Dubai Continued: Night at Bedouin Camp

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Okay, what else do I remember from my last post? Hahaha!!!

Like I said, the night at the Bedouin camp was magical. It's where I got my first ever henna tattoo. It's for free.

This is the Bedouin camp - set amongst the rolling dunes of the desert and gently lit with traditional lamps and having dinner under the stars. Very enchanting. :)

You can enjoy free Arabic coffee (shown above), aromatic shisha pipes (I didn't try) and alcoholic beverages by the entrance but the latter have to be paid for. :P I managed to take a picture of the starter meal I ate.

But I noticed that the rest of the food were forgotten because the entertainers started to perform as soon as everybody has settled to their tables. I mean, don't you just wanna look at this lady while she performs bellydancing AND.STOP.EATING by looking at her tummy? Uuuugghh, made me wanna practice the craft right after! Haha!

No but I did eat of course. I remember enjoying Mediterranean cuisines back in Manila and in India but this is the first time that I really loved lamb and muttons. Something about the authentic kebabs and their dips there - hummus being my favorite. I remember going back the second time for the meat. Yay! They do have freshly baked bread, salad, soup and pasta if my memory serves me right. :)

And because bellydancing may already be seen as a common form of entertainment, a distinguished sensory experience while in the camp would have to be this - the Tanoura dance. I've never seen anything like it before. Check the video.

Hmm, my recommendation is to really take off the shoes when inside the camp. The fine sand really has to be felt on that slightly cold December night.

And take a pic with the lamps just like what Ali did. LOL!

Oh, just blogging about the whole experience make me miss the place. I got some news last week about the possibility of going back. I do hope it's a go. :)

Camel Ride Dubai

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Did you know that riding a camel for an extended period can leave you feeling seasick? The dune-dwelling creatures were nicknamed ‘ships of the desert’ for the swaying motion they make when they walk, caused by the fact they move both legs on one side of the body at the same time. This swaying motion is particularly pronounced when a herd – known as a caravan of camels – moves together.

How about that for some “trivia” for my post today? Haha.  Camel riding is an option in the Desert Safari tour and it is availed right before heading to the Bedouin-style camp.  And knowing me, of course I wouldn’t pass up on this experience. It’s actually a thrilling experience (think Sex and the City ladies in their lovely outfits and that famous joke about a ‘camel toe’ lol) but then again I was in comfy shorts and sneaks.  Here’s the camel that greeted us upon arrival.

The real challenge actually is the camel getting-up part.  It was quite scary specially when it’s making it’s grrr-hhh--- whatever you call that sound noise.  What does the camel say???  LOL!  I felt like it’s gonna gallop like a horse.  Hahaha!!!  

And after sometime, I felt comfortable enough for me to video the vuh-ry vuh-ry quick ride so here’s me and Ali aboard the camel. J

The couple infront of us are the ones from Australia.  You bet the Indian couple isn’t up for this after that dune bashing thing.  LOL! There is also another activity which is the quad biking but it is not free so we didn't go for it.  After that a very good evening awaits when you enter this - the Bedouin-style camp. :)  Post about it up next. =)

Desert Safari: Dune Bashing

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Imagine the feeling of being in a roller coaster but inside a 4x4 cruiser.  You and most of the passengers are laughing with excitement as the jeep move up and down the sand dunes.  As you anticipate the driver’s next maneuver, all of a sudden you hear the sound of retching at the back of the vehicle.  Uuuugggh.  Disgusting. That's what exactly happened in my last video.

Our off-road adventure was fun, alright.  For someone stationed at the passenger side, yes there were times when I feel nauseated.  Even so, I wanted more thrill.  More stunts - the our-jeep-almost-flipped-over kind of stunt.  Yup, I'm for it.  And I just know that our skilled driver is capable of doing so if not for that other tourist who kecked endlessly inside the cruiser.  It was even heard in my videos!!! Soo not cool! Booo!!!  

With that, the driver had no other option but to stop and wait for the guy to feel better.  Seriously, a roller-coaster ride is not for everybody and so is the dune bashing.  The activity was slightly ruined.  We had to stop for atleast two or three times  and even had to switch seats just so we could reach our destination.  Sigh.  

But the interlude gave us time to appreciate the beauty of the desert.  What a break from the commercialized city of Dubai.  Amazing.  Specially that it was almost time for the sun to set.  I mean, just look at how spectacular this view is.  Wow.

Also, it gave me time to erhm shoot more pictures by the sunset.  Lol!  And my favorite shot would have to be this.  Yes, credit goes to my photographer Ali for perfectly capturing this. :)

With the wind blowing that strong on that day, I felt like I should've chosen a different outfit.  Think of a long dress, something flowy then I can do a high fashion shoot with Anggun's Snow on the Sahara in the background.  Lol!  

In short, never mind that the dune bashing was not as thrilling as expected, I got very nice pictures thank you very much.  Hahaha!!!  When the Indian guy took my seat infront and the windows were opened, he felt a bit better.  Poor guy.  So off we go to the last part of the tour - to the Bedouin desert camp for a magical evening in the desert under the stars.  

But before I give you that, I'll share another dune bashing video.  This time it's without any retching sound.  Enjoy, haha!