For The Best in Dubai Desert Safaris

A private chef, a personal butler, à la carte meals, and a spot of volleyball played on sand speckled with gold dust are just a few of the luxe amenities you can expect from a desert safari in Dubai. 

Dubai - a destination famous for converting its desert sands into a glitzy garden of high-rise buildings. If it was ever conceived, it was built. From the iconic to the infamous, to the most luxurious, to the unbelievable. Skiing, skydiving, and zip-lining over an urban city are all everyday attractions in this Emirate.

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Then just imagine sipping champagne as you watch the sunset over the dunes or hot air ballooning in the morning sunrise. These are the kind of indulgences that make a desert safari in Dubai truly unforgettable. 

Sand Dunes Dubai

Adding a touch of exclusivity to the list is the not-to-be-missed experience of an Arabian desert safari. In Dubai, these are the grand dames of desert safaris. A Range Rover is the transportation de rigueur; having your own private chef is as ordinary as spotting oryxes.

Ahmed (our driver) arrives ten minutes before time. As the vehicle's door opens, the unmistakable scent of oud rides out on a traditional Arabic rhythm. He greets us with ice-cold bottles of water, an unplaced accent and Oxford University's English.

Forty-five minutes into the drive, there is a world-renowned city skyline somewhere behind us but there is nothing to show for it. Instead, the bronze sands of the Arabian desert sprawl like a lazy morning in bed and endlessly like the farmlands of the Canadian prairies around us.

Ahmed tells us we are nearly there, and the exhilaration gauge rises but nothing compared to when the shemagh was wrapped around my head. It feels as if the shemagh is the genie that makes it all happen.

A quick photo stop as the sun begins its final descent. And even as the sun sets, the heat still carries a drunkening effect.

A climb to the top of a sand dune only ten feet high in the drunken heat and the sinking sand underfoot results in an unwinnable race but barrels of laughter. This sand dune summit is achieved and the reward is - an ocean! An ocean of sand dunes. Save for the haze in the distance, the picture in the frame is a pristine, undulating landscape of golden sands.

What was approximately a ten-foot climb on one side is a descent double that on the other side of the dune. The sun glints a smile at the top of the dunes and each dune, in turn, casts a shadow on the dune behind it.

Sand Dunes Dubai

The sun sets quickly at this time of the year. Ahmed tells us as the 4x4 climbs it's the first dune.

I am unsure if the statement was made as an initial distraction. As the next twenty minutes were spent, eyes shut, stomach near relocated to my mouth and an unforgiving bashing of the dunes.

Sat in the next seat all that time was the younger version of myself squealing with the thrill of each stomach-churning, spaceless drop where I dared not open my eyes, mouth or even breathe.

Try the sandboarding,' he said. You'll find its a lot of fun.

It must have been beginners' luck as the first attempt was a glide down like the 'Usain Bolt' of sandboards. The magic carpet got pulled after that, as it simply fell apart. What followed was no end of face plants, belly flops and cheese rolls. For all that, it truly was very entertaining (including those watching).

Nara Escape Desert Safari Night Setting

It is the middle of the desert, the sun has long set and the air, comfortably cooler. The glow from the lamps in the distance becomes more prominent. A melodious tune wraps around you as barbecue smells hang in the evening air. The magic carpets pulled earlier are now covered with seats and cushions on the desert floor and a campfire crackles nearby. An inviting seat for the Arabic coffee and dates that followed.

Another party takes a seat on the adjoining carpet. The campfire lights up each others' faces with each hysterical recount of the others' sand dune and sandboarding endeavours. The atmosphere becomes rousing. Or could it have been the champagne?

Dinner - a dine-as-you-wish on a heart warming and traditional Arabian feast. Shawarma, bread and salad stations. Cold Arabic meze, barbecue meats that smelled as good as they looked. Tasted as good as they smell!

While the chefs created a feast for the soul, the entertainment was a feast for the eyes and ears. Flowing raven-haired belly dancers whose 'Maya hip' movements never faltered. Instead moved hypnotically with every beat as if they were one and the same. Tanourah dancers who left you asking - 'how do they do that?' Each set of performers, a build-up to the next as nothing before, captured the camp's attention like the blazing fire dance show. If the entertainment was a battle for which drew the most 'awes', then the fire dance blazed it.

The desert night sky showed its starry blanket as the fire pit crackled. The courteous hellos from only hours earlier transcended into a friendly hookah-smoking atmosphere.

All those bright lights and the unending carousel of things to do in Dubai can be exhausting. Take an escape from your escape to Dubai with a desert safari. Be it a morning, evening or overnight option. If you've ever envisaged a desert safari camp near an oasis or with gourmet dining or butler service; here's a list of Arabian desert safaris with a distinctive difference from your everyday tour operators.

Imagine waking up to the call of the desert birds or enjoying a private hot air balloon ride over the dunes. These are the unique experiences that only theses desert safaris in Dubai can offer.

Nara Escapes Desert Safari Setting

Nara Escape - Nara Private Escapes

Their Hollywood-style experiences and exemplary attention to detail inside Dubai's Desert Conservation Reserve transition Nara Escape into the desert safari stratosphere. They can also host your private or corporate event in their unique desert setting.

Best for: overnight desert safaris, bespoke desert safaris, treated as celebrities, gourmet dining

Platinum Heritage - Private Platinum Hot Air Balloon Experience

Best for: desert retreat, hot air ballooning

Ocean Air Travels - Customised Evening Red dune Safari

Best for: length of time to dune bashing and sand dining

Rayna Tours - Overnight Desert Safari

Best for: something memorable

Platinum Heritage - Royal Platinum Desert Experience

Best for: An actual oasis in the desert location, personal butler, fine dining, treated like royalty

Extreme Abu Dhabi - Private Desert Safari

Best for: Adventure enthusiasts. The raw beauty of the desert combined with extreme sports.