One of the first things I wanted to do in Dubai was to get away from the glitz and glamour of the city and experience a desert safari. The thought of driving out into the dunes and having some fun before an evening BBQ grabbed me! It is a perfect half day trip for a unique evening with locals exploring the local culture.
I used the Qantas app to book the safari so that we could pay for it in dollars and it amounted to $134 for two people. I received a confirmation within a few minutes of booking and a contact number using whatsapp. Don’t be alarmed by this method of contact, it’s very popular in Dubai.
We were picked up at our hotel with another couple around 4.00pm and drove out towards the dessert on the other side of the city in a 4×4 Land Cruiser. As we were staying on The Palm, it took about 45minutes to get to a petrol station where we stopped for supplies. We couldn’t believe how much cheaper things were, big lesson learned! We drove for another 10minutes to meet more safari jeeps and each one let their tyres down before going out on the sand.
We probably spent about 45minutes driving around the tracks and over the dunes. Each jeep stops a few times so there is plenty of opportunity to have a turn sitting in the passenger seat. This was such a fun experience and from what I could observie, some drivers were more ‘adventurous’ than others so prepare to fly around from side to side if you book this activity.
When you are all done taking pictures and the air is back in the tyres, you set off on another short trek to the dessert camp. We made our way out there as sun began to set and the scene was beautiful!
On arrival at the camp site, you can do the following:
- go on an evening camel ride
- go for a spin on the quad bikes
- get a henna tattoo
- shisha
All I was interested in was attempting to catch the sunset on my new camera, it was stunning. A photo does not do it justice.
We decided as a group to pay a little extra (50AED each) to have a reserved area, with air con and a great view of the stage. It was worth it as we didn’t have to queue for food or drinks either. The food was delicious, we had no shortage of bbq meats, bread, rice and even a tasty dessert platter. All soft drinks and water were included in the evening also, shisha and alcoholic drinks were an additional cost.
Then the evening show started, we watched local dancers, entertainers and a fire breather. The entertainment was fantastic, it was beautiful to see the colourful costumes and listen to the music and see some of the attendees take part.
After such a fun evening of sight-seeing, food, music and drinks..we were ready to go back to the hotel and left at around 9.45pm. It was a beautiful drive back to our hotel past the many palaces and through the city.
One trip ticked off, another to go!
Lifestyle by Lily 