I don’t even notice the sound of the tyre coming off a wheel, but someone else in the 4×4 does. Then I catch a glimpse of our Syrian driver on the rear mirror: his face confirms that the fun is about to stop.
It’s late afternoon and we have been driving for a while through the desert that surrounds Dubai. The high-speed driving up and down the dunes, sudden 180-degree turns and visions of sand sprayed by the rear wheels are not for the faint hearted. You feel like being in a roller coaster where the yellow of the ground and deep blue of the sky oscillate in front of your eyes at a vertiginous frequency. But then again, I chose to be in the fast car when we were picked up at the hotel.
Off(ish) The Beaten Track
OK, I’ve used an over dramatic intro for this story. It’s true that we had this incident but the speed and precision at which our driver and his colleagues fix the wheel is something almost worthy of a F1 pit crew: they just give us enough time to stretch the legs and be momentarily awed by the mercurial landscape. I do learn a new trick, though. Have you ever tried to use a jack in the sand? I knew that they kept that flat wooden board in the bonnet for a reason.
Another short drive to an elevated point of the territory and we are on time to see the sunset. (And what a sunset.) No doubt this quiet moment is among the highlights of my trip to Dubai in November. By now the temperature has slightly dropped and bright stars begin to dot the otherwise navy blue dome above us.
Jesus Christ It’s a Lion Get In The Car!
It’s not like you work hard or anything, but after a whole afternoon safari you feel like you need to unwind, and there’s nowhere better to relax than the Bedouin desert camp we are taken to. Lush Persian carpets, barbecued kebabs, freshly baked flat bread and drinks aplenty are waiting for us. If this were authentic Bedouin lifestyle, I’d swap it for my city life any day. I’m a bit scared of having done a henna tattoo but three of the guys in my group go for the complimentary service included in our safari trip. We all like the artwork. My forearms and hands look bare and boring compared to theirs.
Some belly dancing and a few puffs to apple-flavoured shisha to cap off the day. Surely this will send me straight to bed… only if I weren’t close to a party capital, which happened to be awarded the World Expo 2020 the same day.
Getting there:
Gulf Ventures offer daily available afternoon safaris from 15h00 to 21h00 (timing varies based on time of the year). The safari includes pick up from your hotel in Dubai, visit to a camel farm, dune drive, dinner and entertainment at a private Bedouin desert camp.
The safari was part of a familiarisation trip organised by Dubai Tourism in collaboration with Emirates, Ritz Carlton Dubai and Kempinski MOTE.