Adventurer and self-proclaimed desert diva, Marina Bruce, took Yalla off the beaten to explore the dunes of the Rub Al Khali, and the excursion made for memories to last a lifetime
Imagine travelling offroad to a desert location far off the beaten track. An area where the only tyre tracks belong to your group, or perhaps a lone bedu farmer, tending to his herd of camels. A desert spot where there is very little light pollution and five million stars light up in the night. A beautiful sand bowl, offering our campers shelter from the north winds. A roaring campfire to gather round and chat while we barbecue our supper.
Marina Bruce from Xpedition Arabia has been leading people into the desert for the last 10 years and her company, in association with a local partner, offers guided self-drive adventures from 1-2 nights in the UAE. Guests join with their own 4x4s and she leads them through a smooth and easy route over beautiful big, remote dunes. Marina has introduced hundreds of people to offroad driving and will coach people through any tricky obstacles when necessary – no previous offroad driving experience is required. It’s the perfect chance to unplug your family and enjoy the great outdoors of the UAE!
Driving is a big and very important part of the trip but not the only feature. The convoy makes frequent stops for photo opportunities or simply to let people stretch their legs; searches for wildlife or their tracks; visits camel and goat farms and anything else unusual we encounter.
You can’t say you’ve really experienced the desert unless you’ve wild camped for a night, far from civilisation and almost all her trips include one night under canvas. They are fully catered and culminate in a BBQ and campfire. The desert and driving offroad carries some risks but she gives a detailed driving safety briefing at the meeting point and a campsite safety briefing before any tents are pitched. There is an art to desert camping and you’ll learn how to pick a great spot to pitch your tent!
The weekend adventures are ideal for families with school age children and above, couples, singles, photographers or just those who want to be far away from the city!
Check them out at xpeditionarabia.com/weekend-adventures-in-the-uae/
