Abu Dhabi Desert Safari: Dune Bashing, BBQ & Shows Pickup

4.55

(125 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

“Don’t scream,” our driver grinned as we hit the first dune outside Abu Dhabi — but I did anyway. The 4x4 bounced so hard my stomach dropped and sand rattled in every pocket. The Al Khatim Desert is only about an hour from the city, but it felt like we’d landed on another planet, all soft gold hills and that strange quiet you only get far from traffic. I kept rolling down the window just to smell that dry, sun-baked air (it’s weirdly sweet). Our guide, Faisal, pointed out some tracks — fox maybe? — but honestly I was still catching my breath from the last drop.

We stopped at a camel farm for a bit. Camels look grumpy up close but they’re gentle if you let them sniff your hand first (one tried to eat my scarf; Faisal laughed and said it’s “their way of saying hello”). After that was sandboarding — which looks easier than it is. I fell off twice before sliding halfway down on my backside, sand everywhere. Not graceful, but fun. The sun started to dip then and everything turned this coppery color I can’t describe right. We took photos at the top of a dune — I still think about that view sometimes when I’m stuck in traffic back home.

The camp was already buzzing when we arrived. There was Arabic coffee (I spilled some on myself), dates sticky as honey, and someone handing out henna tattoos. The air smelled like charcoal and spices from the BBQ dinner getting ready. We sat cross-legged on cushions while dancers spun in those bright skirts — Tanoura? — and later there was a fire show that made everyone gasp at least once. At some point someone handed me a falcon for a photo; it looked bored but regal. Stargazing after dinner felt almost unreal — so dark you could actually see Orion clear as day.