Dubai Desert Safari
A Dubai desert safari had been on my bucket list for a very long and it really broke my heart that I was not able to do such a tour last time (just stayed for less than 48 hours). So I was looking very forward to this tour and did not get disappointed at all.
Arabian Adventures
There are several tour operators. I, however, decided from the very beginning to go with Arabian Adventures and do the Sundowner Dune Dinner Safari, which includes a pick-up from your hotel, dune driving through the desert (including a sunset photo stop), camel rides, a falcon show, henna hand painting, a barbeque, shisha smoking at the camp and a belly dancing show.
There are some operators which offer cheaper tours (also included in the hop-on and Hop-off buses but they do not include the dune bashing and dinner). I assume it is worth paying around 90€ (adult) so you will have a great evening.
Getting to the Desert
After I was picked up from the hotel at around 4 pm (there were 4 other guests with me) we were driven to the desert which took about 45 minutes (from Dubai Marina) and met the rest of the group (I think there were more than 20 cars that day).
Falcon Show and Dune Bashing and Photo Stop
Before we started the dune bashing there was a falcon show (which I did not even know was on the program) and then the adventurous part began. The dune bashing was so much fun and the pictures do not do any justice. It was definitely worth the long drive and we all had a great time.
I cannot remember how long it took but probably after 20 minutes of dune bashing we stopped, so we could take pictures. The dune bashing with a four-wheel vehicle was just fun and the kind of action I like. I sat in the passenger´s seat and I think, it is even more fun there.
However, as the sun was setting it was the perfect time for taking pictures.
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Barbeque, Henna Painting, Camel Riding (and Smoking Shisha) and Belly Dancing
We continued to our “camp”.
I knew a barbecue was included (I requested a vegetarian BBQ in advance) but I never expected to be served dinner in an “authentic” atmosphere. While we were waiting for the food to be served the other girls from my car went to smoke shisha and I took some pictures and rode a camel.
There was a chance to get a henna tattoo, buy some souvenirs, or you could get closer to a falcon who was there as well.
I actually really liked to sit on the carpet and enjoy the romantic atmosphere as well 🙂 Dinner was great – for vegetarians and non-vegetarians there was a good variety and it was better than most other dinners served on such tours and it included unlimited drinks – water and soft drinks. As I do not drink alcohol I cannot remember what kind of alcohol was served but I know alcohol was also included.
The belly dancing show was pretty nice. I am normally not a fan of it, but I assume it is the environment that makes it more authentic and thus more interesting.
Shortly before we left all lights were switched off so we could enjoy the stars in the sky – this was the most romantic thing ever. Especially because many of us took pillows and used the chance to lay down and observe the beautiful sky for a few minutes. Seriously, this was awesome :).
Conclusion
After that, we headed back to our hotels – with great memories and an awesome experience and arrived there around 10 pm. If you are in Dubai this is actually something you definitely should not miss out on. It surely is one of the best things to do in this crazy city. The other girls told me in the car that they also think that this tour has been one of the highlights in Dubai.
I would recommend this tour to anybody (as long as you are physically healthy) and I actually would even do it a second time. Without hesitation, I would also recommend this particular tour to my sister or other close relatives/friends as I really enjoyed it.