RTW Event (1): Al Maha Desert Dune

Part 1 of 2

The third off-the-ship special event for RTW cruisers was held in Dubai today. With the fancy name of “A Vintage Evening at Al Maha Desert Dune,” it took us out of the city and into the desert.

The description we received read …

“Absorb the mystique of the Arabian Desert as you engage in an authentic Bedouin experience with live Arabic performances. Begin your adventure with a brief desert ride from the reserve gate to the sundowner site located in the magical landscape of the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve. Enjoy a private falcon show at the sundowner site followed by a customary Arabic Bakhoor welcome with an Al Ayyala dance at the camp site. Savor amazing cuisine under the desert stars catered by the five-star Al Maha Luxury Resort & Spa while enjoying a traditional show of Tanoura dancing, live music of out and tabla players, and the skills of henna artists.”

Not mentioned in the description was belly dancers. But rest assured that they were there!

To get to the event, there were some 110 or so 4WD Toyota Landcruisers standing by to convoy us to the site. Mui and I were lucky and landed in batch 1/vehicle 4. Off we went through Dubai traffic in small convoys of 8-10 vehicles. Then, the 4WD was engaged as we turned on to an unpaved dirt road. Eventually, we stopped to let some air out of the tires for the portion of the ride that took us into the desert. There were no giant dunes to climb like we did in Walvis Bay, Namibia … but it was fun nonetheless. And we saw gazelles and herds of oryx along the way.

When we arrived at the sundowner site, we were greeted by waiters offering wine, bubbly, and a variety of other beverages. A selection of nuts, strawberries, dried apricots and the most delicious dates were brought around as well. We were invited to take a seat in the “performance area,” which was set up with rows and rows of cushions on the carpeted ground … and some benches at the very rear for those who might find it difficult to use the cushions.

From our seats, Mui and I had a view of the amazing sunset that painted the desert in beautiful warm hues. It was also a great spot from which to enjoy the falcon show. The handler introduced us to Ghost, a peregrine falcon, and told us a bit about what to expect before setting the bird free to fly. He had Ghost flying in fast and furious to catch the lure, but did not let him do so immediately. When Ghost was finally allowed to snatch the lure out of the air, he landed right in front of us, giving us a front-row seat to how he refused to give up his “catch” until his handler traded the lure for some fresh quail meat.

With the performance over, and the sun having set, it was time for us to get back in our vehicles for the short drive to the Bedouin camp for dinner … which will be Part II of the write up (mostly because I am only allowed two videos per footprint and it would be a shame to not share the belly dancing with you as well as the falcon show 🤪.)Meer informatie