Sharjah desert adventures

United Arab Emirates – 2022/2023

As mentioned in my previous post about 7 Road Trips from Dubai, Sharjah is one of the most easily accessible spots for those looking for an independent desert safari. The asphalt roads leading to Fossil Rock are in perfect shape and allow you to drive there even with a 2×4 vehicle. That’s what I have at hand with my rental car on the day I decide to visit the impressive rock formation in the middle of nowhere. Starting at the Expo 2020 district, I drive down E611 until reach the impressive Sharjah Mosque. As the Mosque isn’t open to visitors today, I turn right onto E102 leading east. The highway takes me away from the suburbs and out into the red desert. Behind high fences, I spot large villas and a few camels with their front legs bound together. The sand dunes slowly but continuously grow in size, and after about 25 minutes I suddenly see the high, rounded rocks on my right.

I play with the thought of following a car driving off the highway and onto the small road, which in several places is completely covered in sand. But, remembering a previous episode when we got stuck in the dunes with the exact same car, I stay on the main road and follow the signs to Mleiha. I drive down the small village roads, stopping here and there to capture the magnificent views of Fossil Rock. Once I complete the circle around Sha’byat Al Khattmah, I follow a dirt road to Mleiha Archaeological Centre. And when I say dirt road, I mean exactly that. I try to avoid puddles of mud and potholes as much as I can, but there are still a few occasions when I hear screeching sounds from underneath the car. In the car park of the archaeological centre, I finally decide not to enter the site, because I’m just not down for any of the country’s propaganda that day. I simply want to look at pretty landscapes to clear my head.

So I continue my drive and head down E55 past more rock formations and bedouin camps. At the next intersection, I turn right onto S153 to see if I can get a view of the backside of the formations. The road bends slightly and snuggles along the dunes that hug the beige rocks. I stop on the side of the road, switch off the engine and with my phone in hand get out of the car. I walk up the soft sandy dunes and, amazed by the colourful cliff, can’t stop to take pictures. Suddenly, I notice something moving in the distance. I look over to the small path running parallel to the main street and see a bunch of grazing camels. One of them lifts its head and when it notices me starts to walk in my direction. The other camels begin to move too, but at a slow pace. I keep an eye out, but not too worried, continue to take pictures. Then the group of animals suddenly picks up speed. I glimpse at their front legs in the hope to see them bound together. Their not. Next, I check the distance to my car and decide to run.

Just when I hastily close the door behind me, the leader of the camel pack reaches the white Nissan Sunny. Pushing his nose up against the passenger seat window, he examines the inside of the small vehicle. I lock the car, wondering how the animal could harm it. Then the camel slowly moves on to check out the front window. This somehow seems to satisfy the desert inhabitant’s curiosity. As he climbs back up the small dune to meet up with the rest of the group, I start the engine and drive off. A few hundred meters further, I see an old Bedouin man crossing the street. The camels must belong to him. Chuckling, I continue my drive and explore the area around Lahbab. There are a couple of small oasis-like palm tree farms and electrical masts lining the desert roads. And when the sun starts to set, I see more and more Emirati families gathering around pick-up trucks on the side of the road for a nightly barbecue. They make it look so effortlessly easy, I immediately want to recreate this experience with my roommates.

However, if you’re looking for even more adrenaline rushes, you will have to invest in a group tour. There are countless agencies who offer desert trips including sand bashing, dune buggies, quad rides, sand boarding and more for every budget. When my friends Michèle and Fabian come for a visit from Switzerland, we book a day tour with Arabian Adventures. The company picks us up at the hotel and drives us out to the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve. On the way, we chat with the lovely Greek couple who are going to be our tour companions. When we finally reach the entrance of the reserve, we have to make a stop to release some air from the Land Rover’s tyres. They do that, so it won’t get stuck in the dunes. And then it’s already time to hold on tight while we ride up and down the sandy hills. After a quick test run to see how well we handle the bumpy ride, our Pakistani driver goes all out, and we race across the desert.

Around 15 minutes later, we arrive at the first photo spot, where our guide shows us some of the local wildlife tracks. We then head on to another place to see the sunset. Once the red ball disappears behind the sand, we are taken to the Bedouin camp, where more activities like sand boarding and camel riding wait for us. But what I personally am looking forward to most, is the Arab dinner buffet. With a choice of Mutabbal, Hummus, Falafel, Chicken Biryani, Couscous, fresh flatbread and more, it’s obvious that I am going back for another round. While we’re enjoying our meal, there is a traditional Arab dance and fire performance happening in the middle of the camp. All in all a very interesting cultural experience, which you don’t usually find a lot of in Dubai.