Among many activities, attractions and entertainment that Dubai offers, desert safari is a go-to on most, if not all, tourists' to-do list. Dubai's desert safari is nothing short of an adventure. Going on a desert safari is easy, as there are numerous tour operators around the city offering incredibly reasonable packages. Depending upon the time available, one can opt for different tour packages — morning, evening or overnight desert safari. Most safari websites and tour operators rate the evening desert safari as the most popular option. My husband and I opted for the evening desert safari as it covered most of the safari's adventurous activities. Our hotel's concierge booked us a trip with a noted tour operator. An immaculately clean, glistening white 4x4 SUV with comfortable seats pulled up promptly at the scheduled time to pick us up. Our friendly safari driver swiftly maneuvered his way past the heavy Dubai traffic to reach our first stop in Hatta — a picturesque location approximately 71 miles away from Dubai — to freshen up and soak in the sun. In the 60-minute pit stop, we clicked pictures against the backdrop of mountains and surreal sand dunes, enjoyed refreshing coconut water and relished local delicacies served at nearby kiosks. Driving a buggy or a quad bike on the mini sand dunes is highly recommended. Before you experience the real dune bashing, you can get a taste of it yourself by driving into the desert in a four-wheeler. You can rent buggies and quad bikes for up to 20-30 minutes. The rental rates are quite high, especially if you rent either one with a shade. But if you are up for some thrill and excitement, go for it — it's absolutely amazing. It is safe too, as professional drivers stationed between the dunes keep a close eye on the speed and turns you take. Soon it was time for the safari to begin. As we sat in our SUV, putting on our seatbelt – strictly advised by the driver to do so – around 35-40 SUV's queued up in front and behind us, after which we roared into the desert for dune bashing. For almost 30 minutes the SUVs bolted, plummeted, and skidded on high and low sand dunes behind one another in perfect synchrony, as we tightly clutched the door handle with one hand and clicked pictures with the other. Just as the sun was about to set, we reached our second stop for photos, which was somewhere in the middle of the desert for one could only see the sun, sand and SUVs. The scene was breathtakingly beautiful. After about 30 minutes we went for some more dunes bashing before reaching the campsite, again, located in the middle of nowhere. The locals welcomed us with drinks and sweets. The camp had a large disc-shaped stage in the center with towering floodlights surrounded by a cramped seating area. Small stalls in the vicinity offered unlimited hot and cold drinks, Arabic coffee, local snacks, sweets and shisha. Camel trekking, an optional activity, was next. Those who do not wish to ride the camels can relax in the camp and wait for the show to begin — much like us. As the last rays of the sun faded, floodlights came to life and the first performer, a belly dancer, took her place on stage. Again, if you do not wish to see the belly dance performance, you can take a walk in the desert or take cover inside the shisha tent. The Tanoura dance, an enchanting and intriguing Egyptian folk dance shortly followed the belly dance. Men wearing long, colorful, LED-light lit skirts rhythmically danced in the dark. Similar solo, duo, and group performances were also featured, after which more international belly dancers took over the stage. The locals presented a few more musical acts, but the Tanoura dance performances were the best among all. By the time the penultimate performer took a bow, the dinner tent's curtains had been raised and we went to treat ourselves to a barbeque dinner. Nothing fancy but good enough to satisfy our hunger pangs. And, while we ate, the last performance of the graceful Tanoura dancers was staged. Tired yet content, we experienced another quick night dune bashing before we took the long road back to our hotel. All in all, Dubai's desert safari is definitely worth a trip.
