Written March 2024 · last checked May 2026
Plan The Evening
Three in the afternoon to ten at night
The whole thing is one long evening, and it starts earlier than people expect. Here is the shape of it, from fourteen years of standing at the pickup point with a clipboard.
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 14:30–16:00 | Hotel pickup, drive out of the city |
| 16:30–17:30 | Tyre deflation, safety briefing, dune bashing |
| 17:30–18:00 | Sunset stop on the sand, photos |
| 18:00–18:30 | Drive to the camp, welcome coffee |
| 18:30–20:00 | Camel ride, henna, BBQ dinner, show |
| 20:00–21:30 | Drive back, hotel drop-off |
What to wear
Loose trousers and closed shoes. Not sandals — the sand is soft and hot and you will be walking on it in the dark. A light layer for the evening, because the desert cools fast once the sun is down. A scarf is useful for the drive when the windows are down.
Do not wear anything you would mind ruining. The sand gets into everything, and the camp is a camp.
What to leave at the hotel
Large bags. The 4x4 seats six or seven and the boot is full of water and equipment. Leave the suitcase, take a small bag with your phone, your booking confirmation and a little cash for the quad bikes or the photos.
Leave the drone, too. Drones are restricted in the UAE and the camp will not let you fly one. And leave the high heels — I have watched three women in fourteen years try to walk to the camel pen in them, and none of them enjoyed it.