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For most travelers to Dubai, participating in a desert safari is at the top of their wishlist. After all, no other excursion enables you to capture the Arabian experience in such a profound way.
To make sure you have the adventure of a lifetime, read on for three tips for having the best Dubai desert safari possible.
1. Pick the right desert safari provider.
In Dubai, there are plenty of tour operators offering desert safari packages; however, not all of them are operating at the same quality. For this reason, it is essential that you spend some time researching your options before you make a decision. Don’t just go with the first one you come across!
For starters, read the itineraries of the tours to get a sense of what is on offer. From there, you can select a couple of companies that offer the activities you are particularly interested in — these may include camel riding, dune bashing, sandboarding, quad biking, or having dinner in the desert. Don’t forget to consider whether the company offers pick-ups and drop-offs from your accommodation (and if they do, where to find the specific point).
Once you have found a couple of options, look into customer reviews of the tour and be thorough in reading through them. This is your one shot for putting together the excursion of a lifetime and benefiting from what others have already experienced.
2. Prepare yourself adequately.
In order to have the best Dubai desert safari possible, it is imperative for you to make the appropriate preparations. This mainly involves making sure you are wearing suitable clothes and that you bring only the necessary items in your bag.
When it comes to attire, the key consideration is that you want your clothing to be loose and relaxed, and to avoid adding any items in your suitcase that make you feel overly hot, sweaty, and uncomfortable. You don’t want your clothes to get in the way of you having a wonderful experience!
Therefore, the best option is a pair of shorts or breezy pants with a lightweight top. For women, it is recommended that you don’t wear a dress as that can be uncomfortable when riding a camel.
In your bag, make sure to pack either a shawl or a lightweight jacket for the evening as the desert temperature can drop significantly. If you are going on a morning desert safari, you will want to wear this extra layer at the beginning.
When it comes to footwear, sandals are the best for your time on land and in the sand, but you might want to opt to have your toes covered while riding the camel.
Sunglasses and a hat are also vital in ensuring that you protect yourself and your skin from the sun. You’ll want to bring extra sunscreen as you are going to be exposed to powerful UV rays while out in the sun.
Speaking of your bag, a small cross-body bag is the perfect size to fit your sunscreen, lip balm, motion sickness medicine (if necessary), some cash or your credit card, your camera or smartphone, and some water. This is all you need, unless you have chosen to go on an overnight desert safari in Dubai (in which case, only pack a few nighttime essentials).
3. Consume a light meal or snack before the tour.
You don’t want to miss out on completely enjoying your desert safari because your hunger pains have struck! To avoid this, make sure to eat a light meal around two hours before the tour.
If you have a history of motion sickness, this is especially important, and don’t forget to throw some anti-nausea medicine in your bag for the tour.
Have you ever been on a Dubai desert safari? Is it on your bucket list? What tips do you have for others who are looking to go on their first? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!
About the author
Hafiz Umer Ali Zaib is the Social Media Specialist at Luxury Tours, a leading provider of tours, cruises and safaris across the UAE. The company’s top offerings include the Dubai Desert Evening Safari, City Tours, Dhow Cruises, Mountain Tours, Limousine Service, Discounted Tickets for theme parks and a variety of many other excursions.
