First Time Sand Bashing Experience At Abu Dhabi

When it comes to deciding on a city to explore in the United Arab Emirates, the dazzling city of Dubai definitely comes first to mind. The magnificent looking skyscrapers, luxury malls, and all the modern glamorous add-ons are definitely a goal for many travellers wish-lists.

However, despite Abu Dhabi being said to be living under the shadow of the dazzling city of Dubai, this capital city of (UAE) is a destination that will fascinate you with its beauty; from the traditional architecture to the stunning modern theme-park.

Abu Dhabi possesses a different kind of beauty compared with Dubai. The stunning traditional architecture, mosques, fishing villages, beautiful landscapes, and the rich culture of Emirati traditions are eye-opening. You’ll never leave Abu Dhabi without having the thrilling sand bashing experience at the Golden Fine Sands.

To start off, I would like to let you know that the weather in the UAE can be pretty stressful. Especially during the summer period from May to September where the temperature can get as high as 50-degrees Celsius. However, the weather in Abu Dhabi is a perfect escape for beach lovers from late March to the end of April. Despite the blazing heat, winter days from November to March are the golden time to visit this beautiful city. Be sure to mark it on your calendar!

As much as I love being in the city with all the skyscrapers, my ultimate goal when in Abu Dhabi is to experience the sand dunes. When it comes to sand bashing, I believe many of you would have thought of Dubai first. It is not because the deserts there are nicer or the sand is finer, but simply because it is more convenient and time-saving for many travellers who focus only on exploring Dubai city.

Despite hearing so many rumours about the colour of the sand in Abu Dhabi being more intensified, I found it pretty similar to the sand found in Dubai. You’ll definitely see the wide stretch of dusty-coloured sand dunes and the endless repetitive waves of earth which are like an infinite maze upon arriving at the desert in Abu Dhabi. As I mentioned above, no trip to the Middle East is complete without a sand dunes experience. Thus, this ride is my heart-raising expedition in the desert and I am sharing my experience virtually with you.

Get ready to board on this thrilling journey with me!

Before we embarked on our journey, we were first picked up from our hotel and we departed directly for the desert which was about an hour drive from the city.

Before I knew it we were arriving at our destination. I was instructed to buckle up and hold on really tight to the car’s handle. As I was realizing that this was not the car ride that I expected, my tour guide smiled and said: “Hold tight and let’s get Rambo!” Without delay, the driver started to accelerate sharply and followed the trail of the other vehicles in a zig-zag motion across the desert.

At first, the ride was smooth and comfortable. Being surrounded by these magnificent looking sand dunes made me feel as if I belonged there. The natural beauty just rendered me speechless. However, as we went further into the desert, the excitement spiked tremendously. All I could think to myself with my eyes wide open was, “What have I signed up for?” With all that said, I can clearly recall those crazy bumps and bashes. This ride was absolutely no joke!

At times while we were bashing up and down on the dunes everyone flew a few inches out of their seats while screaming out of our minds to the heavens. Throughout the ride, it definitely felt like we were on a roller-coaster that had gone wild. Our driver scrambled up the dune, spattering the vehicle with sands, then crashing downhill with tremendous speed. To top things off, the ride got even more exciting as I had absolutely no idea where we were going and what was coming next. This ride was definitely not for anyone who has a low tolerance of motion sickness as it can get pretty intense.

As a tip, I strongly advise you to bring along a plastic bag just in case you need to throw up in the middle of the ride.

After the intense ride, take a break and enjoy the sunset that sets perfectly at the Golden Sand. Watching the bright orange sun slowly disappearing behind the mountain of sand dunes. However, for excitement seekers, don’t worry about the break. Entertain yourself with a variety of activities in the desert from sand-boarding to ATV riding and camel riding. I am pretty sure you’ll enjoy it as much as the sand bashing ride.

Honestly, camel riding is a must-do in the UAE! As you probably already know, camels are the king animal in the desert. Their unique survival skills and their stunning look is definitely a great gift in the desert. As many of you might have thought, riding a camel is pretty similar to any other animal but in my opinion it’s absolutely different. So, why not give it a try to find it out for yourself and create your own unique memories.

Honestly speaking, riding a camel is not as easy as it might seem to be. It is totally different compared to horseback riding where you can just hop on and get going. During the ride, you might find it pretty uncomfortable as the camel jerks very much with a side to side motion. This is probably due to the camel's unique way of walking in a criss-cross rhythm. Despite these drawbacks, it is definitely a very nice experience overall where you can get really close to the animal.

In the evening, we headed to the desert camp for an Emirati barbecue dinner where we also enjoyed different local performances. We watched belly dancing and also El-Tanoura dance which is one of the most popular cultural dances in the Middle East. I think that you’ll find it fascinating.

Besides the performances, there are also a variety of activities available for you to experience. For example, the exotic eagle feeding, henna drawing (semi-permanent traditional tattoo), Shisha and also different cultural exhibitions thaare set-up to give you a general idea of the Emiratis’ lifestyle. If you’re interested in putting on some traditional Emirati clothing for photos, feel free to do it at the evening camp.

Sunset Desert Camp

Emirati's cuisine with lebanese grill, hummus, raqaq, arabian curries and grilled vegetables.

Arabic coloured sand in glass bottle

After a tiring journey, we finally ended our day with some of the local performances and even had the chance to stargaze in the middle of the pitch-black desert. It's definitely a unique and unforgettable experience that I had in the UAE.

Please enjoy the video,

Authored & Photographed by: @explorernations

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