If you’re booking a hotel in Marsa Alam, you’ve probably come across Abu Dabbab Lodge while doing your research. And if you’re wondering if it’s an ideal choice for you as a solo traveler, look no further. I’m here to tell you all about my stay there as a solo female traveler, and as honestly as I can.
In this detailed review, I’ll be covering everything you need to know in advance about the 3-star eco-lodge: accommodation details, on-site facilities, value for money, and more. I’ll also share my personal experience from my 5-day stay and rate everything as I go.
So, buckle up as I’m about to get brutally honest!
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will earn a small commission if you purchase through my link at no extra cost to you. Please see full disclosure for more information.
Abu Dabbab Lodge’s Booking Process
Booking your stay at Abu Dabbab Lodge directly with the hotel can be a little confusing. There are 2 websites: one for the beach and another for the lodge. The latter, unfortunately, isn’t user-friendly and has a lot of bugs. That’s why I recommend booking through a hotel-booking platform.
I personally booked my stay through Booking.com, as I low-key love the benefits of their Genius Loyalty program. However, you can also find Abu Dabbab Lodge listed on other platforms like Expedia and Trip.com.
Useful Information:
- Phone number: +20 010 11042880
- Email: info@abudabbab.com
Abu Dabbab Lodge’s Location
What truly sets Abu Dabbab Lodge apart is that it’s located in the Abu Dabbab Bay area, which is around 30 KM south of Marsa Alam International Airport.
Abu Dabbab’s unique ecosystem makes it one of the most stunning marine habitats in the Red Sea. It’s home to vibrant coral gardens, various kinds of tropical fish, and rays, but what it’s mostly known for is its family of sea turtles. Abu Dabbab’s protected waters are home to nesting and resident sea turtles, each with a story and a name.
Accommodation
Rooms at Abu Dabbab Lodge aren’t overly fancy, but they’re cozy, comfortable, and well equipped with everything you’ll need for a few days by the beach. They have double rooms that can be made available at a single-occupancy rate, making it affordable for solo travelers.
My room had a garden view, an ensuite bathroom with a shower, an AC, a TV, a mini fridge, and a little coffee/tea corner. There was also a spacious closet with extra pillows, plus a proper vanity area with a decent mirror, which I personally appreciated as a woman who needed space to get ready every day. Not to mention the drying rack outside of every room.
An extra detail that I also appreciated as a creator was that there were several electric outlets at several corners around the room. This way, I was able to charge my phone, laptop, and GoPro all at once.
Housekeeping was also great; my room was spotless throughout my entire stay, and I received complimentary bottled water on a daily basis. The staff was also…fun, but more on that later (check the towel art battle section below). Overall, the room was a pretty comfortable place to come back to after spending long, tiring days exploring Marsa Alam.
Available Facilities
- Free WiFi is available; however, in my experience, it was super slow, and I had to rely on my phone’s data throughout my stay. So, I highly recommend you download an Egypt eSIM; you can use my exclusive promo code CURLSENROUTE for 10% off Airalo eSIMs.
- Free parking is also available on site. So, if you’re renting a car, you won’t have to worry about parking tickets.
- Access to the famed Abu Dabbab beach to all hotel residents, which is honestly the best thing about Abu Dabbab Lodge and what makes the stay there absolutely worth it.
- There are several restaurants and bars; the main ones are in the lodge’s lobby, while the rest are on the beach.
- The beach also has a diving center where you can book excursions or diving sessions, as well as rent diving and snorkeling gear like fins or life jackets.
- Loungers, showers, and bathrooms can be found on the beach too.
- There’s also a shopping area that you can find on the beach; souvenirs there can be quite expensive, though.
- An outdoor pool is available and is open all year round.
- Every guest receives a towel card at check-in for beach/pool towels.
The Atmosphere at Abu Dabbab Lodge
Abu Dabbab Lodge is not an overly fancy resort, but rather a super quiet and comfy place to go back to after a long, energetic day. But despite that, during the day, its beach attracts travelers from neighboring resorts and hotels for its exceptional reefs and marine life, specifically its famed family of sea turtles.
That said, coupled with the previously mentioned beach amenities, a vibrant atmosphere is guaranteed if you spend your day on Abu Dabbab beach.
Being located within a nationally protected marine area makes Abu Dabbab Lodge extremely committed to preserving this biodiversity. As you walk down the beach, you’ll spot plenty of signage dedicated to eco-awareness. Generally, you’ll sense their eco-friendly efforts, which is something I highly appreciated, in the overall atmosphere of the place.
Value for Money
What I paid for my 5-day stay seemed expensive in comparison to other beach destinations like Dahab, but Marsa Alam is considered a destination on the pricier end anyway. However, in comparison to other highly rated Marsa Alam hotels, Abu Dabbab Lodge falls in the mid-range category.
