable MiFi device for WIFI emergencies. If you aren’t able to bring one with you, there’s also a place in town that sells them.

Any more questions about where to live in Dahab as a digital nomad? Let me know in the comments!