Dubai/Abu Dhabi Dune Drive

Does anyone with experience of this type of tour in Dubai or Abu Dhabi know if it's possible to avoid the dune bashing section of the tour? We really want to experience the dunes but we're older and don't want to be shaken to bits.

We did that tour about four years ago. The dune ride was about an hour in a jeep type vehicle and was very bumpy! They took us to a tourist type tented area where there were camel rides, belly dancing (not exactly Arab entertainment) and a mediocre buffet. The ride back to the hotel was on a regular road very near the tent. We are going back to that area in March and will not be going on that excursion again!

Does anyone with experience of this type of tour in Dubai or Abu Dhabi know if it's possible to avoid the dune bashing section of the tour? We really want to experience the dunes but we're older and don't want to be shaken to bits.

We will be doing that type of tour in April. My wife does not want to do the dune bashing, which the tour company said was no problem, she can be dropped off at the other area first and wait for us to get back.

We will be doing that type of tour in April. My wife does not want to do the dune bashing, which the tour company said was no problem, she can be dropped off at the other area first and wait for us to get back.

Do you know the name of the company?

Do you know the name of the company?

Here is a link to their tour: https://www.eatours.ae/tours/half-day-desert-safari/

They are based out of Abu Dhabi.

The high end tours don't have dune bashing. I found platinum heritage.

Thanks for all the replies. Platinum Heritage do seem to offer a more conservative tour.

Here is a link to their tour: https://www.eatours.ae/tours/half-day-desert-safari/

They are based out of Abu Dhabi.

That looks good thanks. And the price is reasonable too.

That looks good thanks. And the price is reasonable too.

We are using them for all of our transfers and tours while we are in Abu Dhabi. They were more reasonably priced than the companies based in Dubai, since we are starting all of our tours in Abu Dhabi.

I just might be wrong on this -- has happened before but I am pretty sure that the dune bashing and/or with camel ride/falcon flying and dinner with "exotic" dancer are all provided by the very same provider. According to our driver in April, the drivers just wear different shirts depending on who sold the package for the passengers in the car. All the cars and facilities are owned by a huge outfit called Arabian Adventures. All the tourist offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi sell "seats on the bus" type tickets. The car on regular tires picks you up at your hotel at a certain time and perhaps stops at one other hotel to fill the car to I think 6 or 7 passengers. All the cars are pretty much the same. You do an hour or so (depending on hotel and traffic) out of Dubai (Abu Dhabi comes to same place but is slightly nearer and traffic is much less frantic and slow!) to a large parking area where your driver jumps out and deflates the tires to a specific mark and whalah! you now have a dune buggy and set out in a car line of 8 or 9 cars for the mini dunes. If you paid for a full dune bashing you go a little further into the desert to (can't recall the name but it means BIG DUNE) for about an hour. We did little dune bashing and it was big enough for me. THRILLING Fun as all get out but it does buck you around some. I hope you are a little luckier than the poor girl in our car who got violently car sick. Driver was kind but more or less said please go behind the hill of sand then gave her a bottle of water. Take this as a warning if you normally get motion sickness -- this was on the little dunes. At sundown, they take you to a wonderful spot in the desert and they spread out some and the most beautiful awesome sunset. I have the best pictures taken by the driver. Absolutely loved it and I didn't want to go dune bashing. Again a warning -- once you start there is nowhere to turn and go back you will go up and down and all around the sand dunes. You do sign a wavier of damage or injury. After sundown you go back aways on the track and to the parking lot to fill the tires up. It is less than 5 miles to the area for dinner and shows and camel riding. Not very mobility challenged friendly. I might add that for shoes DO NOT WEAR shoes with mesh -- I rubbed horrible blister on top of foot and you just could not get the tons of sand out of your mesh shoes -- still finding dabs of the desert with those shoes! The dinner area has lots of pillows and carpets laid on the sand. The feel is like what we saw as Arabian houses -- carpets and pillows -- no chairs but I was fairly comfortable on 2 firm pillows. Many asked for chairs but they seemed limited to the first 10 people who asked. Buffet was good -- meats and sides and a drink and rice and mostly I did not know what I ate. Think of how they feed you on the private islands in the Caribbean and you have the general feel of the meal. Camel rides are next to parking lots. Warning camels are not graceful and they jar you alot getting up and down. Ride is less than 3 minutes. Bathrooms are clean/many in one building/ running water/lights. Well oiled machine and fun tourist event. I bought from Arabian Adventures online and got an e-ticket. Can get seat from any hotel or travel/tour operator. Look for discounts possibly from airline or hotel. Many ways to package basically the same tour by adding activities or level of service (private car). I hope this is helpful to those of you visiting Dubai and Abu Dhabi. I loved both (we spent 5 days in Dubai before flying to Singapore and 3 days in Abu Dhabi after disembarkation). Both cities very unique and very different from each other.

Thank you Bowie MeMe. That's a fabulous report and will help us (and many others I'm sure) make up our mind.

For folks going to Abu Dhabi, we stayed at the InterContinental in Abu Dhabi. We took full board and it worked out very well in expensive AD. there are 3 or 4 restaurants and a buffet. Very good selection on the buffet for breakfast and lunch. We were allowed to eat in the "fancy" seafood restaurant and the Brazilian steakhouse with entertainment in the evening. They packed a lunch for us on the day we were out all day. It is not mentioned much on-line but I read about it here on cruise critic. I might only be during special times of the year? we were there in early April 2017. I called the IGH loyalty club ambassador for the information -- they will have to look it up. I think we saved much money. Very few of the hotels in AD are located where you can walk to other restaurants. Good luck in getting this deal -- We were pleased with the hotel and the food plan and the service. Older and not fancy by AD standards but maybe you don't need the marble driveway and gold elevators. AD is such a fabulous place to visit. Do not miss the huge mosque! It is probably the most beautiful building I have ever experienced -- just wonderful. They do go to excess!!!

Bowie MeMe,

Did you rent an abaya to visit the mosque or were you suitably covered in your own clothes?

Bowie MeMe,

 

Did you rent an abaya to visit the mosque or were you suitably covered in your own clothes?

Hi! the two women in the party wore their own clothes.I had on an ankle length skirt and t-shirt with a longsleeve blouse (one that I use for sun screening) My friend had on long pants and a t-shirt with a blouse over the t-shirt. Both covered ankle to neck and down the arm to wrist. We tied an ordinary scarf on our heads. Long scarves are available in all the markets and they are beautiful (and cheap) to bring home so saw lots of those. The rental or borrowed (I don't know the fee) wear is dark brown zippered robe with a hood. Sort of like a monk. Wear shoes that are easy to slip on and off -- there is limited seating for removing shoes and people tended to take their time resting up a bit on the shoe benches. You leave your shoes in long rows of boxes for the shoes -- shoe parking lot.

Men and women use separate lines to enter the security lines (like airport with scanners and watch off etc). The clothing take/return was right after security. All meet up outside security building and all tour the same (men's) elaborate temple. Signs direct you -- I don't think a formal tour with guide.

Thank you. I will wear suitable clothing and head scarf. Don't fancy a rental hood on my head.