Before we left for Dubai, I consulted fellow travelers (in the form of tripadvisors recommendations) on what to do in Dubai. One of the top recommendation was a desert safari. It took a while, but I managed to convince Dad and "G" to join me on this excursion and after more travel research, I booked our tour through Arabian Adventures.

We had the option of a day safari or evening safari - the evening safari seemed more interesting - with options for costumes, henna, belly dancing show and dinner - so we went with the evening option.

We were picked up at our hotel mid afternoon and enjoyed a comfortable drive to desert. As we approached the sand dunes, the driver gave us a heads up of what to expect during the sand dune bashing. I had never heard of it and I was not sure what to expect, but it turned out to be an interesting and pleasant experience - although I will not recommend it to someone with motion sickness (the drivers will alert you ahead of time and you have the option of step out of the car before the sand dune bashing begins).

After the initial drive, we hopped out of the car and watched the driver manuever the SUV on the dunes (the stunts were more daring than what what we experienced in the car). While others were mesmerized with the sand dune bashing - I took this time to get a a desert mini photoshoot (ala SATC movie 2 - if you know exactly what scene I am referring to - major points). Next, we headed to the camel farm to see where the camels were kept and fed, followed by a camel ride on the grounds (it was a short ride, but a wonderful experience) and the ATV ride. I chose the camel ride only while Dad and "G" chose the ATV.

While Dad and "G" rode ATVs, I got a henna hand painting before playing dress up with some traditional Arabian outfit. We rounded out the evening watching the belly dancing entertainment at dinner. The sun setting behind us was the perfect backdrop for an incredible afternoon in Dubai.