It wouldn’t be a trip to Dubai without a desert sunset safari tour. Our hotel recommended Lama’s desert safari tour, so we ran with it. We were picked up at the hotel by our driver (albeit a little late due to the infamous traffic) and headed towards the hills. After an hour or more of driving, we arrived in a small town where the desert edition Toyota Landcruiser tires were deflated for better traction on the sandy dunes.

With seatbelts securely fastened, we headed out into the expansive desert at a relatively high rate of speed. The driver’s skill at maneuvering the dunes largely mitigated our concern at tipping over as he courted the sandy peaks with his tires. For nearly 30 minutes, we traveled up, down and around the desert, mostly without seeing any other trace of civilization, save for tire tracks left by previous vehicles.

After a brief stop for pictures while crossing a fenced border, we drove for a few more minutes to a Disneyland-like temporary village in the middle of nowhere. The destination was meant to represent traditional Bedouin encampments, save for the bright lights, buffet and ceramic toilets.

While we waited for the buffet, I took advantage of the various activities, including a few laps on an ATV and camel ride. Unfortunately, as the first night of Ramadan, we were unable to enjoy the belly dancers promised by the flyer. The excellent food and a solitary drop of rain from a passing thunderstorm were reasonable consolation prizes.

The entire tour was fairly expensive, but I found tremendous value in many first time experiences, including off-roading in a 4×4 and ATV and camel ride. Our driver returned us safely to our hotel and I now have plenty of photos and video to immortalize the once-in-a-lifetime adventure.

[tags]Dubai, Lama, Sunset, desert safari tour[/tags]