Overnight Desert Safari

1. 14:00-16:30: pick-up from your hotel in Dubai. The time depends on the season, and the exact time is confirmed around midday on the day of the tour.
2. Arrival at the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve. Every guest receives a headscarf and a stainless-steel water bottle to keep.
3. 60 minutes: the nature drive through the reserve by vintage Land Rover or by camel.
4. At sunset: a falconry show.
5. A torch-lit Bedouin camp, with a welcome of Arabic coffee and dates.
6. Bread-making and coffee-making in front of you, henna painting, camel rides and shisha.
7. A traditional four-course dinner.
8. Emirati drumming and the Yola dance, which guests are welcome to join.
9. Night: a traditional stone room. The camp's power is off from 23:00 to 06:00, so there is no light or noise.
10. Morning: breakfast. If you have added the hot-air balloon flight, the balloon takes off at sunrise, and breakfast is served after the flight in a desert oasis, from a menu by a Michelin-starred chef.
11. 09:00-10:00: return to the city.

• Overnight stays run in season only, from 1 October to 30 April.
• The return transfer from your hotel in Dubai is included, in a shared air-conditioned vehicle unless you book a private car. Guests staying in private residences are collected from the nearest hotel unless a private car is booked.
• Families travelling with children under 5 need to book a private car.
• The child price applies to children aged 5-11.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and light, comfortable clothes, plus warm layers for the evening and the night: the desert gets cool after dark, especially from November to March.
• Dinner and breakfast are included. Tell me about vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free or other diets and any allergies when you book.
• There are toilets at the camp.
• The nature drive is not recommended after the sixth month of pregnancy.
• Part of the price supports nature conservation in Dubai.

• Rooms sleep different numbers of guests, and rooms for groups are allocated automatically, so tell me about any room requests when you book.
• The camp is eco-friendly and sits in the open desert. Harmless insects are rare but possible: the camp is treated regularly, with care for the desert ecosystem.
• In a shared vehicle each guest can bring one overnight backpack or one carry-on bag up to 50 cm high. Please leave large luggage at your hotel.
• If you travel by private car with larger luggage, let me know in advance.
• The camp's power is switched off from 23:00 to 06:00, so nothing disturbs your sleep: no light and no noise.
• Each room has a bed and good bedding.
• The rooms have no air-conditioning or heating, so dress for the weather.
• Bathrooms are shared, and there are no showers at the camp.

Dinner is served the traditional way: starters to share, then hot dishes. In the morning there is breakfast with eggs cooked to order and dishes from several cuisines.

Soup

• Shorbat adas: lentil soup

Starters

• Kibbeh: minced lamb and beef with pine nuts and spices
• Sambousek: crisp pastries filled with mozzarella and halloumi
• Baba ganoush: smoky roasted aubergine
• Hummus: chickpeas with tahini
• Rocket salad with oven-baked beetroot
• Fattoush: fresh vegetable salad with a herb dressing

Main courses

• Traditional lamb ouzi: lamb in Arabic spices, slow-cooked for 6 hours in an underground pit, served with spiced vegetable rice or plain white rice
• Harees: chicken slow-cooked with whole wheat
• Camel meat with vegetables
• Charcoal-grilled boneless chicken, mildly seasoned
• Vegetable tagine
• Grilled vegetable kebab with grilled corn

Desserts

• Luqaimat: small Arabic doughnuts with date syrup
• Seasonal fruit

Drinks with dinner

Arabic coffee, mineral water, two fresh juices, Vimto, camel milk, karak chai, tea and coffee.

Breakfast

• Eggs to order: eggs Benedict, eggs Florentine, an English breakfast, a cheese omelette or shakshuka
• Middle Eastern: ful medames, fava beans with lemon, olive oil, parsley, tomato, onion and spices; shakshuka, eggs cooked in tomato sauce
• Asian: congee, a rice porridge; crispy vegetable dumplings
• Continental: cheeses (halloumi, feta, cheddar, emmental) and cold cuts: smoked salmon, turkey, and chicken and beef mortadella
• Seasonal fruit, bread, croissants and cookies
• Arabic coffee, tea and fresh juices