Regardless of where you travel and go for vacations, if you don’t do something fun, exciting, and unique, then your whole trip will feel boring and dull. So wherever you go, find something that refreshes your mind, and your whole group (family or friends) can enjoy and have a memorable time. So today, we will discuss one such activity you can try on your trip to Dubai, known as ‘Private Desert Safari Dubai.
There is no better way to spend your time in Dubai than taking a desert safari tour if you are an adventure enthusiast. Taking part in the Dubai desert safari will provide you with an exciting and unique experience of exploring the region and learning the local culture.
There are many safari options to choose from; however, most people opt for an ‘Evening Desert Safari’ trip because it is most feasible and takes place around the best time of the day, starting from 3:30 PM in the afternoon and ending around 9:00 PM giving you plenty to time to try exciting and thrilling activities and having fun at campsite.
In the dusk hours, an Evening Desert Safari in Dubai will surely be one of the greatest experiences of your life. So, let’s learn in detail what this experience offers and how to prepare for it.
Things to Do on an Evening Desert Safari Tour
Here are the top things to do on an evening desert safari adventure. You don’t necessarily have to try all of them, just those that interest you.
Dune Bashing
Dune bashing is the first activity to start your evening desert safari and is wildly the reason why everyone loves desert safaris. Here, you hop on a 4WD luxury vehicle, mainly a Landcruiser, and an expert driver will control and maneuver the vehicle over difficult desert terrain, compromising tall dunes, patches, and sharp turns. This activity is sure to get your adrenaline pumped and get you excited.
Be sure to wear a seat belt because there will be a lot of bumps on this ride. Those who have heart problems or little to no interest in adventure can opt-out, but rest assured, it is a safe form of adventure and nothing to worry about.
Quad Biking
After dune bashing, if you still want more adventure and fun, you can book a quad bike as well. These are All-terrain vehicles (ATVs), especially designed with new to be driven on sand surfaces. These rides are more fun than dune bashing because here, you get to drive the quad bikes yourself instead of a driver. You can travel as far as you want to go and as fast as you like since it is a private ride and quad bikes can accommodate 1 person only.
As a first-time rider, you might find it difficult to maintain a balance on a quad bike and drive it, but an expert guide is available to assist you in learning about all the controls, so be sure to follow the instructions they give. Wear the safety equipment provided and drive at a safe speed. And we assure you that you will have an awesome time traversing desert paths and exploring the desert.
Quad biking is an additional activity and not included in the regular evening safari package. You have to upgrade your package to avail it. Call Desert Planet Tourism for information and booking of an evening safari tour in Dubai.
Witnessing Sunrise Views
One of the best things about being in the desert is the chance to witness the beautiful sunrise/sunset views and observe how the sand changes color as the sun rises or goes down. Well, a desert safari tour is the perfect opportunity to see this natural phenomenon and capture it on your camera.
Drive on top of a tall dune on your quad bike or Landcruiser and wait for a few minutes as the sun sets. Get your DSLR cameras or mobile phones ready to photograph the scenery and click your and your group’s pictures against the backdrop; you won’t get the perfect opportunity again.
If you book a tour with Desert Planet Tourism, we offer professional photography services as well for small additional charges. Do let us know if you want the service during the tour.
Sandboarding
Sandboarding is another fun and adventure experience you can have on an evening safari tour.
While sharing its name with snowboarding, it provides a similar experience but in a completely different environment and setting. Some people also call it sandboarding or dune boarding because you slide down a tall dune of at least 200-300 meters in height in a thrilling manner while maintaining your balance on an especially designed wooden board.
For starters, you don’t have to surf from 200 meters high; try smaller heights of, let’s say, 50 meters and work your way towards taller ones. Wear the safety equipment, which includes a helmet, knee pad, and goggles to protect yourself from injuries. Rest assured it is a safe activity, and even children can participate in it, but they must try smaller heights and don’t attempt taller ones.
Camel Rides
An evening safari tour is not all about adventure and thrills. Some people prefer to explore the surroundings in a relaxing manner. Well, if there is someone in your group who prefers to travel in this way, they try the camel riding trip.
Camels have been an integral part of Arab culture for centuries, and they still continue to do so. They were the main means of transportation around the desert, while today, people prefer to travel by dune bashing, meaning on jeeps and pajeros, which is way faster. Still, for tourists, they offer camel rides so they can experience what it’s like to travel in a serene desert environment.
Camel rides usually last 30-40 minutes, depending on your tour operator. A tour guide walks alongside and handles the camel so you don’t face any difficulty on your own. In some places, you can even visit a camel farm and choose the camel you want to travel on.
