Dubai Desert Safari: Dune Bashing, BBQ Dinner & Live Shows

4.88

(194 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

We tumbled out of the 4x4 just as the late afternoon sun made the sand look almost pink. Our driver—Ali, I think—grinned as he let some air out of the tires. “Ready?” he asked. I thought I was, but dune bashing is something else; you can’t really prepare for that first drop. Sand flew up against the windows and everyone in our car whooped or grabbed onto whatever they could (my friend lost her scarf to the back seat). The Hajjar Mountains looked hazy in the distance. It’s loud inside the car but outside there’s this dry quiet—except for the wind when you step out at the top of a dune.

Ali pointed out where to get that classic photo with endless red dunes behind you. I tried to look casual but mostly just squinted into the sun. The light changes so fast here—it was golden one minute and then suddenly dusk crept in. At camp, we got a sweet date and strong Arabic coffee right away; honestly, that coffee hit harder than expected. There were camels waiting for quick rides (they’re taller than they look), and a woman doing henna tattoos with a steady hand even as kids darted around her table.

Later on, smoke drifted from the barbecue grills while people found spots on low cushions under these patterned tents. The buffet had more options than I thought—grilled chicken, salads, something with chickpeas I still can’t pronounce—and it all tasted better after an hour in the sand. Live music started up and then came belly dancing, which got everyone clapping along. There was this fire show too; for a second it felt like time slowed down watching those flames spin against the night sky. On the way back to Dubai it was mostly quiet in our car except for someone quietly humming one of those songs from earlier—I guess we were all a bit sun-dazed.