Egypt
Ras Abu Galum
Camel trail ending at a Bedouin beach where the reef starts a metre from your mat.
The camel picks its way along the coastal trail, granite mountains on one side and the Red Sea on the other, until the path drops to a Bedouin settlement where reed huts line a beach and the reef begins less than a metre from shore. You step off the camel, wade in, and the coral world opens immediately — no boat, no dock, no distance between desert life and marine life at Ras Abu Galum.
Ras Abu Galum is a protected area on Egypt's South Sinai coast between Dahab and Nuweiba, accessible only by camel, on foot, or by boat. The protectorate covers both the fringing reef — one of the healthiest and most accessible in the Gulf of Aqaba — and the mountainous desert hinterland that rises sharply behind the coast. A small Bedouin community operates basic camps on the beach, offering reed-hut accommodation, campfire-cooked meals, and snorkelling equipment. The Blue Hole, one of the world's most famous dive sites, sits just south of the protectorate boundary and is commonly paired with Ras Abu Galum as a single trip. The reef here is unusually close to shore, with hard coral gardens beginning in knee-deep water and dropping off steeply to deeper walls within swimming distance. The absence of road access has kept development at zero, preserving a simplicity that most Red Sea destinations lost decades ago.
Solo
The camel ride in, the Bedouin camp simplicity, and the reef at your doorstep create a digital-detox experience that solo travellers in Dahab's orbit swear by. Bring a book, a mask, and nothing else.
Couple
Sleeping in a reed hut on the beach, snorkelling pristine reef at sunset, and eating fish grilled over driftwood — Ras Abu Galum strips away everything except the essential romance of coast and desert.
Friends
The camel trek from Dahab, combined with overnight camping and Blue Hole freediving, makes Ras Abu Galum a natural multi-day adventure for a group. The communal Bedouin dinners and beach campfires seal it.
- The only way in is a 2.5-hour camel ride north from Dahab along a coastal trail — no vehicles can reach the beach.
- The reef begins at 50cm depth directly offshore — coral heads are visible from the surface in still conditions without entering the water.
- A small Bedouin community runs the beach camp — fresh fish is caught in the bay and grilled the same morning.
- Darkness here is exceptional — no light pollution from any direction makes this one of the most reliable stargazing sites in the Sinai.
Bedouin camp dinners: fresh fish grilled over driftwood coals, rice, and salad under the stars.
Tea brewed in a blackened kettle on the beach, cardamom and sage gathered from the wadi.
Breakfast of flatbread, honey, and fresh cheese as the reef colours shift in the morning light.
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