Masking virtually two million sq. kilometres, the Arabian Desert is huge, but in addition filled with historical past, tradition and wildlife. Right here’s how we encountered all of these items in a Platinum Heritage Desert Safari in Dubai.
Once you’re in Dubai, surrounded by the modernity of its buildings and the ocean breeze coming off the Persian Gulf, it’s simple to overlook that on the fringe of the town limits is the world’s second largest sand desert.
The Arabian Desert fills a lot of the Arabian Peninsula.
It’s monumental.
To provide you some scale, should you may transfer the Arabian Desert over Australia, all of the states and territories on the east coast could be underneath sand. As would all the three west coast states of the USA in addition to Arizona, Nevada, Idaho, Utah and most of Montana should you moved the Arabian Desert there.
You can match the UK into it about seven and a half occasions.
Try our video of our time with Platinum Heritage within the Arabian Desert:
The southern third of the Arabian Desert—ominously often known as Rub’ al Khali or The Empty Quarter—spans 650,000km², an space greater than France.
And it’s solely a brief drive from Dubai’s lofty towers, dashing freeways and plush seaside resorts to the sandy brink of this a part of the desert.
Platinum Desert Safari with Platinum Heritage
We’re picked up from our resort—the Andaz Dubai the Palm—by our information and driver, Austin in considered one of Platinum Heritage’s spectacular top-of-the-line Vary Rovers for our Platinum Safari expertise.
It’s a clean, enjoyable drive into the desert and as we go, Austin briefs us on the afternoon’s programme.
We additionally decide dinner choices for our six-course feast later, beginning with a alternative of soups, then salads, starters, primary programs (considered one of which we’re amused to see is an Australian beef fillet steak), desserts and drinks.
Platinum Heritage Desert Safari Half I: the muster
Austin pulls up on the very brink of the desert amidst the large fleet of Platinum Heritage automobiles. The strains of iconic classic Land Rovers—the car of alternative for Hollywood explorers—is spectacular and we’re virtually wishing we have been in a single.
However as Austin explains, though they’re enjoyable, these older automobiles don’t have the grunt to get as far into the desert as we are able to go within the newest high-spec Vary Rover we arrived in. Plus, air con!
After we’ve our conventional head scarfs—the ladies’s model known as a sheila and the lads’s is a ghutra—we hop into our automobile and Austin whisks us by means of the safety gates into the Empty Quarter.
Platinum Heritage Desert Safari Half II: exploring the desert
The a part of Rub’ al Khali we’re going into is in truth a nature sanctuary.
The Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve (DDCR) is the UAE’s first nationwide park, spanning 225km²–about 5% of Dubai’s whole land space.
You must have a particular allow to enter, and there’s no ‘dune bashing’ allowed right here. You’re not even allowed out of your car until your information says it’s okay. A lot of the DDCR hasn’t had direct human contact since 1999.
These guidelines have protected the dunes and their delicate ecosystems, bringing again the surprisingly giant number of native animals and crops again to the world.
Opposite to standard understanding, there’s loads of life within the desert. Hosts of reptiles, spiders and bugs reside underneath the sand or are nocturnal. Crops like UAE’s nationwide tree, the ghat tree, thrive right here and herds of the Arabian oryx roam the dunes.
Threatened with extinction, the Arabian oryx have been saved by a breeding programme Sheikh Zayed launched within the Sixties. The oryx inhabitants within the UAE to now the biggest on the planet with over 4,000 residing right here.
As we drive by means of the infinite great thing about the desert, we additionally come to watering holes and a artifical lake that helps marine and birdlife. Austin additionally reveals us some conventional Bedouin natural cures from the native crops rising close by.
Platinum Heritage Desert Safari Half III: refreshments and falconry
Again at base, we’re welcomed with a glass of scrumptious glowing wine (non-alcoholic after all!) and a few canapés as we chill out underneath the shade of an enormous cover.
And whereas we’re enjoyable, Waseem, the Platinum Heritage’s falconer, comes to point out us one of many favorite sports activities of the Arab world. With him is Nova the peregrine falcon.
Falconry is a practice that dates again to when Bedouins, the nomadic folks of the Arabian Desert, used birds of prey to hunt for them. As of late it’s extra about leisure, and seeing the world’s quickest creature hunt Waseem’s lure is superb to look at.
The canapés are glorious: a trio of goat’s cheese with a praline of cashews, brazil nuts, cranberries and honey, smoked salmon and caviar on grilled eggplant, and rolled-up grilled zucchini filled with feta and roasted cherry tomatoes.
Platinum Heritage Desert Safari Half IV: camel rides
After the falconry show, we’re taken to the newly arrived camel practice, the place we climb aboard our ‘ships of the desert’ for a trip to dinner.
The camels are clearly nicely sorted and are pleasant sufficient to have a selfie or two with!
I’d like to say driving a camel is a nice expertise, however I believe I’d have most well-liked the Vary Rover. It’s very bumpy and lurchy, taking images and video from up there’s virtually inconceivable, and when the trip involves an finish, the camel sits down virtually catapulting you throughout the desert!
However, they carry us safely throughout the dunes to the royal oasis—a stupendous camp owned by Emirati royalty.
We’re welcomed with a conventional cup of Arabic espresso and contemporary dates. The deep aroma of burning oud, a tree bark that weight for weight is extra invaluable than gold, washes over us.
Platinum Heritage Desert Safari Half V: dinner and a present
Set amongst the dunes, this oasis with its pond surrounded by curved cabanas that defend our eating tables brings house the extent of luxurious of this expertise.
Because the final wealthy gold gentle of the setting solar leaves the sides of the dunes behind us with its line of a filagree, the flames of the torches set across the water flicker and dance.
Below our cabana sat at our non-public desk, we’re introduced cocktails from the bar (additionally non-alcoholic) because the night’s feast begins.
The meals is unimaginable. All coming from the little kitchen set again subsequent to the bar, each merchandise of this six-dish meal is cooked, plated and introduced to perfection.
Picture courtesy of Platinum Heritage
Midway by means of dinner, Waseem comes again with Nova the falcon and talks to us for some time. It’s too darkish to fly her once more, however not with Waseem’s different chook: an imposing pharaoh eagle owl.
Christina and I take it in turns to fairly actually take up the gauntlet, and the owl flies effortlessly and majestically to and from our arms to its perch.
On the finish of the meal, all of us collect within the lounge for the night’s leisure.
Inside the ring arrange in entrance of the pond, a dancing acrobat folds her physique into inconceivable shapes, after which she’s joined by a fire-twirling demon, who sheds sparks and flames in arks that mirror the circle of the dancer’s sanctuary.
Platinum Heritage Desert Safari Half VI: the trip house
Drained however fully sated, we climb again into the Vary Rover the place Austin presents us with a stupendous (and extremely beneficiant) present field of camel milk goodies, a jar of sidr honey, famed for its medicinal and regenerative properties, an enormous vial of saffron from the area and a pot of the extremely valued Arabic oud.
Our drive again to our resort within the metropolis is peaceable although enjoyable as we chat concerning the day’s actions with Austin.
Undoubtedly an expertise we’ll all the time bear in mind.
