Sitting high over Downtown Cairo’s Mahmoud Bassiouny Street, off Talaat Harb Square, Dahab Hostel isn’t blessed with world-class facilities and amenities – but it does have plenty of character.

While the rooftop lodge, which was repurposed in 2005 having previously been a hotel, is modest in its set-up, it’s bathed in various pieces of art and murals, each of which holds a story.

“We wanted to bring something different,” El Tamimy continues. “All the paintings here are created by guests from all over the world. A lot of the times, if we have an artist staying at the hostel, we’ll approach them about creating a piece of art in exchange for a free stay or free meals. We also have volunteer guests who'll work at the reception, for example, or in another department in exchange for free lodging.”

Located in a 19th century building, the hostel fuses that very particular rustic charm of Downtown, with the kind of carefree and homely DIY comfort that reminds so many of us of our pipedream of leaving the city life for a simpler one in Sinai.

The hostel offers single, double and triple rooms at budget prices, with the option of either private or shared bathrooms. With several outdoor common areas, guests can indulge in gorgeous Downtown views while surrounded in greenery.

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