Dubai Desert Safari Evening & BBQ Dinner with Guide

4.98

(378 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

“Hold on!” That’s what our guide, Ahmed, shouted just before the Land Cruiser tipped over another dune — and honestly, I did. My stomach dropped in that weird rollercoaster way, but then I caught a glimpse of the sun dipping low over the Red Desert and forgot to be nervous. The sand looked almost pink at that hour. We’d left Dubai behind maybe an hour earlier; it’s wild how quickly the city vanishes into silence out here. There was this dry wind coming through the window, carrying a bit of spice from somewhere — or maybe just my imagination.

I tried sandboarding for the first time (let’s just say: not my new calling), but Ahmed cheered anyway. He told us about his family growing up near Al Ain, and how he still visits his grandmother for dates every Friday. At the camp, there were low cushions everywhere and someone handed me sweet cardamom coffee before I even sat down. I watched a woman paint henna on my friend’s hand — she worked so fast it was like magic. The camel ride was short but kind of surreal; camels are taller than you think when you’re wobbling on top of one.

The barbecue dinner started right as the sky turned deep blue — smoky lamb kebabs, shawarma wraps, and these little falafels that were way better than any I’ve had back home. There was music playing (a mix of Arabic pop and something older), and later a dancer spun so fast her skirt turned into a blur of color. Someone nearby laughed so hard at my attempt to say “shukran” that I started laughing too — language is tricky after a day in the sun. I still think about sitting there with sand in my shoes and stars overhead; it felt like being far away from everything familiar, in a good way.