Bedouin Village with Platinum Heritage | Dubai, UAE
After an early wake up call by the mosque next door, we quickly made our way to the front of our hotel to be picked up by our driver and guide for the day. He was a polite man with a quiet but assertive demeanor. Before I knew it, we were on our way to the desert, with the tall buildings of Dubai slowly shrinking and fading away behind us. A desert safari in a vintage land rover with Platinum Heritage was the one thing I was most excited for and the first thing I booked once we had secured our tickets to the U.A.E. It was at the very top of my list of must-do while here. Spoiler alert- it still is.
Into the desert of Dubai!
After picking us up from the hotel, it was about a 45 minute drive to the base camp of Platinum Heritage Safari- just inside the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve. Upon arrival, you’ll be greeted by the rest of the staff, then you choose a head scarf and are fitted in it.
Depending on the type of Safari you choose, you’ll either climb aboard a horse, camel, modern day Range Rover, or my preferred choice- museum-quality vintage Land Rovers that were brought over by the British during a war in the 1950s.
A Camel ride to the Bedouin Village.
We started our tour with a short 10 minute drive further in to the reserve via the open air land rovers and arrived to where we would be climbing on to the back of the camels to take us to the Bedouin Village.
We had taken camel rides before- in Cairo- and I have to say, maybe its just a different breed, but these were the most beautiful camels I’ve ever seen. You can tell the amount of care and love they receive.
The ride lasted about 30 minutes and was led up and down the sand dunes by our guide until we reached the village.
Breakfast in the Bedouin Village
Once in the village, we were treated to a traditional Bedouin breakfast that included chabab pancakes with dates syrup and honey, bajela, balaleet, fresh fruit, and even haleeb-bosh camel milk. It was delicious! Watch out though, it was scalding hot! And watching them cook it right in front of you and learning how they prepare it was a real treat. After breakfast, you’re introduced to a typical day in the life of the Bedouin people and how they survive being desert dwellers. This included how they use a saluki dog and falcons for hunting.
A lesson in Falcon Hunting
Before taking off for some dune rallying in the vintage rovers, we were treated to a lesson in falconry. He explained how they capture the birds, train them, and the difference between hunting with the dogs versus the birds. I had no idea how much went into catching and training wild falcons.
We don’t normally do the “touristy” tours when we travel, but I would do this one again in a heartbeat. The staff was incredibly attentive, the details and storytelling were excellent, food was authentic and delicious. If you find yourself in this neck of the woods, this is something not to be missed.
Tours start at 525AED ($143.00 USD) and can be booked via their website here.
