Facing FOMO and Finding Good Vibes in Dahab, Egypt
Why is chilling out so damn hard?
My word for 2025 is “good vibes”. Okay, that’s two words, but you get it. Way before the countdown to midnight on December 31st, I decided that this would be my joyful year. So starting it in bohemian, colourful Dahab, Egypt, was the perfect occasion to chase those vibes. On my sunshine week in South Sinai, I am accompanied by my husband David, the ultimate good-vibe hunter. All he needs is a temperature of over 22C and a body of water, and he’s happy. I wish the same were true for me, the queen of FOMO.
Accidentally ending up in a four-star hotel throws me - I had originally booked a little guest house in the town centre, but some admin mishaps led to us ending up in a more luxurious but more remote resort. This, coincidentally, means that all of a sudden, I am on a different trip from the one I had planned. The hotel is absolutely stunning - every inch of it is meticulously curated. Even so, my programmed boho-chic stay in downtown Dahab is now replaced by regular breakfast and dinner times at the hotel, having to be on time for the shuttle bus into town, and manicured gardens instead of dusty, colourful backstreets. Sitting on my sun lounger by the pool and observing the hotel entertainment team engaging some British ladies in a Zumba class, I wonder if this is the trip I signed up for. Shouldn’t I be staying in a rickety guest house, collecting authentic memories and unique stories? Shouldn’t I be eating dodgy street food instead of perfectly put-together hotel buffets? Am I not a Genuine Traveller? Will my Genuine Traveller friends turn up their noses at my four-star stay?
David is having the time of his life and shares none of my worries. Returning from beach volleyball with the other hotel guests, he waves away my desire for more of an adventurous experience - but he is eager to join me in the town centre. Walking through the bustling main road of Dahab, lined with shops and beach bars, I am finally in my element. We rent a kayak and paddle away down the Red Sea, next to snorkelers and groups of people on diving lessons. I catch myself grinning from ear to ear. The blue waves are glittering beneath me, and as I pick up my phone for a precarious selfie, I am reminded of today’s date: 14th January. In the UK, it is four degrees.
Let’s get the important stuff out of the way: if you are vegan, you’ll be happy in Dahab. If you end up at our hotel, you’ll have a great time. The buffet is bursting at the seams with salads, rice, bread, beans, and other plant-based options. Sure, you’ll have to adapt a little: Egyptians eat falafel for breakfast, for example, so it shows up at the buffet in the morning. I’d never usually dream of going for a falafel wrap in the AM, but over here, I find myself stuffing a pita bread with a couple falafels alongside some fried eggplant before the clock strikes nine. Quite delicious when you get used to it. Everything is seasonal - I spend days trying to track down my favourite drink, watermelon juice, which is nowhere to be found as it’s not in season. You won’t find soy milk, tofu or tempeh in your hotel, but there’s The Vegan Lab for that. We dine here way more times than I’d like to admit - in a week here, I taste my way through almost the entire menu, from the brunch sharing plate to the pancakes. Could I have been eating more authentic food? Yes. Is this one of the best restaurants I’ve ever been to, so I have zero regrets? Also yes.
On our way back from The Vegan Lab one day, we spot a nearby restaurant with a sign saying “open mic”. It seems like fate. David resolutely walks in and signs up to play. That night, I drink mint tea and have one of the best vegan brownies of my life, sitting on a pillow on a rooftop terrace under the full moon as David plays alongside people from all over the world. There are classical guitarists, flautists, oud players, rappers, and people singing in Arabic and Korean. The open mic in Dahab is more creative and eclectic than anything I’ve ever seen in the UK.
The city is overrun with dogs. I’m planning a separate essay on this, but on our first night we notice this dog outside the hotel terrace. He keeps coming back, and he isn’t alone - one morning, David spots an entire pack. I try feeding the dogs several times, but none are hungry. Guess that’s a sign they are well fed. Interestingly, the dogs have kind of a patron saint - an English woman, Janet Johnson, who, before passing away, dedicated her life to rescuing Dahab’s street dogs and raising awareness of animal rights in the area. Like I said, more on this story is coming up - stay tuned. Throughout our stay, locals remind us of how much they love the dogs and how special they are to the town.
I watch a white dog run along the shore on one of my many beach walks as David plays water polo with some Russian guests in the hotel pool. Once again, I can’t help but notice how different our expectations are when travelling. I long to hike in the desert while he is content with playing in the pool. I manage to tear him away to join me on an underwater boat trip where we could see 5-6 metres under the sea, witnessing over 20 different species of fish, plus stingrays and coral reefs. The Red Sea is home to the world’s second-longest coral reef system, over 2000 km long. It has over 300 coral species and 1000 different kinds of fish, many of which are only found in the Red Sea. Observing the tranquil underwater landscape prompts reflections on how much beauty is in the world, and how we are ruining it all.
Laying on a sun lounger at one of Dahab’s beach bars and sipping a lemon juice after a morning of snorkelling (on my own - David protests that it’s “too cold” and refuses to go in), I observe a local dog throwing herself into the waves. She splashes around with such contagious joy, barking loudly in her excitement. “She’s so happy to be in the water,” notes David. “She doesn’t need much else.” I’m struck by this. I remember a simpler time when I was content with the sunshine, blue skies, turquoise water. When I was younger, I’d be happy just walking on streets I hadn’t walked on before, swim in seas I hadn’t swam in before. It seems that the older I get, the more restless I become. I lie awake thinking of the vastness of the world, of all the things I’ve yet to see. I can’t find peace knowing that I didn’t do, see, experience as much as I possibly could. Once I’m home, I’m busy planning the next experience. Sometimes it’s excruciating to live like this. Other times, it’s exhilarating.
Leaving Dahab, I feel bittersweet. I almost cry for my missed hike in the desert. But I’m even sadder for all the time I wasted wishing that this luxurious, wonderful trip was something else. Turns out that good vibes aren’t something you chase. They’re something you bring. Am I cured of my FOMO? Absolutely not. And I don’t think I should try to rid myself of it, either. This sparking fire of restlessness is part of me, just like my affinity for languages, my fear of spiders, and the fact that I can’t ride a bicycle. The restlessness lights a fire under me - if it weren’t for my FOMO, I wouldn’t even have gone snorkelling, or kayaking, or on the underwater boat trip. I will follow the restlessness when I can - it’s the only way to quench that thirst. But sometimes, just occasionally, I’ll remember that joyful little black dog. I’ll remind myself to enjoy a blue sky and the sun on my skin, not wishing for anything more. If there’s one thing Dahab taught me, it’s that.
Also, so interesting about the Vegan restaurant! It's great to hear that there are vegan options popping up everywhere! And yes, we tend to find a favorite resto and eat there frequently on holiday - Funnily enough, in Florence, we ate a lot of Falafels!
Such a great post! Yes, sometimes we can't do everything we want on holiday, but I know what you mean about missing key experiences, especially if we don't know when we will return to a destination. But it sounds like you guys had a great time and fun adventures. That open-mic jam seemed incredible. I would have loved to join in with my ukulele or just listen to the pros.