The desert environment in which the emirate of Abu Dhabi is located offers endless recreational opportunities for the visitor. The vast sandy expanse of the desert is a unique environment which offers magical experiences not to be encountered anywhere else in the world.

Going on a desert safari is the ideal way to experience the charms of this captivating landscape. A powerful four wheel drive vehicle will take you deep into the desert sands, often to a Bedouin themed campsite in the heart of the sandy expanses. Watching the unforgettable desert sunset is a breathtaking sight never to be forgotten. Many safari operators will provide sumptuous meals, snacks and a selection of beverages to ensure that you are refreshed and replete throughout your journey. An Arabian-style barbeque dinner at the campsite while watching the performance of a belly dancer is another local highlight.

Active travellers can try out sandboarding, which is like skiing down the sand dunes. Thrill seekers can enjoy dune bashing, which is the term used for driving across sand dunes in a four wheel drive vehicle. The sand spraying all around the vehicle at high speeds is a sensational thrill like no other.

Another alternative is wadi bashing, driving at audacious speed across dry riverbeds in the desert, resulting in a bone-jarring ride which will delight even the most jaded visitor. However the actual driving of the vehicle in these pursuits is best left to the experienced hands. However almost anyone can try out a dune buggy drive across the sands, if due caution is exercised.

Visitors should also take the opportunity to try out typically Middle Eastern activities, like taking a camel ride and smoking a shisha pipe (‘hubbly bubbly’). Henna painting is a traditional artistic activity. As a memento of your trip you can pose for photographs in typical Arabian costumes. A sojourn in the desert will undoubtedly be the experience of a lifetime, with so many recreational opportunities on offer.

Selective visitors seeking a hotel in Abu Dhabi will be pleased by Eastern Mangroves, Abu Dhabi. This fine accommodation Abu Dhabi offers provides well-appointed interiors and gracious hospitality which make for a truly unforgettable holiday experience.

 

Uditha Dharmawardhane is a travel writer who writes under the pen name Roland Lefevre. He specializes in creating features on leisure as well as business travel destinations across the globe.

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