Sand. That’s what most people think of when you say United Arab Emirates. Mostly, people will really think, will this sandy country be able to offer a great experience?
The first few months of living in the UAE, I tried a lot of things that are new to me. I was living in a very different world before I moved here to the UAE, that’s why I wanted to explore what this country can offer and discover the hidden beauty of it.
One cold February, I decided to join a Desert Safari Adventure with a group of people I know. That time, I was not really well educated on where to buy tickets and I didn’t know what to expect I was depending on the people I was with.
There are different events for the safari adventure; there is a morning, evening, and dinner option. For our journey, we took the evening one to enjoy the sunset. The evening safari starts at 1600h and ends at 2200h. The driver picked us up using a L300 Van at around 1500h and we travelled from the pick up point until Al Awir road. Then we stopped at the safari camp and ate while waiting for the 4×4 Land Rover vehicle. When the Land Rover arrived we hopped in and started the dune bashing.
After the dune bashing, the next activity was camel riding. Please take note that the camel experience is nice but the camels have a distinct smell that you not might like. And please be reminded, before you ride the camel, put in mind that these animals get tired as well, so don’t repeat riding the camel again and again, I guess once is enough. We need to consider also how these animals feel.
After the exotic camel riding next up was the dinner. This was a very exciting experience, you will sit on a carpet with pillows, just like the locals do. You will choose from a barbecue buffet that will make you experience the Middle Eastern Cuisine and as you savor the good meal, you will watch women doing the Arabian inspired belly dancing. Unlimited soft drinks, coffee and tea will be available for free and shisha is available on payment basis. There is henna painting and a traditional costumes booth. For the henna, make sure you are not allergic to it if you decide doing it.
After the good meal and entertainment, our group called it a day, we headed home around 2130h using the L300 Van which picked us up earlier.
Tips that I can tell you:
- If you want to do the desert safari during the winter season, make sure there will be no sandstorm forecasted, because it will be a total disaster.
- Please wear rubber shoes or sneakers. Mind you, the sand in Middle East is different from the normal sand you will encounter, it is very fine, expect it to govern the inside of your shoes, that’s uncontrollable but a good experience.
- If you want do it during summer, make sure you will do it early summer so it is not like 50 degrees celsius outside and you will suffer a heat stroke.
- Choose comfortable clothing, I prefer both sexes to wear long pants or shorts with a t-shirt. You should bring jackets during winter, it will be cold. For women, please dress properly. I am not saying anything bad about clothes, but always put in mind, this is an Arab country and of course, there will be rules about proper dress decorum.
- Enjoy the experience! Take it as a once in a lifetime journey in the middle of the golden sand under the sun!
For tickets, there are a lot of websites that are offering great prices and offer a lot more than what I feature here. The activities might differ depending on the agency you booked your safari experience with.
So what are you waiting for? Start planning your safari experience in the land of sun and sand. This is definitely a hashtag UAE bucket list that you must try.