Covering nearly two million sq. kilometres, the Arabian Desert is huge, but in addition stuffed with historical past, tradition and wildlife. Here’s how we encountered all of these items in a Platinum Heritage Desert Safari in Dubai.
When 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 town limits is the world’s second largest sand desert.
The Arabian Desert fills a lot of the Arabian Peninsula.
It’s huge.
To offer you some scale, in case you might transfer the Arabian Desert over Australia, all of the states and territories on the east coast could be below sand. As would the entire three west coast states of the USA in addition to Arizona, Nevada, Idaho, Utah and most of Montana in case you moved the Arabian Desert there.
You might match the UK into it about seven and a half instances.
Check out our video of our time with Platinum Heritage within the Arabian Desert:
The southern third of the Arabian Desert—ominously referred to as Rub’ al Khali or The Empty Quarter—spans 650,000km², an space larger than France.
And it’s solely a brief drive from Dubai’s lofty towers, rushing freeways and plush seashore 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 Range 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, important programs (considered one of which we’re amused to see is an Australian beef fillet steak), desserts and drinks.
Platinum Heritage Desert Safari Part I: the muster
Austin pulls up on the very brink of the desert amidst the massive fleet of Platinum Heritage automobiles. The traces of iconic classic Land Rovers—the car of alternative for Hollywood explorers—is spectacular and we’re nearly wishing we had been in a single.
But as Austin explains, though they’re enjoyable, these older autos don’t have the grunt to get as far into the desert as we are able to go within the newest high-spec Range Rover we arrived in. Plus, air-con!
After we have now our conventional head scarfs—the ladies’s model is known as a sheila and the boys’s is a ghutra—we hop into our automotive and Austin whisks us by way of the safety gates into the Empty Quarter.
Platinum Heritage Desert Safari Part II: exploring the desert
The a part of Rub’ al Khali we’re going into is in reality a nature sanctuary.
The Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve (DDCR) is the UAE’s first nationwide park, spanning 225km²–about 5% of Dubai’s complete 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. Most 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 vegetation again to the world.
Contrary to well-liked understanding, there’s loads of life within the desert. Hosts of reptiles, spiders and bugs dwell below the sand or are nocturnal. Plants 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 had been saved by a breeding programme Sheikh Zayed launched within the Nineteen Sixties. The oryx inhabitants within the UAE to now the biggest on this planet with over 4,000 residing right here.
As we drive by way of the limitless fantastic 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 treatments from the native vegetation rising close by.
Platinum Heritage Desert Safari Part III: refreshments and falconry
Back at base, we’re welcomed with a glass of scrumptious glowing wine (non-alcoholic in fact!) and a few canapés as we loosen up below the shade of an enormous cover.
And whereas we’re enjoyable, Waseem, the Platinum Heritage’s falconer, comes to indicate us one of many favorite sports activities of the Arab world. With him is Nova the peregrine falcon.
Falconry is a convention that dates again to when Bedouins, the nomadic individuals of the Arabian Desert, used birds of prey to hunt for them. These days it’s extra about leisure, and seeing the world’s quickest creature hunt Waseem’s lure is wonderful to observe.
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 Part IV: camel rides
After the falconry show, we’re taken to the newly arrived camel prepare, the place we climb aboard our ‘ships of the desert’ for a experience to dinner.
The camels are clearly effectively taken care of and are pleasant sufficient to have a selfie or two with!
I’d like to say driving a camel is a pleasing expertise, however I feel I’d have most well-liked the Range Rover. It’s very bumpy and lurchy, taking images and video from up there may be nearly inconceivable, and when the experience involves an finish, the camel sits down nearly catapulting you throughout the desert!
Nevertheless, they carry us safely throughout the dunes to the royal oasis—a ravishing camp owned by Emirati royalty.
We’re welcomed with a conventional cup of Arabic espresso and recent 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 Part V: dinner and a present
Set amongst the dunes, this oasis with its pond surrounded by curved cabanas that shield our eating tables brings house the extent of luxurious of this expertise.
As the final wealthy gold mild of the setting solar leaves the perimeters of the dunes behind us with its line of a filagree, the flames of the torches set across the water flicker and dance.
Under our cabana sat at our personal 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 offered to perfection.
Image courtesy of Platinum Heritage
Halfway by way 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 chicken: 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.
At the tip 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 Part VI: the experience house
Tired however totally sated, we climb again into the Range Rover the place Austin presents us with a ravishing (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.
Definitely an expertise we’ll at all times keep in mind.
