When I agreed to go on a desert dinner safari to a Bedouin campsite outside Dubai (UAE), I hadn’t a clue that I was getting myself an into adrenaline-pumping ride that would make Disney’s Space Mountain seem like a merry-go-round.
“Eat early so you won’t lose your lunch,” advised Mustafa, our 23-year-old city guide.
That should have tipped me off. So should have the Lama Desert Tours website advisory “The tour is not recommended to heart patients (or those) with neck and back problems.”
In spite of these warnings, I cluelessly climbed into the front seat of the Toyota Land Cruiser. We stopped just short of the desert at a small shop where Mustafa urged us to use the bathroom facilities. Of course we listened. (Didn’t your mom tell you to go when you had the chance?) We later learned that while we were inside, Mustafa was letting air out of the tires for the breathtaking ride of a lifetime.
I can only describe the experience by asking you to imagine a 23-year old in a Land Cruiser who’s been instructed to drive as fast as possible through the desert, jumping
over as many dunes as feasible.
That hour-long roller coaster left us speechless. And breathless. At times, the car tipped to a 90-degree angle and we were sure it would flip over. None of the vehicles, btw, had roll bars. Our worst fear was crashing into one of the 50 other vehicles, including ATVs, that were also hurdling dunes. Although we witnessed no accidents, we did notice the remnants of bumpers and other non-essential car parts strewn throughout the desert.
When we arrived at our destination, feeling as though our stomachs were up 
in our throats, we had little interest in food. We skipped the appetizers (although the roasted corn on a stick looked yummy) and got involved in the festivities. Activities included everything from camel riding to henna painting and window shopping for local artifacts, costume jewelry and belly dancers’ harem costumes.
Eventually, the smell of the barbecuing meat on the grill reignited our appetites. Was it the desert air that heightened the flavor of the baba ganoush, tzatziki, hummus, tabbouleh and fresh naan, or was it all exceptionally delicious? We’ll never know.
Lama Desert Tours & Cruises, about $65 per adult for Dune Safari with BBQ; 971 4 3344 330, www.lama.ae/Static/index.aspx
I am so glad someone else had a similar experience, although I was not warned so thoroughly for my desert ride. In the car with 6 other individuals I didn’t know, 2 from Germany, 2 from China and 1 from goodness knows where… I could hear them saying (in their respective languages) – she’s turning green… she’s going to blow… look out!!! For myself, I just kept my eyes closed, prayed and hung on for dear life!
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