Abu Dhabi Overnight Sand Tour ? Desert Camping, Dune Bashing & Sunrise Experience

It is usually your afternoon tour at the end of day and you are out of the town. The scenery fades away background on the rear view mirror and the roads open up into open land. 

The more distant you get, the higher the towers made of glass, traffic jams are substituted with low buildings, small villages, and, finally, by stripes of sandy roads. You begin experiencing the change of mood: there is something different in the air, the horizon is widened and the light is not so hard, as the sun is lower in the sky.

After some few seconds you arrive to the edge of the desert and 4x4s are waiting to go to the dunes. This is where the actual over night sand tour starts. The sand begins to take the color of the light beige, to dark gold as the sun begins to set and you get the first impression of amazement. 

The adventure is brought into focus before night falls down. Several of the Abu Dhabi desert tours include dune bashing, which is an adrenaline-chilling adventure through the dunes in the sea of sand with a high-powered off-road vehicle. 

The driver is able to get up to the top of dunes and then drives down the other side then your stomach turns topsy turvy and that is the best way to feel. The motor is started, the sand flies everywhere over the tires, there are screams and shouts inside the car, everybody is hanging on and already has to have the roller-coaster ride.

It is between these adrenaline bursts that you make silent pauses in the hot sand. You can have a go at sandboarding, which is sliding up and down the slopes of the dunes on a board, or you may just walk bare feet over the over the soft ridges letting the grains fall beneath your feet. The desert starts to vibrate under your feet, but at the same time extremely quiet.

Riding camels is another detail to it. The camel moves in a slow pace by walking through the sands, and by mounting on the back of the camel, you move with it just like Bedouins did when they were going out of one oasis to the other. 

The pace of the camel is truly a refreshing contrast to the previous pace and strength of dune bashing, in which you can have a sample of how people have been traveling through this desert over the centuries.

With the setting sun beyond the horizon, the desert starts changing. The scorching day heat softens into soft cozy air. The sky turns not out of warm oranges and pinks, but of dark blues and purples, and the first stars faintly emerge. It is at this point that the real magic in the desert nights of Abu Dhabi is realized.

The utter calmness is the first thing that comes across your mind. Out in the city, no horns, no building bangs, no city bang. The desert is transformed into a desert of deep silence. the tread of your own footstep, the whistle of the wind whistling over the dunes, or the distant shouts of the wild animals of the desert, may be no more than you have listened to. It is such stillness, complete as it is, and calls upon you to have a rest and breathe.

A cool breeze soon follows. The air of the night is cool on your skin following the heat of the day. It feels as free as it moves over the open dunes, and it has got a nice chill about it, that makes you put a scarf on your shoulders. It is one of the reasons why overnight desert tours are special as hot days are combined with gentle nights.

As the moon appears, the dunes become even more magic-like. The sand is silver on full-moon nights, and the shadows in the scene are very long. Its gentle light marks the contour of the desert even in mid-night when the moon is calm and silent making it seem more like a dream.

Most importantly, the sky is made a brilliant display of stars. In the absence of any city lights, the Milky Way is spread in a clear line across the sky. As the cool sand is lying back on you, you sense yourself as part of the great universe- a moment that you will never forget of relaxation and contemplation.

A desert camp cannot be left out of an overnight sand tour. Here, as the night gets dark, you come to a camp (usually in a Bedouin fashion) established between the dunes. 

It can be low sitting, carpeting the sand, cushions to sit on, and soft lanterns to give a warm and welcoming light. In this case, contemporary comfort is combined with the beauty of the desert life.

As a sign of hospitality, you may be offered some Arabic coffee and dates which is a traditional hospitality in the area. The softness of the coffee and the sweetness of the dates make an ideal combination and a silent initiation of the Emirati culture.

The henna artists can also give you gorgeous temporary designs on your hands and you may have time to be photographed in traditional clothes and be a part and parcel of the desert around you.

The dinner in the desert during the night is a typical event. There can be a buffet or even a barbeque, that will include things like grilled meats, rice dishes, salads and local specialities. Dining in the open air where the smell of spices and charcoal is lingering in the air, makes a simple food experience something that can be remembered.

There are also live performances like the traditional music or dance on the occasion and it makes the evening bright and active as well. The quietness of the desert are all around even if you go to these animated scenes, just beyond the circle of light.

At the time when the camp is calmed and the majority of the evening activities are completed, the most tranquil section of the overnight tour starts. You move back to your tent which is usually modelled after Bedouin traditional shelters but fitted with modern bedding and simple luxuries. You can even hear the murmur of the desert wind and feel that you are sleeping in the middle of the dunes but not in a hotel room.

Going out of your tent late in the night, one may encounter a certain degree of tranquility which is hard to find in the city. Now the sand is colder and the air is brighter and the stars will shine above you. 

Others prefer to sit down and have cup of tea and still, others prefer to just sit back and stare at the sky until they fall asleep. And that desert, all his silent might, is keeping a guard over you when you sleep.

The last Abu Dhabi overnight sand tour gift is the sunrise. The sky itself is soft and dark blue before sunrise. Gradually, a dim light appears on the horizon and it starts expanding turning into pink, orange and gold. 

The dunes, that were dark figures only a few moments earlier, begin to receive the rays of light. The lines of them get more piercing and clear, and it appears that the desert is waking up.

The view over the dunes, looking at the rising sun is a very relaxing one. The fresh air, the change in colour and the silence everywhere gives the impression of rejuvenation. It is a gorgeous day to capture pictures and yet a strong day to just stand still, inhale and look about you where you are. On the road back to town, breakfast is usually taken at the camp, and after sunrise and this will put you in a good mood.