If the hectic steel and neon of Dubai represent its modern heart, the desert is its ancient soul. Those who choose to take a break from the opulent city will be rewarded by the dramatic landscape and quiet beauty that lies just outside its borders.
A sea of sand dunes, the austere rocky plains of the Western Hajar Mountains, the emerald green Hatta lake...The landscape is as varied as it is vast. The Dubai Desert Conservation Reservation, the country’s first national park, also houses an immense variety of plant species, birds, mammals and reptiles, giving you the opportunity to see rare beauties such as the Sand Gazelle and Arabian Oryx.
The wonders of the desert can be experienced in any number of ways. Ride the ‘waves’ on a quad or a 4x4. Get to know local Bedouins. Meet your camel and see what it’s like to travel on the ‘ship of the desert’ as traders have for centuries. And don’t forget to take in at least one glorious sunset.
