Dubai Desert Safari: BBQ Dinner, Camel Ride & Live Shows

4.91

(148 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

“You ever tried sandboarding?” our driver Khalid grinned at me in the rearview as we left Dubai behind. I just laughed — honestly, I’d barely even seen real dunes before. The city faded fast in the side mirror, and suddenly it was all gold and silence outside, except for the soft hum of our Land Cruiser’s AC and Khalid humming something under his breath. I remember the air getting drier, a kind of dusty sweetness that stuck to my skin. It felt like we were chasing sunset — maybe we were.

Dune bashing is wilder than it sounds. There’s this weird mix of adrenaline and laughter as you slide sideways down a dune, your stomach floating for a second. My friend shrieked (I did too but quieter), and then we tumbled out into the sand for photos. The light was perfect — not “Instagram perfect,” just… soft, almost sleepy. We tried sandboarding next; I fell twice before figuring out how to balance. My shoes filled with sand that I’m still finding weeks later.

The camp by the lake surprised me — lanterns everywhere, low tables set up around the water. Someone handed us tiny cups of Arabic coffee (bitter but good) and dates so sweet they made my teeth ache. There were camels waiting nearby; I’ll admit I was nervous getting on one but the handler just smiled and clicked his tongue until the camel stood up slow as an elevator. Later there was falcon posing (awkward for me, not for the bird), henna painting if you wanted it, and shisha smoke curling up into the night.

Dinner was this long stretch of grilled meats and salads — smoky lamb kebabs, fresh bread still warm from somewhere unseen. The belly dancer spun so fast her skirt turned into a blur of color; then came a fire show that made everyone gasp when flames leapt way higher than expected. At some point I realized how quiet everything else had gotten: just distant music, laughter from another table, stars starting to show above the dunes. It’s funny how quickly you forget about your phone out there.