Dubai, United Arab Emirates - 1 of 3

Vintage Evening at Al Maha Desert Dune - IN THE SAND 1 of 3

The Bedouin experience this evening began with taking a 4-wheel drive car from Dubai for an hour ride out to the Arabian Desert … nothing around for as far as the eyes can see. Once we got there, all the drivers got out of the cars and took air out of their tires so that they could ride off-road --- on the sand. We passed oryx (a variety of antelopes you don’t see every day) and arrived at the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, (https://www.ddcr.org/en/index.aspx ), an area of 87 square miles, created to protect the last remaining pristine desert landscape.

Once we get onto this private property through a guarded gate in the middle of the desert (not that you would know based on sand in every direction for miles and miles) we drove for another 15 minutes to the Sun Downer site.

We got out and there are cushions awaiting for us on the sand in the perfect places to watch sunset. We are served strawberries, dates, wine and champagne (very civilized and decadent) as we watched the sunset over the dunes.

Then we were treated to a Falcon demonstration where a falcon swooped over us as they go at lightning speed (200+ mph) over our heads and try to catch the lure. Falconry dates back 4,000 years and is an important part of Dubai history, when Bedouins in the UAE and Arabian Peninsula used falcons for hunting. Very interesting demonstration and then we got to hold the falcon and learn from Ghost (the falcon) and his trainer, up front and personal.Læs mere