Camel Trek in the Desert!

Nick and I only had a day and a half in Dubai, but we made the most of our time, and after the Burj Khalifa and an afternoon at the Souks, we had seen a lot of the city.  Having just spent 10 magnificent nights in the Maldives, we did not really feel the need to spend much time exploring the beaches of Dubai - we wanted the city!  A few months before the honeymoon Nick saw an ad for Desert Safari Dubai in his office's elevator, and with dune crashing in 4 x 4's, camel rides, and a BBQ with native entertainment, it was an opportunity we really could not pass up!

Camel Rides!

At around 4:00pm we were picked up at our hotel by a representative of the group in a Land Cruiser and headed west.  What was interesting was that as we traveled kept thinking we were entering the desert, but then you would see a little community that looked straight out of Weeds (the first season) or Arrested Development!  There were also a few areas blocked off with billboards showing pictures of a brand new city to be completed within years - this place is just growing at a rapid pace.

The Desert....

Finally, after about an hour of driving we pulled over, let some air out of the tires and turned into the desert for a little off-roading.  The air was let out to help the truck get through the deep sand.  After about 15 minutes we pulled up to the ranch where there were about 4 dune buggies and two camels.  The others in our group were heading out on a dune buggy adventure.  Our ride was of the four-legged variety behind the buggies.

The Camels and the Dune Buggies!

In my defense, when I booked this, I thought it was all camels and maybe a 15 minute ride.  I did not know dune buggies were an option, nor did I know that the ride would be for over an hour!  While the desert was much scrubbier than expected, there were beautiful sky views for the entirety of the ride.

Sunset over the desert

The ride was loads of fun (and a bit uncomfortable), the camels were great and followed in line behind the guide leading us along the way.

Another beautiful sunset

On our camels

Look - No hands!

Back at the Ranch

By the time we returned to the ranch, tons of other people were there for the BBQ and show.  Most were pretty jealous when we showed up on our camels.  We entered into the ranch area and were immediately approached by a falcon carrier, who was throwing his falcon at me to hold.  Nick encouraged me to take it and the arm band was on - of course, the holder reminded me it was 5 AED (a reminder that nothing is free!) No matter, though, because it was still pretty cool.  While I didn't look quite like Eleanor of Aquitaine, I kind of felt like it :)

The Falcon Tamer...

Shortly after arriving, we found our seats on pillows at our low table and waited for the program to begin. The first performer was a man who came out and spun around with a large skirt with other props that got more complicated as he spun faster.  Turns out he was performing a tanoura dance.

Tanoura Dance

Beer!

As you can see, the twirling got way more complicated and electric! 

After he finished dancing, we all went to the buffet area where our plates were loaded with tons of food - some more native than others, but all pretty good given the setting.

Buffet BBQ

While we were eating the next performer began: the belly dancer.  She had a lot of stage to cover and it was pretty chilly out, but she did a great job entertaining the crowd and did some pretty tricky moves!

The Belly Dancer

Shortly after, the event concluded and we crashed our way out of the desert and back to the hotel for the final night of our honeymoon.

Honestly, this trip was one of the most magical trips.  We really both can look back and say that this may be the most amazing trip we have ever taken (and may ever take, but hopefully not!).  Hard to believe that Nick and I have been married just over 4 months now!  However, it feels like we just came back yesterday - the memories are so vivid and wonderful!

What is your most memorable trip?