While living in Abu Dhabi I couldn’t miss out on a Desert Safari. This is something most tourists also do when they are in the area, and it’s something that  I would certainly recommend to anyone visiting the region.

I went in January 2014.

Let me start with a disclaimer: when you book a half day desert safari, there are a few “extras” which I don’t enjoy at all.

First of all, there is a camel ride and horse ride, which is a matter of walking backwards and forwards in the desert and that’s it; it does not take more than five minutes (I have yet to find that proper desert ride on a camel).  Secondly there is a falcon, and a falcon show; this was quite nice because falconry is very popular in the UAE so it’s something unique. Thirdly and fourthly, there is a woman who can draw henna on your hand, and you can dress up like a local; this is all super touristy and not my taste at all. Don’t expect the camp itself to be Bedouin or local, it’s been placed there for tourists and you can tell. Usually these day trips offer dinner as well, which is nice but again nothing special.

Now, you might wonder why I started this blog post with a recommendation to go on this day trip. That’s because of the main event: Dune bashing/jeep safari. If you go in a group (I went with a group of 5), you get to sit together in the same jeep while the driver is racing over the dunes. Be careful not to eat a heavy breakfast or lunch… I can’t really describe how exhilarating it is to race across the sands and to almost lie on your side while the jeep is driving over an almost vertical dune. Just experience it for yourself and don’t forget to hold on!

I tried dune bashing once again in Peru years and years later, and I absolutely loved that experience equally. It’s so exhilarating driving through the desert like this.