Cairo: Dahab Hostel (Hotel)

Address: 26 mahmoud bassiouny st. , Cairo , Egypt
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Lonely Planet Review

Perhaps one of the oddest lodgings in Cairo, this small hotel is really a series of very ordinary small rooms built around the rim of the rooftop of a Downtown building, fashioned to resemble a beachside camp. No, really.

After the obligatory frightening Cairo lift ride (and if you don't bump your head on the way up the stairs onto the roof) this place will bring a smile to your face, just from its sheer surreal nature. Sculptures of fish and donkeys protrude from the exterior walls in either a tribute to Roman Polanski's Repulsion, or something even weirder (if possible). The rooms themselves are very small and extremely basic, with sunken/concave beds with worn sheets and tiny squares for pillows. Having said that, if you're looking for a place where you can hang out with other backpackers or just sit in the sun and get your diary up-to-date, the open-air, cushioned communal spaces will take your mind off the rooms.