Okay, this may sound a bit cliché but riding the SUV to the Dubai desert is definitely a must-try. I know it’s for tourists but hey – at least it’s fun and full of entertaining and cultural activities to release your inner energy right?
Please do your research carefully because some tours are more well-reviewed than others. You literally spend half the day in the desert including pick-up and drop-off from your hotel. We signed up for the sunset tour that included sand bashing, camel rides, sandboarding, henna, Arabic costume dress-up, belly dance, sunset watching, dinner, and tanoura show.
This Dubai desert safari ride is not on the cheap side but the value in return is totally worth it. Alright – no more talking – let’s jump into our review now!
Sunset Dubai Desert Safari Tour – What to Expect?
As mentioned above, we went for the sunset tour which started in the afternoon. The guide picked us up at our hotel before sending us to the vast and unbounded desert when the tour began.
Along the way, the driver stopped for a few minutes to deflate his tires at one of the roadside garages before hitting the sand dune and making sure nothing bad was gonna happen later on.
Well, some people would get off, take pictures and hang in the sun – but that’s not the best idea. The scorching sun in Dubai is likely to knock you off anytime, even in autumn when it’s supposed to be bearable. Don’t waste your energy on the stop! Rest up in the car and save your vibe for the latter.
Sunset Dubai Desert Safari Tour – How to Choose the Right Package?
Before hammering your money down to any agency, make sure to scroll down the booking pages, read reviews, compare the prices, check the itinerary, and make the best pick.
There is no such thing as walking around tour kiosks in the city center where they hand you leaflets and stuff. So please don’t think you can just pop into a tour expert randomly somewhere down the street when you walk out of the hotel!
No! So do your research!
We booked our tour online after a while of searching for the right fit. At the end of the day, we got what we paid for. The price is on the steep side but we highly recommend it.
Apparently, this is more on the adventurous side. It’s not family-friendly at all but definitely something you want to do with friends or significant other.
Tackle the Off-Road Ride with Dune Bashing
The main thrill of the ride is dune bashing. This is the very first thing you’ll see after they send you to the desert. Some may see it as a hilarious experience as some tourists would be terrified by the action and end up screaming all along.
The bashing performance lasted for half an hour, which can be a little terrifying for some people. But at the end of the day, it’s an adventurous ride with lots of twists and turns.
Tagging your kids along? Well, steer clear!
If you’ve experienced jet-skiing before, then it shouldn’t be a problem. Dune bashing goes in the exact same way. But instead of bracing the waves, you’re bracing the sand. There is a centrifugal force going on with the waves when you’re on the water but there’s no such thing when you get on the dune.
And the Dramatic Sunset Emerges
Sunset coming over the Dubai desert is a never-before-seen experience in our life. There’s something about the dramatic light coming off from the sun that captures a vivid landscape. The dry, clean air seems to contribute to this scenario when the sun hangs in the balance between daylight and darkness.
The beauty of this sunset was so vivid and magical that all we wanted to do was stand there and soak up the beauty. At that very moment, we just wanted to belong to nature.
The sun starts to beam down just right after the sand bashing. This is also when you’ll see people enjoying a range of sand-skiing activities.
Here Comes the Camel Ride
We know many people are complaining about how camels were mistreated for the sake of money. While some parts of the story ring true, there’s something you’ve gotta know about camel riding in the Dubai desert.
Some of the staff are really careful and wholehearted when it comes to camel riding. And not many tour agencies are able to maintain this moral.
So make sure to bid for the right tour package! We learned so much about the camel culture here and that’s why camel riding was definitely a fun and educational part of the experience.
Night Time Activities
Camping in the middle of the gigantic desert that’s rustling through twisted, shrubby trees is beyond compare. That’s how you spend the night turning into an Arabian nomad living out of a tent and feeding on camel milk as they did back in the day.
Nighttime has a charm on its own. It was enriched with many activities such as camel riding, Henna tattoo painting, vegetable dyes for body painting, Middle Eastern BBQ dinner, hookah smoking, and Tanoura folk dancing.
The dinner was heaty and full-on with lots of options to choose from. There were kebabs, salads, crepes, Indian curries, and an unlimited source of soft drinks to stock you up. They also let you choose your favorite Arabian costume for some photo-ops.
Sunset Desert Safari: The Final Words
At the end of the day, it was all worth it. We were so glad that we had a chance to partake in something really unique that seems as if it provokes all senses. The savory BBQ wakes up your taste buds, and the enchanting rhythm of the dance, the dramatic sunset, and the smoothly aggressive sound of the SUV engine bashing the sand all contribute to the overall experience.
That being said, the price you go for does define the quality of the tour. Some agencies would rather go too low on the prices but end up exploiting the workers and camels. And this is something you want to get rid of. So consider setting aside and shelling out for a high-quality package that helps you learn as much as possible.