Christmas & New Year in yoga vacation in Egypt

Planet

The hotel where our guests stay is Egyptian owned. The most important difference we make is in the intention and ability we have to cooperate and learn from our hosts. Cultural exchange and respect is fundamental to our program as yoga is a spiritual and moral exercise for the wellbeing of all. We give what is lacking in most mass tourist activities—ie. an aid for travelers to get to know the culture in which they are visiting in a down to earth and real way. We pay our workers fairly and encourage travelers to follow the protocol for a Muslim, tribal culture.

Within the Hotel we have a system of waste disposal. Waste is separated into food waste, plastic waste & non recycle waste. Food waste is collected by local Bedouin women to feed their livestock, goats, sheep and camels. Plastic waste is also collected by an entity who then sells onto a recycling plant in mainland Egypt. Other waste is collected by local authorities and disposed of.

Energy: All our lightening uses energy saving bulbs and local government have recently installed solar powered lampposts along the streets. Guests are advised to limit AC use and hot water heaters, to only when they need it and for limited times. Housekeeping staff are briefed to switch off all AC’s & water heaters when guests are out of the room.

Traveling with respect: The hotel is locally owned by a Bedouin Sheikh and his family, built on lands belonging to their ancestors. Lease fees are introduced directly into the local community and distributed between family members. By avoiding major hotel chains whose profits disappear out of the country, opting for locally owned hotels for your vacation ensures that the money you pay benefits the local economy.

We are proud to state that the vast majority of our staff are local, originating from the mainland Egypt or the Sinai Peninsula. We provide in-house training to all new members of staff, encouraging inexperienced locals by offering an opportunity to start a career in the hospitality or dive industry.

The local Bedouin culture is still predominant in Dahab and within the hotel. Our Bedouin tent has a constant source of Bedouin tea on the fire and it a welcoming area for guests to meet the locals. The aesthetics of the Hotel and grounds are in harmony with the surrounding nature and with locally inspired decoration, keeping rooms simple and serve local cuisine to ensure that guests really get a feel for “Dahab” when they stay with us.

People

We know where to find all things local and we support/ recommend our neighbours, spreading tourism income to those most in need. All day trips are organised by locals as they have the best knowledge of the desert and surrounding areas. All the restaurants we recommend are run and owned by either Bedouin or Egyptians, the choice is huge and varied.

We offer local people good working conditions, a fair wage, and empower them with training opportunities. We have been working with many of these employees for years and have an excellent working relationship with them

We work to create good relationships between tourists and the local community and have taught them how to engage & give the best service to our Western guests. We teach our guests some basic Arabic on arrival and just a simple hello and goodbye to the locals is greeted with the biggest smile.