Going on a desert safari is one of the must-dos when you are in the city of Dubai. From the adrenaline rush of dune bashing, to the eloquence of the belly dancer, it is a rapture you will not want to get out of. Here’s a narrative on my desert safari experience.
Shades donned, dressed in summer shorts, we all got ready to ride the dunes and have some quality family-bonding time. Our driver was a nonchalant guy called Majid, driving the 4 Wheel Drive (4WD) and we set off on our desert adventure!
Surreal Sands
We drove-on for hours on the road and just about when my little brother was getting cranky, the 4WD came to an abrupt halt. We were in the middle of no-where; all we could see was sand and more sand. Majid deflated the tires and we advanced into the desert, we could hardly breathe, for the view was just so beautiful! The sand was a wonderful reddish brown colour that made patterns on the land.
While on the drive, we did get stuck once, but a lot of other drivers around the area were raring to help us dig out our vehicle from the sand.
Dune-bashing
While I was taking in the beauty of the beautiful desert, my brother was being impatient; in his literal words, ‘he wanted the fun to begin’! The minute he voiced it, our vehicle practically leaped across a dune; it was an exhilarating experience! This struck a triad for with my brother; his face was like an animated character as we dune-bashed our way to the desert camp.
Desert Delights
The camp was awash with people. We had a ton lot to choose from, camel rides for the kids and hookah smoking for the others. I was super excited to try the henna on my hands. There was coffee (ka’wa) and dates on offer; specialties of the region. The highlight of course, was the option to dress up in traditional Arabic clothing and take pictures! It was enthralling. You could also take pictures with a falcon, the national bird of the United Arab Emirates. There were also opportunities to sandboard and ride on a dune-buggy, which was fun too. But the biggest delight was yet to come!
Belly-Dancing
We were later summoned to indulge in a delicious BBQ dinner, with lots of delicious Arabic fanfare. From kebabs to hummus, there was a lavish spread of food. We suddenly turned to an Arabic tune, wondering where it was coming from. Suddenly a shimmer of sparkling blue enveloped in front of us. It was time for some belly dancing! The belly dancer had the greatest moves ever! With hip rolls that could put Shakira to shame, she moved across the dance floor and also danced with people in the audience with a stick. All that and a beautiful Middle-Eastern desert sunset is all we needed to end the day.
By the end of it all, we were exhausted and sun-kissed. But it was all worth it! What a weekend!
