We’re still working through my list of some of the most amazing travel experiences I’ve had and would suggest you add to your bucket list.
In no particular order, my top 10 suggestions for your travel bucket list are:
- Kayaking and swimming in the bioluminescent bay in Vieques, Puerto Rico
- Seeing the millions of monarch butterflies in Michoacan, Mexico
- Desert safari off-roading, camel riding, and dinner show in Dubai, UAE
- The Grand Canyon in the USA
- Superman zip-lining in the cloud forests of Costa Rica
- Machu Picchu in Peru
- Ruins of the city of Ephesus in Turkey
- Helmet diving in the Caribbean
- Crossing the Andes
- Sailing from Colombia to Panama through the Sand Blas islands
Today’s post will be about the desert safari off-roading, camel riding, and dinner show I experienced in Dubai.
A couple of years ago I had the opportunity to visit Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. While I really wasn’t particularly awed by the trip overall despite all of the “tallest,” “fastest,” and other “best of” honors that Dubai’s tourist attractions can claim (though the indoor skiing and tallest building in the world at the mall were cool), I did think that one activity in particular was pretty awesome: the desert safari.
One of the afternoons/evenings of the trip the group that I was with all got picked up from our hotel to head out to the desert safari. The desert “safari” is basically an off-roading adventure where your tour guides take you in a 4-wheel-drive SUV out into the middle of the desert, let the air out of the tires, and then take you for an insane joy ride through the desert where they basically just freak out and drive you around like an excited 15-year old boy. You fly over the sand dunes, swerve, twist, turn and basically experience a real-world roller coaster ride. It was fun, period.
After the heart-pumping ride, you’re dropped off at a little social area created in the desert where you can enjoy camel rides and 4-wheelers, get henna tattoos, smoke hookah, and explore some of the local handicrafts from vendors. Then you enjoy a 5 course meal while watching belly dancers, skirt twirlers, and other performers before heading back to your hotel later that night.
Was it a bit touristy and cliche? Absolutely. Was it TONS OF FUN? Definitely.
Here are some pics from the desert:
