
This pearl of the gulf actually consists
of two villages, the Bedouin village of Assalah is the southern
half, with the business and administrative center of Dahab
to the north. Dahab means 'gold' in Arabic. In Sinai it
means golden sands, turquoise sea and off-beat cafe life.
It is a focus of tourism development, with swaying palms,
fine sand and wonderful snorkeling opportunities. Dahab
has excellent hotel accommodations, but also affords less
expensive housing in the village, or camping. About 5 miles
from town is the famous Blue Hole, for diving. Towards the
Israeli border is the Island of Coral, where the Crusaders
built a fort. The remains can still be seen.