Desert Safari

Fulfil your 'Lawrence of Arabia' fantasies
Word to the wise: Dune bashing gets bumpy… really bumpy. Anyone prone to motion sickness is advised to sit this one out.

Finding the desert from Dubai is simple: just pick a direction and drive a few kilometres. There is something undeniably captivating about the vast stretch of empty sands, and those rollicking dunes were just made for off-roading. Going solo can be tricky, though. Getting lost in the desert is all too easy, and car rentals don’t take too kindly when their vehicles take a battering on the dunes.
There are, fortunately, dozens of tour operators that offer desert safaris. Prices vary, and some have more activities than others, but almost all offer hotel pickup and hours of dune bashing before emptying out into a campsite where patrons can enjoy a traditional Arabic meal. Not all offer sand boarding, which is about as much fun as you can have in the desert or anywhere for that matter, so be sure to ask. Camel rides, a henna station and live entertainment in the form of a belly dancer are also par for the course.