In need of another weekend away, we ventured south this time. Across the Tropic of Cancer into the Rub' al Khali (Empty Quarter), deep within the Arabian Desert, where sand dunes are commonly 200 - 300 ft tall. Our destination was the Qasr al Sarab desert resort (by Anantara). Even though we only visited for 36 hours, we filled our time with desert activities and day-drinking at the pool. It was a surreal experience, hanging out poolside in the middle of massive dunes.
To help set the scene even more, we found out that both Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens and the new Dune movies were filmed here! It's cool enough that we're totally going to use this place as a bargaining chip to entice friends and family to visit post-COVID restrictions so we can get a party villa and explore the dunes!
Pre-trip Notes
Wrong Turn Blunder of the Year (Goes to Ashley): We made a wrong turn, and in the UAE, these aren’t usually easy to correct. If traveling from the city of Abu Dhabi, do NOT take Al Sahil Road, even though Google Maps might tell you it’s “an option.” This turned out to be a road dedicated for the Sahil oil field. We passed a few H2S signs, which was the first indicator that we weren't on an optimal detour route. We were able to get within 9 km of the original route, only to be halted by a militaristic gate. This was the Al Sahil field perimeter. The road is clearly intended for oil and gas workers to access the Al Sahil field facilities, but there were no signs indicating such and that there would be no outlet (after we had driven 30 minutes to get to the gate).
What We Did
Qasr al Sarab, Abu Dhabi: "The Mirage Palace." We loved that this place is the ultimate mix of luxury and adventure. The staff are incredible, the food and drink delicious, and the views extraordinary. Here’s a list of the fun activities we did (price list):
Desert Walk (Sunrise): This was our first activity, which just happened to begin only 4 hours after our arrival at the resort (lol). It was a nice and easy hike, and our guide was super friendly. He showed us the different animal/bug tracks (including mice and camel spiders!), and we watched the sunrise after walking about 20 minutes from the car. There had been a lot more rain than usual that time of year, so we there was a lot more desert grass than we expected. Our guide then took us to another nearby dune for some morning coffee/tea and breakfast. Side note - The way these guides drive through the dunes is almost worth the visit alone!
Desert Camel Trek (Sunset): After a nap and some relaxing at the pool, we rode camels up a nearby dune. These gentle giants were retired racing camels that were impressively friendly and calm. After reaching the top of the dune, we had some tea and fruit (this is the same tea point as the desert walk). After which, we ran down the other side of the dune to get back to the vehicles.
Fat Tire Biking (Sunrise): Okay, this was harder than we expected. We didn’t get much instruction, but we did have a lot of fun. After the start, the guide asked if we wanted the easy or hard route. To avoid getting frustrated, I opted for the easy route. I mean, to get up even the small dunes, you have to WANT it, all while trying to steer and gear shift. But, if we get the chance to go with friends, we will definitely do it again. You get to see Arabian oryx and some of the best views of the resort.
Archery (Mid-morning): We wanted to try out an activity that we wouldn’t normally do to keep in mind for future friends and family visits. Our guide took us to the nearby range, provided us with the proper gear, and taught us how to shoot. Nick will definitely be the hunter during the apocalypse. It was super fun, and we got to shoot as many arrows as we wanted for about an hour.
Food
Comments