Meet Raf

This is Raf, a new member of the Habibs Life community who joined our escape in February '22. He's a product director and now a full digital nomad who lives between the US and Amsterdam.

Learn about his story in 10 questions and how his first Habibs Life trip went!

TELL US YOUR STORY: WHERE ARE YOU FROM AND WHAT DO YOU DO?

I’m from the Midwest in the US and work in technology as a product director. I’ve always loved travelling and have had the opportunity to visit over 30 countries, I’ve always had a wanderlust.

HOW DID YOU GET KNOW ABOUT DAHAB?

I had never heard of Dahab until Habibs, next thing you know I’m in Egypt, in the mountains watching the stars and drinking Bedouin tea. However, that’s how life takes you sometimes when you let it.

WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO JOIN OUR HABIBS LIFE TRIP?

I’m an adventurer and I love discovering new places, it's my personal passion. The fact that I could scuba in the morning and be productive at night appealed a lot, but more than that it’s about community. Some of my closest friends are those I met while abroad, and with so much of our lives now being online, it’s nice to actually be with people and experience things together. Who wants to go on a rollercoaster alone (ok, maybe just once)?

WHAT SURPRISED YOU THE MOST ABOUT DAHAB?

The vibe and the MUSIC! I expected awesome diving and lots of sun, but what I didn’t expect was such a relaxed chill vibe in the middle east and couple that with the great live music at night. I got the chance to hear things I would have NEVER heard in the US and I loved it.

WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE ACCOMMODATION: DID IT MATCH YOUR EXPECTATIONS?

Definitely, it was just the right location, not too far from the beach and life, but far enough that it’s not noisy if I want to work or sleep. Loved the rooftop.

HOW WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH THE OTHER PEOPLE WHO JOINED THE TRIP WITH YOU?

One of the best parts of the trip, I got to meet 4 people and I’ll be seeing them in London next time I visit. I think experiencing things with others is what makes special experiences that much more special, because you can say, “Holy shit! Do you see that?” and you can experience the aww of beauty together.

HOW DO YOU EVALUATE YOUR EXPERIENCE WORKING FROM HERE?

Good, but I think it’s all about having the right setup. At home, I have a luxurious setup (double monitors, laptop stand, ergo keyboard, etc..), but I was able to make do with just my laptop and mobile hotspot most of the time. I would definitely recommend bringin an external keyboard/mouse and laptop stand. I saw people without them and I could tell they were struggling a bit. Also, a glare guard would be great against the sun, so I can enjoy hammock work more often!

WHAT WERE YOUR FAVOURITE SPOTS IN DAHAB?

Hmm…good question. I spent a lot of time working out of Ghazala (restaurant and bar on the beachfront) because it was right nearby, had a beach to take a quick dip, nice food, and generally the perfect digital nomad atmosphere!

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE FOOD THAT YOU HAVE TRIED IN DAHAB?

The roasted duck at Zanooba was insane, so good. However, consistently I’d say Babaganoush, baby! I love me some eggplant with a cat ear (fun fact: cat ear is what they call it when you tear a piece of bread and scoop up whatever it is you’re eating)

AND LASTLY: WHEN YOU TALK TO PEOPLE ABOUT YOUR TRIP, WHAT DO YOU TELL THEM ABOUT DAHAB?

I normally say it’s a place where you get to see what a hip laidback town looks like in the middle east, coupled with good food and fairly cheap prices (if you're coming from the US/EU).

It’s somewhere you can get a bit of everything, Beach (check), Mountains (check), Good Food (check), Amazing Diving (check). Basically, Dahab is a place that you won’t find anywhere else, because nowhere else do all of those things intersect. It’s a truly unique place, I also tell them it’s the place I got my Ali Baba pants, which if you don’t get then you’re clearly missing out.

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