It is easy to forget that Dubai is IN THE DESERT, particularly in the winter when the weather is perfect. After all, in Dubai proper there is lots of water and greenery, and winter in Dubai feels a lot like Atlanta in the springtime, truth be told.
But as delightful as the CITY of Dubai is, you want the full experience when you come here – and so we took our friends Ann and Arthur on DESERT SAFARI. I highly recommend it, for tourists and expats alike. For Jimmy and I, it was a chance to check many items off our bucket list AND to experience the UAE as we had not before. For visitors, it is an experience that provides not only great pictures – but also great memories.
I chose Platinum Heritage as our tour provider, having received a number of recommendations. They are among the more expensive, but I heard that they were top notch. I cannot compare them to other providers, as they are the only ones I have tried, but I can tell you we had a great time with a wonderful guide – Mahmoud. I definitely suggest that you ask for him, because he was knowledgeable, fun and delightful. When we expressed interest in camel racing, he even drove us by the camel racetrack so we could see that on our way out into the desert. He went above and beyond.
We were picked up at a hotel near where we live, and then drove out into the “Empty Quarter” – the largest continuous sand desert in the world. Once out in the sandy wilderness, we drove among the sand dunes to view wildlife in a vintage Land Rover, took camel rides, tried shisha, and enjoyed drumming performances (we were able to join in, which was great fun), headscarves, a great gigantic dinner and deserts. There were demonstrations of Emirati crafts, like henna and bread making. All in all a very special and amazing time in the desert.
You Say Dubai, I Say Hello! 