A major highlight of my recent trip to Doha going on a desert safari. I’ve always dreamed of exploring a Middle Eastern desert and it was even more awe-inspiring and thrilling than I could have imagined.
Early in the morning, a small group of us were picked up at the door of Renaissance Doha City Center Hotel in two shiny new Toyota 4 WDs by our drivers from Arabian Adventures. We drove 75km south of Doha to the middle of the desert, taking in the sight of Doha on the way.
When we arrived at the beginning of the desert the drivers deflated the tyres, making the cars suitable for driving on the sand. We were met by a group of tame, docile camels, just chilling in the heat. Camel rides are available and one member of the group was brave enough to do a quick lap before we got ready to go into the desert.
Before embarking on our drive to the desert, I was excited but quietly anxious, wondering whether I was cut out for a desert safari. Would it be blisteringly hot? Would the sand get in my eyes and melt my sandals? Most trivially, where is the bathroom in the desert?
Any concerns were swiftly forgotten, as cruising through the desert felt strangely natural and I had faith in the capable drivers. Bashing through the sand, traversing the dunes and teetering on the top of the highest points was truly exhilarating – an experience bizarrely akin to skiing.
Our driver was a real character with a dry sense of humour. He spoke fluent English and took it in his stride as we howled and clutched the back of his seat when zooming down vertiginous sand dunes!
At times, I had to pinch myself to realise that I was really in the desert and not inside a Salvador Dali painting. At various point in the safari, we got our of the car and walked barefoot in the sand, taking in the views and getting plenty of photographs.
The sand felt cool and soothing and weather was humid but pleasant, although this was early November and during the summer months, the temperature can reach a sweltering 45°C. Later, our driver told us that snakes, lizards and scorpions can be found in the desert. While this didn’t come as a complete surprise, I was glad to have found out after submerging my bare feet in the sand! But don’t be alarmed, scorpions are nocturnal and don’t surface during the day, preferring shelter under a rock to the open sand.
Overlooking the sea, our driver pointed out the directions of Iran, Dubai and Saudia Arabia. Standing so close to my family’s home country of Iran was a moving experience and I couldn’t help thinking about what lay beyond the sea.
Midway through the tour, we stopped by the inland sea, Khor al Udied, and were treated to cans of ice cold Pepsi and mineral water at their traditional Bedouin camp. The white sand and crystal clear waters were what you’d expect on a Caribbean island, not adjoining the desert!
With Arabian Tours, you can spend a night under the stars in the desert. After the desert safari, guests can relax by the sea while chefs prepare the barbecued fish and kebabs and then enjoy a traditional buffet with traditional music in the evening.
After a half hour refuel, we hit the sand again and took a different route back to the meeting area, rather than revisiting known territory.
It was fascinating seeing the landscape and vegetation change as we entered further into the desert. It ranged from wispy icing sugar mounds to wetlands and towards the end of the trip, we found the most exquisite desert flowers growing in the sand.
The tyres were quickly inflated at the desert service station and we headed back into town, in perfect time for lunch.
The half-day desert safari was a memorable, once in a lifetime experience and Arabian Adventures makes it accessible with door-to-door drop offs and their driving expertise. Our drivers were fun, knowledgeable and hospitable and made my dream of seeing the desert into a reality.
All photos by Chérie City