Desert safaris are undoubtedly one of the main tourist attractions in the United Arab Emirates.
What does a desert safari include? The first part of the tour is usually dune bashing, where you sit inside a four-wheel drive and traverse the beautiful sand dunes of Dubai. The ride is akin to sitting on a roller coaster. The second part is the campsite that has various activities which give you a taste of Middle Eastern culture.
I had a great time at the Happy Desert Safari Tour last Tuesday. There were several factors that set this tour company apart from others. Being raised in Dubai, I have been to many desert safaris before but this one was the most exciting of all. I will explain each part of the tour in detail to give you a personal version of my experience.
- Dune bashing
The driver picked us up from our homes at the exact time that he said he would come. We were then transported to a stopover site where they removed air from the four-wheel drives. After this, the dune bashing began!
My previous dune-bashing experiences were not very long. They lasted about fifteen or twenty minutes. This company, however, provided at least half an hour to forty-five minutes of adrenaline-pumping dune-bashing. My driver was an expert, having been doing this for four years. He weaved us through the dessert and made sure there was never a single dull moment. We stopped for photos at a very scenic location that overlooked the entire desert.
- Quad bike and camel ride
This part was super fun for me because I had never gone quad biking before! I thought it would be extremely tough to operate but it turned out to be just a few minor controls to start and stop the bike. We took a few rounds around the allotted area. I experimented with the speed of the bike. Next up was the camel ride. We rid atop the camel for five minutes and got our picture taken. There is no dearth of activities at the camp.
- In-camp activities
At camp, there were several activities for families and individuals to enjoy. You could get your own sand art made or get henna tattooed onto your hands. There were also traditional Middle Eastern performances performed by talented artists. We enjoyed two belly dances and reveled in traditional Tanoura dance — a dance where the artist spins around while wearing a skirt made of lights. The highlight of the evening was most certainly the fire dance. The artist swallowed and spat out fire while performing complex dance moves.
- Dinner
Dinner was sumptuous and traditional, keeping up with the entire Arab atmosphere of the desert safari. Since I am a vegetarian I was provided with a multitude of options right from Humus to Biryani. Non-vegetarians can enjoy an array of barbeque dishes with chutney. We sat at the VIP area under the comfort of an air-conditioner which made the entire night all the more enjoyable.
Overall I had a great experience. If you want to find out more or book tours, here is their website: happydesertsafari.com.
Source of keychain: Magrudy’s Dubai.
Menaka Writes 