A must-do activity to do in Dubai can be the safari in the desert. Our friends told us that it’s a great way to get a taste of Bedouin life and experience the desert. The first time I went, I felt happy because the tour offered lots of options to take in including driving through desert dunes, taking camel rides Sandboarding, henna as well as dressing in local attire, watching belly dance as well as Tanoura shows, fire shows and eating the buffet dinner. At the cost, it seemed like it was perfect. But guess what? It was. Stay tuned for my honest assessment of the desert safari in the evening in Dubai.
Dubai Desert Safari Review – Make sure to do your Research
I can’t stress this enough Be sure to investigate before you book a desert safari Dubai. I’m used Asian countries where it is easy to locate tour kiosks, look over alternatives, and select which one you like desirable. However, in Dubai there’s a different approach which is why we booked our trip through Klook. We looked through a couple of evening reviews on desert safaris and selected the one that had positive reviews as well as also the perfect price.
The end result was that I believe we received the value we spent. The cost of the tour was HK$185 for each person, which means we should have known there were some negatives. If I had to go back I’d prefer an intimate and less tourist-y experience.
Dune Bashing Adventure:
A white vehicle came to collect us from our hotel at around 3:00pm. The vehicle was already crowded with tourists, and we drove to a location in which we were required be patiently waiting to see the rest of the vehicles that were in our group. I was somewhat disappointed as we wanted to get started on the tour but I realized from my experience that this was pretty typical for tours. On this particular stop, people were selling food, drinks souvenirs, and even offering pictures with eagles. There was also the option to ride in a dunes buggy through the desert however, I wasn’t certain that there was suitable time to do that. We mostly waited until our guide came back to tell us that we should return to the vehicle.
We drove for five minutes longer before reaching the desert. We took a short photo break. We had a tour guide who was extremely friendly and was willing to take numerous photos of us trio of us.
When all the vehicles were in place the dune was smashed. It was a hilarious adventure. We had an elderly Chinese woman in our vehicle that was screaming at her mouth, covering it, and, at times, were worried that she was going to vomit (luckily I was not right next with her). The drive lasted around 30 minutes and to me, was not too frightening. There were some twists, turns and a few moments which made my stomach turn but nothing serious. But, I wouldn’t suggest this to young children.
We later learned that dune bashing is not good for the ecosystem. Sand shifting and disturbance has affected fauna within the desert. Some tours take you across the desert with no bashing dunes, this is something you should consider prior to booking your tour.
The Bedouin Camp Setting:
After the banging of the dune, we drove to an Bedouin camp. The setting looks even more appealing when you consider the overnight desert camping in Dubai option. These things are made to resemble those that travelers use to cross the desert on camels where they would stop to relax for a night, or two. There were many Bedouin camp sites around the area, we stopped at two of them before finding the correct one.
Once we were at the correct campsite at the correct location, one of the camp staff informed us that we could have a private space with couches, and a nice sight from the stage. They even offered to deliver our food instead of having us wait in line to eat at the buffet, however it cost an extra fee. I’m not sure about the exact cost but it was probably around 100 HK$ per person. We had purchased the trip (and I’m not a fan of being sold off) We chose to decline the deal.
Camel Rides, Henna Tattoos, And Shisha
In addition the wait for a minimum of an hour prior to the start of the show when tourists from other tours were arriving. There were about 150-200 tourists at this Bedouin camp. While we waited for our turn, we could sip tea or take a quick camel ride, or even get tattooed in henna.
There were two camels in the camp that were being maltreated by the tour guide. He was screaming at them, and he was pulling hard on their ropes. This made me feel very uncomfortable. There was no surprise, the group was trying to promote longer rides on camels. In the case of the tattoo of henna the tattoo was very small and basic design was provided (I decided to wipe my own off as I wasn’t a fan). If you wanted a bigger or more traditional design you’d have pay an extra fee.
I’m not a smoker of shisha however it was intended to be part of our trip. But, the shisha for free was only available at 7:00 pm or if you needed to have it earlier, you needed to purchase it. We have also not heard anything about the sandboarding, which was scheduled to have been part of the experience.
Conclusion
In conclusion, although it is true that the Dubai desert safari has an array of thrilling activities like dune bashing and camel rides, and other cultural excursions, it’s crucial to control your expectations and conduct thorough research prior to making a making a reservation. Our experience was full of highlights however there were some negatives like having to wait for long periods of time in line, as well as concerns about animal care. If you’re seeking a more real more intimate experience that isn’t as commercial, it may be worthwhile to consider alternative tours. Overall the experience was the value we paid for, however if I had to repeat the experience I’d prefer the more intimate and environmentally friendly feature.
