When exploring a new city, we love to choose an excursion that can show us a unique experience we wouldn’t be able to have on our own. And one of my bucket list items that could be accomplished in Dubai was riding a camel! We love to use Viator, the world’s largest traveler booking site. We have never had a bad experience with the platform and always find amazing experiences we will never forget.
After some research, we found Premium Red Dunes, Camel Safari & BBQ at Al Khayma Camp™️, Dubai which had five stars and over 10,000 reviews. Can’t go wrong!
On the afternoon of our excursion, the guide Yasir picked us up from our hotel. We chose the “Shared Tour & VIP Package” which meant we shared the tour with two other couples but had VIP service for the food portion of the experience. The VIP option was only an additional $15 per person at the time of booking, which we both thought was a really good deal after seeing what we got for it. We were the second couple to be picked up, so we stopped at another hotel and then all continued on to the desert together.
First stop - Rest Area & Quad Biking
While Yasir prepared our SUV for dune bashing, we waited about 20 minutes at a designated rest area. You can shop at a gift shop, rest in a shaded structure, or go out on quad bikes for an additional cost. If you would like to wear a headscarf during the excursion, your guide can show you different ways to tie it. They also have tea and water available.
Second Stop - Dune Bashing
Once the SUV was prepared and the tires aired down, we all hopped back in to go dune bashing. You ride through the red dunes of the Lahbab desert for about 30 minutes and it is wild! Yasir was an expert at taking us right to the edge so you were basically horizontal, and then turning the other way to stop us from tipping over. He played local music and sang along as we all held on. I highly recommend getting the front seat! It has the best, unobstructed view. We stopped a few times for photo ops and had the opportunity to switch seats, but I somehow always got the front seat. It’s like waves of sand are splashing over the car. As someone who is typically seasick on boats, I was a bit nervous about the dune bashing but it didn’t bother me at all… maybe because I was in the front.
Third Stop - Photo Ops & Sand Surfing
Absolutely ask your tour guide to take pictures! They are the best photos we have from our entire trip! Yasir told us exactly how to stand and what angles were best. He even demonstrated for me how to get the sand arc over my head perfectly. Tip - Get your hands as deep as possible into the sand and hold on to as much sand as you can to get the arc effect. You are on the top of a dune in the middle of the desert with only sand in every direction. It’s awe inspiring!
Now for sand surfing, which is essentially a snowboard with no straps that you stand in and “surf” down the sand dune. The goal is to remain on your feet until the board coasts to a stop at the bottom of the dune. That being said, we spent a lot more time on our butts than standing upright. When you fall, they direct you to lean back and land softly on your butt. While Marc seemed to have this under control, I couldn’t seem to get the "softly" part quite right. More like land on my butt and do a backwards roll. If the goal was to get sand in every crevice possible, I wouldn’t have gotten a trophy! There is still sand coming out of the pockets of the pants I wore months later. Regardless of the sand everywhere and my lack of balance, it was so fun.
Marc rocking the sand surfing....
And me making a rough and tumble of it....
What To Where
Prior to the trip, I spent a lot of time researching what to wear for this excursion. To save you some time, I suggest you wear -
Shorts and a t-shirt or tank top. Although Dubai is a more conservative country, this excursion is quite touristy. Almost all of the women were showing more skin than may be appropriate in the rest of the city. You will get sandy and it is hot until the sun goes down, so be prepared.
Sunscreen & Sunglasses. Although much of the excursion happens at night, the first three spots are during the peak of the sun.
Shoes. Particularly for walking around in the sand and sand surfing, it’s best to wear shows that attach to your foot, rather than flip flops. I wore a sandal that wrapped around my foot and zipped up in the back. I found it to be the best option because my shoes stayed on, but the sand was easy to shake off. Marc wore tennis shoes, which also work but filled with sand quite a bit. Sandals are the way to go.
Sweater. It does get chilly in the evenings so it’s a good idea to bring a sweatshirt or sweater. Once you reach the desert camp site, they do provide big, fluffy blankets which were perfect! But just be prepared that the temperature drops quite a bit.
Drawstring bag. In order to carry all of our stuff, we brought a small draw string bag. It was easy to pack, takes up very little room, and helped keep our stuff together on our many stops.
Fourth Stop - Desert Camp
As the sun begins to set, we all jumped back into the SUV to take us to the desert camp. Before your guide gets back on the main road, they have to fill up the SUV tires with air. When they do, take the opportunity to get out and take more photos. Many of the people in our vehicle opted not to get out again for pictures, but they missed out on some amazing sunset shots. Yasir even gave us ideas for pictures, like “holding” the setting sun in our hands.
Back in the SUV, you head to the desert camp where you have the opportunity to ride camels and so much more. It has been a bucket list item for me to ride a camel and it was so worth it. The ride is short, but you have the option to ride the camels again once everyone heads into the camp for dinner. Our camel was hysterically impatient. A few camels are tied together and walk in a line. Well, our camel was last in line and wasn’t having any of it. He kept trying to bypass the other camels unsuccessfully and then would grunt in disapproval. We couldn't stop laughing how dramatic he was.
Once inside the camp, you have access to a number of activities including henna, gift shops, and hookah. They also have falcons you can hold for pictures or just to see their incredible beauty up close. Our falcon liked being scratched on the chest. This is where choosing the VIP package comes in handy.
You are seated at a table by yourself (just your group) and are served the meal first, as traditional dancers put on an amazing show. If you don’t want to go with the VIP option, you do get to sit closer to the dancers, but have to wait to go through a buffet line and sit at a communal table. Honestly both options were great, so pick the package that will work best for your budget and the experience.
Many excursions will allow you to designate your dietary preferences ahead of time. Although we did let them know we were vegan, they are not able to accommodate multiple food variations. That being said, there were more than enough options to go around. We were stuffed by the end of the meal, eating rice, a variety of vegetables, fried dough puffs, bread, and more. The food is served in community style dishes that can feed an entire family! And they offer you seconds, so you will not go hungry.
While we ate, we were entertained by phenomenal dancers. Two of the dancers wore elaborate skirts that had lights embroidering them. The skirts whirled around and above the dancers heads with coordinating lights. It was mesmerizing. There was also a dancer who used fire on ropes that he spun around and around until you didn’t know the difference between him and the flames. Tip - if you are celebrating a birthday or other occasion, let them know. They may invite you on stage to toss some flames around too!
Last Stop - Hotels
After a fabulous day and night of fun, Yasir took us all back to our hotels. In total the entire excursion was probably about 8 hour hours long from 2:00pm to 10:00pm. The service we experienced was phenomenal. I don’t think we have ever been on an excursion with such a knowledgeable and friendly tour guide. He made sure we were taken care of every step of the way, and as I mentioned he took the best pictures. This tour for us was a 10 out of 10!
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