A desert safari in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi dune sunset

A desert safari in Abu Dhabi is a must-do trip if you are visiting.  It will give you the chance to experience real Arabian life and is great fun too.

This travel article is the perfect guide to an evening desert safari in Abu Dhabi.  Discover information on the journey and the best things to do on a desert safari.

Here’s what we got up to on our desert safari in Abu Dhabi:-

Bash the dunes

One of the best parts of the desert safari in Abu Dhabi was the journey there. It was just crazy.

On arrival at the edge of the dessert the 4WD jeeps joined in convoy onto the sand. They then accelerated and chased each other up and down the sand dunes at great speed.

Our jeep was covered in sand and we gripped on for dear life, as it felt like the car might topple at any moment. Luckily, it never did and alongside the fear, there was a lot of adrenalin, somewhat like being at a theme park.

Have a meet and greet with some camels

What better to do in the desert than to stop at a traditional camel farm on the way for a meet and greet with the camels?  We even managed to stroke a few without getting bitten.

Get the hump

Even better than stroking a camel is riding one and it’s not as easy as it looks.  Once ‘on board’, our camel followed round a short circuit.

This was one of the most fun parts of the desert safari, especially the mount and dismount.  Oh, how we laughed!

Model some traditional Bedouin clothing

We had quite a giggle by dressing up in traditional Bedouin clothing.   Then, we completed our authentic look by accessorizing with our own pet falcon!

Brave a henna tattoo

We braved a henna tattoo,  I was very surprised at how long they lasted. I really hadn’t planned to go back to work with a new tattoo!  In hindsight. I’d probably miss this, if the opportunity arose again.

Surf the slopes

Everyone tried sand surfing, which is not as easy as it looks. It was all I could do to stand up, let alone surf!

The kids soon got the hang of it though and had a lot of fun. It’s a shame there was no chair lift, as if you are successful enough to get to the bottom you have to walk back up the sand dune to start again!

Sample Arabic cuisine

The desert safari evening finished with time to enjoy the sunset and eat our traditional Arabic BBQ dinner under the stars. For the grown-ups there was even the chance to sample some shisha.

We then returned back to Abu Dahbi city, with a rather more relaxed drive that the outward journey.

Conclusion

A desert safari in Abu Dhabi is a great evening out if you are on a family holiday there.  The atmosphere is laid-back so you can try the activities at your own pace.

It’s all very family-friendly and a great chance to get a feel of “desert life”.

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