Dune Bashing ...Is the Fun Over Yet ?

Dune bashing ? What's that ? A large group of us decided to find out for ourselves in the beautiful red sandy desert, outside Dubai. The Desert Safari / Dune Bashing Company picks you up at your chosen location and takes for the thrill or should I say, " the ride of your life".

 

The caravan of seven land cruisers (all of them were equipped inside with an extensive roll bar system) drove 40 minutes, farther  and farther into the desert, then suddenly, they made a sharp turn off the paved road going at a high rate of speed into the rolling hills of red rippled sand. 

SUV's and jeeps were everywhere. It was dune bashing madness at it best.

 

All the land cruisers stopped and everyone got out. While the drivers removed air from the tires ( helps prevent the SUV from getting stuck in the sand ) the rest of us looked over the landscape, watching other groups doing dune bashing and giggled nervously. All I could think was, "what if I get sick ". Think positive, think positive.



The drivers whistled - it was time to pile back in the SUV's. Let the fun begin.

At a high rate of speed our caravan took off over the red sand hills. Up, down, on the side of the hill, sliding down the hill, straight up, straight down. How are we staying upright ? A couple times I thought, this is it, we are rolling over, but luckily we did not. We screamed a lot and at times I covered my eyes. The person in the front seat was encouraging the driver to take it steeper, faster and he did. It was like being on an endless roller coaster in the sand and the ride would not stop.
Finally it the SUV stopped, but wait, we were at the top of a sandy cliff. The only way to get to the other side was the sheer, straight drop - the driver punched the gas and off we went. Here we go ! Screams all the way down and all the way up. I think I am sick.

We made to the top of the other side of the steep hill and got out. Wobbly legged we walked around and a few of us had motion sickness. The drivers gave us a few minutes to get our wits about us again before they loaded us back into the SUV's and the fun started up again.

The sun was setting and the view was spectacular - an absolutely gorgeous sunset in this Arabian desert.

Here we go again.

The dune bashing went on for another half hour, then we arrived at the desert safari camp out in the middle of no where. The adventure continued - we got henna on our hands, sat around on the majlis watching belly dancing and a Turkish dance called "whirling dervish", rode camels and were fed a traditional Arabic meal. What kind of meat is this I asked ? No one seemed to know. When I asked the server, he repeated himself several times, but I could not understand what he was saying. It seems too big to be chicken, but I would prefer to think it was chicken and not something else. Let's leave it at that. It is one of those meals that you close your eyes and eat.

This is a picture of the whirling dervish - quite amazing ! The dancer twirled around and around for 45 minutes and didn't throw up once.

It was a fun afternoon and evening in the desert - even if I did get a little sick dune bashing.  I know now what dune bashing is and survived it.  Would I do it again? Absolutely !