Dubai Desert Safari
I booked this sand dunes tour via Viator and I had not done much research into the tour companies. I chose this particular tour purely because it was on special offer and I was really impressed with the company. We booked with Excursion Point Tourism and they have excellent reviews on Trip Advisor which you can also check out here
I have never been on a desert trip and wanted to see the vast amount of sand which is why I booked this tour. It was a last-minute tour we booked at the airport before leaving for our trip.
Later I read how this type of tour was damaging to the environment which I admit I didn’t think about when I booked the tour and now feel slightly guilty that it could have damaged the desert. They also call it Dune Bashing which makes it sound really harsh and if I had seen it called this I probably would have thought twice.
Communication with the tour company was excellent. I was boarding a cruise ship in Dubai and I was concerned that the company would not be able to get into the docks but they emailed to say that have picked up passengers before and it has been no problem however if there was a problem they would phone me. The tour guide turned up on time and it was a stress-free beginning to the tour.
Our tour guide Saif was excellent at providing a lot of information about Dubai and answering the many questions we were bombarding him with. His name was very fitting as it was pronounced safe and he was a safe driver.
We were picked up first and then went to pick up a further 4 passengers. The Jeep comfortably fitted the 7 of us.
Before going on the dunes, we stopped at a place for a toilet break and to get any refreshments I think this was just for tourists to try and get them to buy souvenirs.
We had 20 minutes here and the sun was blazing with nowhere for shade so I didn’t like this part of the tour but it looked as though all the tour jeeps were stopping here. There were two camels that you could ride but they didn’t look very happy. There were also quad bikes to go over the dunes.
Going over the dunes was exciting for about the first 10 minutes then I started to feel a little queasy. I was in the front seat as I wanted to do a video but it was too bumpy to get any decent footage.
There are hundreds of jeeps doing the same thing and I noticed a lot of them were following the same path but we seemed to go off on our own so it was like we were the only ones there. We stopped for a photo opportunity and again he stopped somewhere where it was just us which was great. The dunes are an amazing sight to see especially at sunset and it is worth going for the view but don’t have anything to eat beforehand as it might make a reappearance.
After the sand dune safari, we went to a camp for a meal and some entertainment. Saif explained there are several camps the one we were going was about a 15-minute drive from the dunes.
It was definitely set up for tourists but was quite fun and something to do out of the city. There were 3 camels that you could have a ride on it was only a short ride of a few minutes, the sunset over the dunes is the most impressive sight and made the whole trip worth it.
You could try on some traditional clothes but they do not have larger sizes so I didn’t do it and then when I thought about people wearing the burkas I didn’t know if it was a bit disrespectful as it is a religious clothing rather than a traditional clothing so glad I didn’t put it on. There were a few souvenir shops where you could get the traditional headdress or a stuffed camel.
You could smoke the Shish or have a henna tattoo which I did want to have. The lady doing it seemed so bored and she looked as though she didn’t want to be there. When I asked if I could have it on my foot she said no only forearm or wrist, as I was getting on-board a ship with formal nights I didn’t want it on my arm so didn’t have it done.
The food was good, we started with some pickled veg, falafel and a chicken kebab whilst we watched the first part of the entertainment which was a twirling man. Soft drinks are free and there is alcohol available at an extra cost.
The main meal was a self-service buffet and the men and women had to use different tents. The food was delicious and there was plenty of it ranging from salads to curry.
Then we were treated to a belly dancer but I found the entertainment quite boring I think it was more of the music not being as upbeat and getting people in the mood but don’t expect too much.
After this, it was time to leave. Our tour was 6 people and we were at different ends of Dubai so it took 1 hour from dropping off the first couple to reaching the cruise terminal it was a tiring night but worth doing even just to see the sunset over the dunes.
Note : Do not expect much from the entertainment and you won’t be disappointed.
You can also do a similar excursion early in the morning to see the sunrise which I think would be just as amazing. Plus you can do it in the afternoon but considering how hot Dubai can get in the mid day sun this might not be as comfortable as early morning or early evening.
If you would like to book this tour or a similar Dubai Excursion click on the tab below.
Other exhilarating tours you can do in Dubai. For more information or to book any of these tours click on the tour name or the link at the end.
A thrilling ride on an inflatable raft with your friends pulled along by a speed boat
Similar to the Maverick ride but this is solo in a rubber donut ring
All the fun without the free-falling I would love to try this
How cool does this look?
Over the sand dunes
Speed around the tracks in a 20-minute track testing
Ride around the Persian Gulf on a Jet Ski for 1 hour, get a thrill speeding past super yachts.
OK, this might not be a thrill seeking but it will be if you are afraid of heights I would love to do this to get a birds-eye view of Dubai.
For more information or to book one of these tours click here
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3 Comments
this sounds amazing and a once in a lifetime opportunity!
Splendid, the article about desert safari is so amazing. Keep sharing the amazing article. Thank you.
I am glad you’ve done the desert safari. Beside dune bashing and camel ride, desert camps offer some good options to buy souvenirs and traditional stuff. Desert Safari will soak you into plenty of entertainment that it offers.