Dahab was once an isolated coastal village which first turned into a hippie hangout in the 1980's. During the 1990's the town became something of an "alternative resort", mixing cheap accomodation, laid back lifestyle and "informal" tourism with certain commercial structures, turning into the "Ko Samui" of the Middle East.Cheap accommodation positioned right by the beach, inexpensive food and drink and a relaxed atmosphere combine with the natural wonders of the Red Sea (swimming, snorkeling, scuba- and freediving) to make it a heady enticement for the young and young at heart.Since about a decade Dahab suffers from attemps to turn it into a "real" resort place. Note the grotesque, forever unfinished concrete structures all over. Of course, resort tourists and families will be way better off in Sharm el Sheik. http://wikitravel.org/en/Dahab