Dune Bashing in Dubai
Bailey preparing to sand board in the Red Desert of Dubai
Introduction to Dune Bashing
While in Dubai, we knew we wanted to get out of the city and see the vast red sand dunes in the surrounding desert. There are a plethora of desert tours that can take you for various activities. Options include dune bashing, Quad biking (ATV or 4 wheeler riding), camel rides, sand boarding, and much more. We weren’t interested in riding a camel but wanted to try all the rest, so we picked a tour that included sandboarding, dune bashing, and Quad biking. We went with the “Morning Desert Safari with Quad Biking” with Trawey Tours (whatsapps number 971503533891) which only set us back $50 per person. I didn’t have a very clear picture of what exactly dune bashing was going to be, but it didn’t take long to get the picture.
The Desert Tour:
Pick up:
Our tour guide, Mujeeb, picked us up at our hotel at 8:00 AM. We then swung by to pick up one more passenger for the tour at another hotel. Since we were riding in a land cruiser with 8 seats, we were pretty much at capacity in the back with 6 passengers and a driver. We didn’t pay the extra cost for a private tour and ended up with an 80+ year old, sweet Italian man that did not speak English or Arabic in the back seat with us.
Dune bashing:
Aside from the labored breathing of our Italian comrade, the drive to the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve was smooth and only about 20 minutes on the highway. Other tours take you further out of town into more remote desert reserves. I wanted to avoid the long drive and went with the closer option. When we arrived at the desert park, we stopped for a bathroom break and for our driver to deflate the tires before dune bashing. We then loaded back into the car and headed for the dunes. At this point I made the huge mistake of telling the driver that we wanted a wild ride. He promptly delivered and one of the most insane things I have ever experienced then ensued. The dunes are 20-70 feet high and are actually mountains made of sand. Dune bashing involves speeding up and down and around the sand mountains at terrifying speeds. At some point, we drove at full speed to the top of an especially large sand mountain with a 70 foot drop on the passenger side. Just when I was thinking “I hope we don’t fall off here”, the driver INTENTIONALLY slid over the edge of the precipice and accelerated, spinning the tires, to skirt, slipping and sliding along the edge of the drop. There were so many times when we could have rolled the Land Cruiser, but the driver was quite skilled and capable of getting us out of every crazy position he got us into. I was laughing and screaming the entire time. Meanwhile, our 80 year old Italian comrade sat calmly and never made a sound. While completely terrifying, the sand dune bashing was a blast.
Wendi keeping her center of gravity low as she sand boards down the dune
Sand boarding:
After 20 minutes of near death experiences, we parked on top of a dune and spent 20 minutes sand boarding. The sand boarding was easier than I expected and we could all make it most of the way down without falling. I thought this was going to be my favorite activity, but it fell slightly short of my expectations for a couple reasons. First of all, the walk back up the dune carrying the board in the 90 degree weather was brutal. Secondly, when I did fall once, I ended up with sand everywhere for days. Finally, the hill he chose for us was pretty short and the length of the ride wasn’t quite worth the work. It was fun to give sand boarding a try and I would do it again, but I would prefer a ride back up to the top and a longer ride down.
ATVs in the Desert
Our final activity of the day was Quad biking. Having grown up riding ATV’s in Kentucky, I knew how fun this was going to be for everyone. Although our kids had ridden ATV’s before, they didn’t have a lot of experience driving them. This was a perfect first spot with very little obstacles or dangers around. The ATV riding took place in a fenced area with some small dunes. There was plenty of space for everyone to ride without worry and I was glad that my kids were contained. The kids absolutely loved having the freedom to drive on their own and choose their own paths through the dunes. I highly recommend ATV riding if your kids are old enough (over the age of 7).
Gus spinning his tires in the desert on an ATV
After ATV riding, we had the opportunity to ride or pet a dusty camel in the corner of a gravel lot, but we passed. There were several people who approached us with falcons and asked if we wanted to pay for a picture. This isn’t really our type of thing, so we just said “no” and they walked away. We took 5 minutes to have a cold drink and a bathroom break and then headed back to the city.
Wilson loving life as he flies through the desert on the ATV
Tips:
Make sure you look carefully at what activities are included in each tour and pick the ones you want to focus on.
Be prepared that dune bashing is absolutely insane!
Don’t skip the ATV riding.
Be prepared to get sandy and hot while sandboarding.
If you don’t want any strange passengers in the car with your family, pay for the private tour. We didn’t mind our quiet Italian friend.
Do the tour early in the morning to avoid the midday heat.
Final thoughts on Dune Bashing:
This was an unforgettable experience and we all had a blast. I highly recommend visiting the sand dunes on your trip to Dubai. We were happy with our tour with Trawey tours and they are an affordable option.