Campsite Entertainment
Having explored the desert on sports rides and camels will certainly make you exhausted and hungry. Well, no worries; after you are done with these activities, head down to the campsite, where a ton of entertainment activities await you.
For starters, you can relax and energize your body a little by drinking coffee and smoking shisha. While sipping these drinks, you can enjoy fresh and entertaining dance performances by local young performers who are trained from an early age for this purpose. The dances include Tanoura, Belly dance, and fire shows. These performances, done in colorful dresses and around fire-lit camps at night, are sure to enlighten your mood.
BBQ Gourmet Dinner
After you are done enjoying the dance performances, head down to the open tent and enjoy the scrumptious BBQ dinner and fill your appetite. Many tasty local dishes are served here, such as steaks, kebabs on skewers, mutton chomps, shawarmas, BBQ chicken served with hummus and naan/bread, and so much more.
There are a few international dishes as well for foreigners, like pizza or burgers. There is also a vegetarian menu available as well for those who are not interested in meat. Just inform your tour operator at the time of booking what you would like so they can make the necessary arrangements.
Some tour operators start dinner right after your desert rides and take you to dance performances later on, while others do vice versa. Do inquire at the time of booking regarding how your tour will happen and the sequence of each activity.
You can also upgrade your camp to VIP and private settings as well. All the entertainment shows are catered to your preferences, and the dinner menu is for you and your group only. You won’t be sharing it with anyone else. If you prefer a private setting, then choose this option and inform the tour operator at the time of booking what you want. At Desert Planet Tourism, we offer comprehensive private camp options for evening safaris. Do check our service tab for more information on desert safari Dubai offers.
Additional Activities on Evening Desert Safari
We hope you understand now that an evening desert safari tour doesn’t fall short of any activities to enjoy and suits everyone’s taste. Here are a few more you can try at the campsite if you want to:
Henna Painting
Henna is an ancient art of making designs on body parts to celebrate an occasion like weddings and Eid festivals. While on a safari tour, there are expert designers available at the campsite who can paint these designs on your body. They have a huge collection of designs from which you can choose one.
Don’t confuse henna with tattooing or body piercing because the designs are temporary and vanish within 2 weeks. Mostly, newlywed couples paint these as it’s supposed to bring them good luck for their future.
Falconry Displays
Falconry is an ancient art of hunting that the locals used in the past to hunt and eat during their journey through the Arabian deserts. A local expert will demonstrate to you how falcons are trained for hunting, and they will even hunt live for you as well. You can also take a picture of a falcon sitting on your shoulder as a souvenir of your tour.
Stargazing Session
While it’s not a necessary thing to do on an evening desert safari but if you have time left around 8-9:00 PM, you can view the glittering stars in the sky, providing a crystal clear view. The absence of city lights allows for a clear view of the sky above, and the constellations are quite visible too.
Advantages of Going on an Evening Safari Tour
Although Morning and Overnight safari tour options are also available but, why should you choose the evening safari tour and not the other two? Well, here are a couple of reasons why:
Beautiful Sunset Views
Well, this is the most obvious reason and the one we have discussed already. In the evening, it is the perfect time to witness the beautiful sunset views and see the whole desert scenery change as the lights go down. A view such as this is hard to find in the city because the sky is not clear, and buildings block the view.
Perfect Time to Escape the Heat of Day
Around evening, especially in summer, it is the ideal time to explore the desert because the temperatures go down, and the cooler environment provides a more enjoyable and relaxed experience. During early hours, the temperatures often reach above 40 degrees Celsius, making it difficult to explore around.
Also, in evening tours, you can easily return to your home at night, get up the next day, and start your regular routine. Those who live in Dubai will pretty much prefer this option.
Try the Best Local Cuisine
Evening safaris offer the best local dishes and cuisine one can ask for. Morning safaris don’t have BBQ dinner included in their package. Although overnight safari has dinner options but only a few are interested in spending the whole night in camps/tents.
Pickup/ Drop Options
As a foreign tourist, you might face difficulty in reaching the desert and coming back as well on your own. Still, lucky for you, today, every tour company offers pickup/drop services to their customers in designated locations around Dubai or exact locations as well.
These services are sometimes shared and private. If you are a group of 6-7 persons, then we recommend choosing the private option. A luxury 4X4 vehicle is used for transportation similar to one used in dune bashing to provide you with a comfortable experience.
Conclusion
An evening desert safari tour offers the best way to explore the vast Arabian desert and engage in local customs and traditions. A combination of adventure, thrill, and sightseeing makes this tour a memorable one for your vacation. Book it on your visit to Dubai and call Desert Planet Tourism to get the best deals, discounts, and packages during the holiday season.
Bilal Mohsin
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