Hi to everyone who is reading this review. I want to share my impressions about my favourite entertainment in the Arab Emirates – desert safari.
Just imagine: orange sands, speed, unbelievably beautiful sunset and dinner under the starry sky.
The average cost is $70 per person (this is if you buy the group version of the trip). In this case, there is a risk that you will be picked up from the hotel later than others and you will be on the last seats in the car. That’s the 2nd row of seats practically “in the boot”. I get carsick in those seats.
You can book an individual trip. In this case there will be no other tourists in the car except you. An individual tour will cost approximately $420, which means you pay $70×6 and enjoy the comfort to the fullest.
I recommend buying a safari from a hotel guide from your tour operator through whom you flew. They usually work with trusted companies and the safari will not disappoint you. If you buy any cheap tour through the Internet, you will be taken outside the emirate of Dubai and ride somewhere for about 10 minutes in the dust by the road. Tested on myself!
Cars for safari are Land Cruiser 200 with a good engine. The drivers are real professionals who are trained in extreme driving courses beforehand. But they know their business well and will certainly help you to orientate yourself during the tour.
What to wear?
Comfortable clothing is ideal for a safari. If you’re going in the winter months – take all the warmest things you brought on holiday with you. Even if the weather in the UAE is +23-25 C during the day in the city, in the desert in the evening you will be cold.
Time of departure from the hotel 15:00-15:30, which is very convenient, because you can spend the morning on the beach and have a good sleep.
The Trip time to the desert is 1 hour. Then the cars gather in a column, having previously let the air out of the tyres (so the wheel will not fall into the sand and the car will not get stuck).
And here begins the most interesting thing! Powerful jeeps will take you over 10 metre high dunes. We drove on the edge of cliffs, climbed up steep slopes and rapidly descended down. The ride is breathtaking and the adrenaline rush is guaranteed. Such an extreme ride lasts for 30 minutes.
Then jeeps stop at the top of a higher barchan and there is an opportunity to meet the sunset and take photos. Sunset in the desert is a breathtaking sight. Everything seems to freeze, the wind dies down and a huge ball of bright orange sun sinks below the horizon.
The sand in the UAE desert is a very beautiful colour – with a reddish tinge.
After the photos, it’s time to take a breather. In the desert, each safari organising company has its own small camp. Here they offer:
- camel riding
- shisha
- try on national Arabian costumes
- Taste delicious shawerma and local coffee with cardamom
- henna drawings.
All of the above is usually included in the tour price.
Additional fees include:
- photo with a falcon
- riding on quad bikes (if they are available at the camp)
- alcoholic drinks
- souvenirs
At the end of the evening, we were invited to have dinner under the starry sky. It seemed to me that there were a million stars in the sky. I wanted to stop time and stay in this moment forever.
There is an entertainment programme for the guests: belly dance and Egyptian dance “tanura” (it is when a man spins around dressed in skirts and during the dance takes them off one by one). I tried to spin like that:-) Skirts weigh 10-15kg, so after 2 circles I was ready to faint.
After dinner the evening came to an end and at about 22:00 we were already at the hotel.
It was an evening full of impressions, so I definitely recommend visiting this excursion during your holiday in the UAE!
