Dubai: Lahbab Desert Safari 4x4 Dune Drive & BBQ Dinner

4.73

(233 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

I didn’t expect the silence to hit me first. You always hear about Dubai’s noise and lights, but out in Lahbab Desert, it’s just wind and that fine red sand everywhere. Our guide, Khalid, laughed when I tried to tie the scarf he handed me — apparently there’s a knack to it. The 4x4 dune bashing was wilder than I thought (I may have squeaked once or twice), but honestly, I loved every second. There’s this weird thrill when the Land Cruiser tips at an angle you’d never attempt back home.

We stopped for sandboarding and I wiped out almost immediately — sand in my shoes for days after that. Camels were waiting nearby, chewing quietly while kids ran around them. Khalid explained how his grandfather used to cross these dunes before Dubai had highways; it made the whole thing feel more real somehow. Sunset was quick and gold — not drawn out like I’d pictured — but the sky went this soft purple right after. People were mostly quiet watching it, except for one kid who kept asking about scorpions.

The camp smelled like grilled meat and sweet shisha smoke. I tried henna (still faintly visible on my wrist as I write this) and managed to spill tea on my shirt during the Tanoura dance because I got distracted by all those spinning colors. The fire show was loud and hot — you could feel the heat even from the back row. We ate dinner sitting on cushions with strangers who felt less like strangers by dessert time. It wasn’t perfect or polished — some sand blew into my plate — but honestly, that’s what stuck with me most.