Dahab for remote workers: a guide to monthly stays

Dahab has been a favourite of divers and travellers for decades, and more recently of people who can work from anywhere. It's easy to see why: a small, walkable town on the Gulf of Aqaba, the sea on one side and the Sinai mountains on the other, warm winters and a pace of life that makes a month feel like a proper break, even with a laptop open every morning.

This guide covers what to know before you book a month there.

When to go

Dahab is warm most of the year, and the sea stays swimmable even in winter.

• October to May is the most comfortable time for a long stay: sunny days, cool evenings, and pleasant temperatures for walking and hiking.
• Summer (June to September) is hot, especially in the middle of the day. Air conditioning stops being optional.
• It's windy. That's why kitesurfers and windsurfers love it. On some winter days the wind makes sitting by the sea less relaxing; it's worth knowing before you plan to work from a seaside café.

Dahab is about an hour's drive from Sharm El Sheikh airport. Most people arrange a car or transfer for the journey.

Where to stay

Dahab is small, but its areas feel different:

• Lighthouse and Masbat: the busy centre along the seafront promenade, with cafés, restaurants, dive centres and shops within walking distance. Lively, convenient, and noisier at night.
• Mashraba: next to the centre, a little quieter, still walkable to everything.
• Asala: a more local neighbourhood north of the centre, quieter and often cheaper, with good access to the reef.
• Eel Garden: further north, calm, with good snorkelling right off the shore.
• Lagoon (Laguna): south of the centre, around the shallow bay where kitesurfing and windsurfing schools are. Good if you're there for the wind.

If you don't want to depend on taxis, stay within walking distance of the places you'll go every day: the sea, a supermarket, and a café or coworking space for days when you want company.

What to check before you book a month

A month is a long time in the wrong place. Before you book, message the host and ask:

1. How fast is the internet, and what type is it? Ask for a screenshot of a recent speed test from inside the apartment. Video calls need a stable connection, not just a fast one.
2. Is there a backup? Ask whether there's a second connection or a mobile router. Either way, get a local SIM with a generous data package as your own backup.
3. Is there a proper place to work? A table at the right height and a comfortable chair matter more over a month than a sea view from the bed.
4. Air conditioning, in which rooms, especially if you're staying into the summer.
5. What's included for a long stay: electricity, water, cleaning during the stay and fresh bed linen. On monthly stays, some of these are sometimes charged separately; agree on it before you book.
6. Kitchen and washing machine. For a month, you'll cook and do laundry.

Monthly prices and cancellation

Hosts on Guestify can offer a monthly discount for stays of 28 nights or more. When a listing has one, it's already included in the price you see for your dates. If a stay also qualifies for another discount, you get the largest one, never a combination.

A month is also a bigger commitment, so read the cancellation policy before you book. It's shown on every listing, and our guide to cancellation policies explains what you get back and when.

Guestify charges guests no service fee, so the total you see at checkout is what you pay.

Life outside work

• Diving and freediving. Dahab is one of the best-known diving spots in the Red Sea, with famous sites such as the Blue Hole and the Canyon, and many dive centres offering courses for every level.
• Snorkelling straight from the shore at many spots along the coast.
• Ras Abu Galum, a protected area north of Dahab, for a day of hiking, snorkelling and quiet beaches.
• Mount Sinai and St Catherine, a classic night hike to watch the sunrise from the summit, as an organised trip.
• Desert trips by jeep or camel into the canyons and mountains around town.
• Yoga, sunset walks along the promenade, and long dinners by the sea. The best part of a month in Dahab is often the slowest.

Practical tips

• Bring or buy reef-safe sunscreen and water shoes; parts of the shore are rocky and coral is fragile.
• Carry some cash for small shops and taxis, even if you pay by card elsewhere.
• Dahab has pharmacies and clinics for everyday needs; for anything serious, the larger hospitals are in Sharm El Sheikh.
• Respect the local community: dress modestly away from the beach, and ask before taking photos of people.

A month in Dahab can be the most productive and the most relaxed month of your year, if the apartment is right. Ask the questions above, check the internet before you arrive, and leave room in your days for the sea.