In Pictures | Desert Safari

“This creed of the desert seemed inexpressible in words, and indeed in thought.” T. E. Lawrence

Last week we took our visitors for a true Abu Dhabi desert experience on a half-day Desert Safari which included a spot of hair-raising dune bashing, camel interaction and riding followed by a traditional BBQ dinner and a belly dancing show at an Arabic camp. I have to say that even though it’s very touristy, it’s a ‘must do’ and the both times that I have been it has been great fun and a fantastic way to get a brief glimpse into desert life.

The afternoon started with the convoy of 4 x 4’s meeting up at the rendezvous point at the edge of the dunes with a quick photo opportunity before it was tyres deflated and full speed ahead over the sand. Seated in the back row, we were hanging on to the roll bars for dear life as we went over the top and slid sideways down the dunes, with the added drama of our lead vehicle getting stuck at the top of a high dune! At the half way point we stopped at a camel farm for some up close and personal interaction with some dromedary friends before racing off again over the dunes to the camp. Camel rides, sand boarding, dune buggies (extra charge), henna tattoos, shisha pipes, falcons and even dressing up in traditional clothes were all on offer. The evening came to a close with a sunset BBQ dinner, Arabic coffee and dates, the belly dancing show and finally some star gazing before heading back to the city. The best way to show you our adventures is in pictures so here they are, shame there’s no sound effects as we hurtled over some pretty high dunes.

I have used the Emirates Tours and Safari company for both my and other guests trips and found them to be very reliable and excellent drivers. The added bonus with using this company is the Entertainer 2-for-1 vouchers which saves you loads of money on each trip. For more information about the half-day Desert safari and other tours visit the Emirates Tours website www.eatours.ae or telephone 02 491 2929 /050 532 6837.