Dubai Desert Safari

During our trip to Dubai, we took a day to enjoy a desert safari. It was an incredible experience and definitely a highlight of the trip. It was fascinating to see how the Bedouin people used to live, get a taste of their food and learn about their culture. A vintage 1950’s Land Rover took us around the desert to view local wildlife, but due to strong winds we had to circle back and head to the SUV. We forgot to bring our sunglasses (make sure you don’t) and the sand was blowing into our eyes making it impossible to see anything so our guide drove us through the dessert into the Bedouin camp.

We arrived earlier than everyone else and were welcomed with deliciously sweet dates and camel milk! As much as I don’t drink dairy, I did taste it and it was quite good. Camel milk is full of nutrients and is very popular in Arab countries.

Throughout the evening, we enjoyed smoking a little bit of shisha, tasted an Arabic chai tea made with cardamon, cinnamon, Moroccan mint, honey and milk and sipped on fresh prune juice.

There were two sets of dances, one of them performed by two men and the other by a beautiful woman. Behind them was a henna station, available to guests for hand tattoos. Camels lounged around the back of the tents offering people rides and photos.

Later we were served an authentic dinner in a Bedouin setting with low tables and stools, wooden bowls and in a small tent made from wood with a floor lined with beautiful carpets. 

The menu for our Bedouin dinner included lentil soup, two different green salads, hummus, pastry filled with cheese, slow-cooked lamb meat, roasted camel meat, grilled chicken kebabs, vegetarian rice and rice with lamb. A large selection of desserts including fruits, dates and Arabic sweets. It was delicious!