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

4.92

(776 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

I’ll be honest, I almost missed our Dubai desert safari because I couldn’t find my sunglasses (classic). Our driver, Khalid, just grinned and said, “Desert has its own light.” He was right — it’s this pale gold that gets everywhere, even inside your shoes. The Land Cruiser felt like a spaceship as we bounced over the dunes. My friend Sara squealed every time we slid sideways; I pretended to be cool but probably looked terrified. Dune bashing is way more intense than it sounds — like being inside a shaken soda can, but somehow fun.

We stopped at what looked like the middle of nowhere. Camels were waiting — taller than I expected and with these long-lashed eyes that made me feel both awkward and weirdly calm. The camel ride was short (my thighs thanked me), but there was this moment when everything went quiet except for the wind and some distant laughter from another group. I caught the smell of grilled meat drifting from the camp ahead. Honestly, I didn’t expect to get hungry in the desert.

The evening part is still a blur of color and music. There was a henna lady who smiled patiently while I tried to explain what kind of design I wanted (I ended up with something completely different — still cool though). The buffet dinner had way more options than I thought — smoky kebabs, salads, sweet dates. During the belly dance show, one of the dancers pulled someone up from our table; everyone cheered, and even Khalid laughed so hard he nearly dropped his tea. The fire show was wild — you could actually feel the heat when they spun those flames close by. Even now, sometimes I remember how the stars looked sharper out there than anywhere else I've been.