Marsha Bailey Fine Artist

Dahab - Snorkeling 1 - "Islands"
Snorkeling can be an 'at your doorstep' adventure in Dahab. There are several popular reefs that are accessed by wading into the water from the boardwalk right in town - really. One of our favorite spots for snorkeling, just a short drive from the boardwalk, is a reef called "Islands." It is located about a kilometer south of the center of the village and just off the road to the Hilton and Le Meridien hotels. There are no signs directing tourists, probably because the standard protocol is to hire a local guide, jeep and driver along with your rented scuba gear. We are in our own jeep, have our own snorkeling gear (with rented wet suits) and pestered the local dive shops enough to get a photocopy of the Golden Map which shows all the snorkeling sites. Once you get to there, there is a well-designed sign [as there were at all the places we snorkelled in Dahab] showing where to go into the water and where to look for the coral reef. Once you get out there, the reef is not hard to find - IT IS EVERYWHERE, stunningly beautiful corals and gorgonians and swarming with dozens (no exageration) of tropical fish species ranging from half an inch to three feet in length.