Considering top-notch service, prime location, abundance of amenities, and access to one of the best snorkeling spots on the entire coast, the stay at Abu Dabbab Lodge is absolutely worth every penny, in my humble opinion. Food wasn’t the best; there’s no wide variety, but since it’s not a big hotel, it was understandable. Also, even though most dishes were mediocre at best, there were always a few delicious exceptions at every meal. My top favs were the roasted chicken and potato cubes with garlic.
Overall, I think money was well spent on this stay.
My Overall Experience at Abu Dabbab Lodge
Like I previously mentioned, my room was lovely and quite comfy, and it was always spotless. I loved that there were lots of amenities on site, specifically the restaurants and bars on the beach. And of course, the beach itself was the best thing about my stay! Also, checking in and out went smoothly; the receptionist was always helpful and friendly.
Aside from the food, which I’d honestly rate at a 3.5/5, the only negative experience I had was poor WiFi. The hotel supposedly offers free internet connection to all guests, but it wasn’t reliable at all, so I had to depend on my mobile data. That said, it’s not an ideal place for a digital nomad hoping to get lots of work done during their trip unless you have a portable WiFi device or have enough data to utilize a mobile hotspot.
My Towel Art Battle
The most wholesome part of my experience at Abu Dabbab Lodge was my towel art battle with their housekeeper. Yes, you did read that: towel art battle.
Here’s how it all started!
After a very exhausting first day adventuring, I walked into my hotel room to find a towel art masterpiece that looked like the byproduct of a peacock and a swan having a majestic baby. I know how bizarre this sounds, so I’m dropping some photos for visual aid. The housekeeper also used my watermelon paper fan that I had left on my vanity and some flower petals for decoration. As soon as I saw this, I laughed out loud!
This small gesture made my day, so I thought I’d respond with a masterpiece of my own. After watching a couple of YouTube tutorials, I responded with a towel crab and placed cash between its claws. I thought it would be a fun way to leave a tip, and lowkey hoped he’d get the memo and turn this into a towel art battle.
And guess what? He got the memo! And raised the bar so damn high…
The next day, I came back to a literal crocodile made of towels, almost eating my crab, along with a floral note that reads, “accept battle”.
I knew I couldn’t match his skill level, but I knew if anyone could beat him at creativity, it would be yours truly. At this point, we were technically out of towels, and I didn’t want to compromise the crab and the crocodile because I actually wanted the crab to escape, or at least a depiction of it.
Anyhow, I carefully lifted the perfect towels to pull out the blanket, and turned it into a blanket whale! I had to make a sea creature bigger than a freakin’ crocodile, but I didn’t stop there. I had the once-mighty crocodile look beat, with its tongue sticking out (AKA this day’s tip) and some rose petals depicting a graphic, bloody scene. And of course, my former crab was escaping.
The message was: whale wins *mic drop*… How can someone possibly top that?
These were probably his thoughts while carefully considering his next move, because the following day, I walked into the room to find a gigantic towel elephant on the bed, and a note that read: “elephant wins”!
Since there was no way I could’ve possibly created anything bigger than an elephant, and it was my last night, I responded with 3 sea creatures: a jellyfish, a sea turtle, and a stingray. I also left a floral note that read: “You brought an elephant; I brought the ocean”.
The worst part of this whole shenanigan was that I never knew his thoughts on this because I checked out the next morning.
Anyway, I just thought this small act of kindness probably made this housekeeper’s day just like it did mine.
Final Verdict
Would I stay at Abu Dabbab Lodge again? Absolutely. Would I recommend it for fellow solo travelers? Definitely! This hotel surely deserves its reputation and popularity among travelers. Even if you decide not to stay there for whatever reason, a day use there at the beach is absolutely worth it.
Don’t Forget Your Travel Insurance!
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Booking a trip soon? Here are some useful travel resources:
- Book your flight with Skyscanner, Kiwi, CheapOair, or WayAway.
- Book your hostel with Hostelworld.
- Book your hotel with Booking.com.
- Get your travel insurance with SafetyWing.
- Hire a car with Skyscanner, Discover Cars, Rentalcars, or AutoEurope.
- Book your tours with Get Your Guide, Viator, Tiqets, or Klook.
- Download an eSIM from Airalo or Jetpac.
- Check out my trip planning tools for more travel resources.
You might also like:
- Best Hotels in Marsa Alam for Adventurous Solo Travelers
- Marsa Alam: The Ultimate Guide to Egypt’s Red Sea Gem
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Nadine is an Egyptian curly-head who decided to quit the norm because it just doesn’t suit her. She ditched her 9-5 as a magazine editor to pursue her dream of becoming a full-time digital nomad and to inspire aspiring travelers to embark on their own solo adventures.
