# Desert Camps in UAE



## Izzy77 (Jun 16, 2011)

I am looking for some guidance or tips on desert camps in the UAE. Hubbies pasport is hold up in the visa process so Oman is out of the question. 

We have a guest this weekend and he wants to do a stayover in the desert. Since we just moved here we dont have any camping gear and we are looking for something thats already there. I checked with the once in the Time Out this week but they are (suprise suprise) all full. 

Any tips, ideas welcome!


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

Your best bet is to contact the companies doing desert safaris as they will do overnight trips too. If you google desert safari+Dubai, you will vet an extensive list. Even if you did have the gear, you should never go out into the desert with just one vehicle.


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## bhatiaic (Dec 20, 2011)

Izzy77 said:


> I am looking for some guidance or tips on desert camps in the UAE. Hubbies pasport is hold up in the visa process so Oman is out of the question.
> 
> We have a guest this weekend and he wants to do a stayover in the desert. Since we just moved here we dont have any camping gear and we are looking for something thats already there. I checked with the once in the Time Out this week but they are (suprise suprise) all full.
> 
> Any tips, ideas welcome!


I am also planning a night camping in desert/beach with my family for this weekend and while doing search came across some locations which include Jebel Ali Beach (permission required from Dubai municipality), Hatta, Liwa, on Dahed road, after sharjah. You may check careefour for camping gear, if you want high end check out adventure HQ on SZR. dubizzle would also show some results under sports equipment section under classifieds.


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## bhatiaic (Dec 20, 2011)

bhatiaic said:


> I am also planning a night camping in desert/beach with my family for this weekend and while doing search came across some locations which include Jebel Ali Beach (permission required from Dubai municipality), Hatta, Liwa, on Dahed road, after sharjah. You may check careefour for camping gear, if you want high end check out adventure HQ on SZR. dubizzle would also show some results under sports equipment section under classifieds.


we did desert night camping at a spot near Margham and it was good exp, though we were under prepared for the cold night. we didn't venture very deep and stayed near other campers at a decent distance to ensure privacy yet at the same time ensuring we don't get lost as we had gone with just one vehicle.


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## ReggieDXB007 (Mar 10, 2011)

Izzy77 said:


> I am looking for some guidance or tips on desert camps in the UAE. Hubbies pasport is hold up in the visa process so Oman is out of the question.
> 
> We have a guest this weekend and he wants to do a stayover in the desert. Since we just moved here we dont have any camping gear and we are looking for something thats already there. I checked with the once in the Time Out this week but they are (suprise suprise) all full.
> 
> Any tips, ideas welcome!


Just reinforcing what everyone else has commented to here - I note that Adventure HQ at Times Square advertise they hire camping equipment, although I've never tried them. ACE also have a hire section at their DFC store however I think that is for their heavy duty stuff so probably not what you want.

As for locations I go to Sweihan for a 'tame' destination - up the truck road from the Ghantout end of SZR until you hit the Ajban road where you turn left towards Sweihan. At Sweihan, go straight at the big roundabout, past the hospital on your right and straight over the next roundabout which has deer or gazelles on it and then head on. You will see some water tanks on your left and there are two large sand ridges that the road goes over. You are basically aiming to camp on the Sweihan facing side of the second ridge, so just as the road goes up, look out for a gap in the fence which should have one of those barriers - should be open, if not just drive round it. Head for the gap in the fence, about 100 yards and then turn left and drive along the fence towards the dune. You'll see the road follows the fence round to the right and you basically just keep driving until you see a clear way past the farms on your left into the sand dunes. Not really deep desert but you are relatively safe and the experience is there.
Sweihan is about a 2 hour drive from Dubai, (around 100 km). The entrance through the fence is nearly 8 km along the Ajban road from the 2nd (deer) roundabout at 24degrees north 24 minutes 8.11 seconds, 55 degrees east 22 minutes 35 .74 seconds and decent campsites another 10 - 15 minute drive in along the fence (heading west).


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