Dune Bashing in Dubai
What is dune bashing?
Dune bashing means driving at increasing and decreasing speeds over sand dunes. As the surface of the sand keeps shifting, it takes a special skill and a special type of car to navigate the terrain – usually a sports utility vehicle (SUV). Expect a stop to let the air out of your tyres as reducing the pressure gives the vehicle more traction against the moving sand. Desert Safari Deals
What to expect
The experience starts with pick-up at your hotel or home stay, followed by a 45 minute to an hour-long drive out to sparse desert landscape where there are no city noises to obscure your hearing and no towering buildings to block your view.
The dune bashing part of the trip is a bumpy and thrilling ride that lasts about an hour. The vehicles travel in convoy and stick close together as they perform their stunts. If you're like me, you will enjoy the slipping and the sliding, the skidding and the spinning - all punctuated by sporadic seat-gripping and different decibels of screaming and shouting. And sand, lots and lots of sand!
Tip: Try to secure the front passenger seat or a window for the best views!
What to wear
Dress comfortably because inevitably the sand gets into everything. I recommend a hat or a scarf to cover your hair, and long pants and a light shirt or t-shirt. I wore sneakers and socks in an effort to cover my feet but the sand got into them anyway, so I could very well have worn sandals.
For persons who wear contact lenses, I suggest wearing shades as well because small grains of sand get into your eyes very easily when you are outside the vehicle. With no running water nearby, eye-drops alone won’t be enough to clear them.
After the drive, you are allowed to exit the vehicle, walk around and take pictures. The evening drives are timed to end just before sunset so be ready to capture some pretty cool shots then.
The tour ends with a trip to a Bedouin-style camp where the Middle Eastern-influenced dinner menu includes a variety of meats and salads with some desserts. Optional camel riding, henna painting, shisha smoking and belly dancing often complete the evening’s activities.
Comments
Post a Comment