Early morning camel ride. Real Arabic coffee. A private desert breakfast feast. Unlimited time hanging out with falcons.

If you’re trying to figure out which desert safari to book in Dubai, this might be the one. I booked a half-day camel-focused tour, and it turned into one of those rare “this is exactly what I hoped for” travel experiences.

If you’re looking for the best camel ride in the Middle East, here’s what the day actually looks like — from pickup stress and language barriers to peaceful desert silence and a table full of fresh Arabian food.

Let’s get into it.

Booking the Dubai Desert Safari

I booked this safari on GetYourGuide as a half-day trip that focused on:

A camel ride through the Dubai desert
An “Al Maroom” / traditional Arabic breakfast
Transfers with pickup and drop-off

Total cost: about $95. For a guided experience with transportation, breakfast, coffee, and camels, that felt like a solid deal.

The plan was simple:
Get picked up at my Airbnb, ride into the desert, enjoy a camel trek, eat, drink, meet falcons, soak in the culture — and see if this really was the best Dubai desert safari you can book.

Pickup Confusion: Language Barriers and Almost Missing the Tour

Pickup didn’t start smoothly.

My driver and I were messaging on WhatsApp, and there was definitely a language barrier. He messaged, “I’m here,” but I didn’t see anyone.

I was in the garage. He was outside the building.

I’ve heard horror stories of people missing their desert safaris because of mix-ups like this, so I wasn’t taking any chances. I started walking quickly, trying to find him before he assumed I was a no-show and left.

Luckily, after a bit of scrambling, we found each other.

“Looking for Alex?”
“Yes, that’s me.”

He told me to sit up front. I asked how many people we were picking up.

“No one. Only you.”
“I’m the only one… on the whole tour?”
“Yes. Only you today.”

I’d booked a group tour — and somehow ended up on a private desert safari.

Not a bad upgrade.

First Time Riding a Camel

We arrived at the desert camp, and it was finally time for the main event: camels.

The handlers brought out two camels and introduced them:

Sultan – the male
Sheila – the female

They also mentioned Aziz, the camel handler, whose job was to guide us for the ride.

Mounting a camel is an experience on its own. First, you step onto the back, then the camel stands up in stages — back legs first, then the front. One second you’re low to the ground; the next, you’re surprisingly high up.

“Oh, I’m on a camel.”
“We are on a camel. Whoa. They’re taller than you think.”

Compared to horses, camels are huge and feel different to ride. Surprisingly, the ride was more:

Stable
Smooth
Comfortable (especially in the groin area)

I had both hands free enough to film, take photos, and even pet the camel. The only thing you really need to remember is to lean with the motion and relax.

Alone in the Desert: Peace, Silence, and Surprise

This is where the day went from “good tour” to unforgettable.

I was the only guest who booked that day. No other groups. No buses of tourists. Just me, the camels, and the guide.

We rode slowly through the desert in the early morning — around 8 a.m., when the heat hadn’t fully kicked in yet. The air was still cool, the sand a soft orange, and the silence… unreal.

The only sounds were:

The soft shuffle of camel feet in the sand
The creak of the saddle
Occasional conversation with the guide

As someone who grew up in Florida, the idea of being in the middle of the desert in Dubai, peacefully riding a camel named Sultan, still doesn’t fully compute. It felt like stepping into a different world — and I tried to soak up every second of it.

Camels Up Close: Personalities, Habits, and Big Teeth

Back at the camp, I got some close-up time with the camels.

I learned:

They love to stop and eat, which is why they wear a kind of mouth covering on rides — not primarily for spitting, but to keep them from snacking the whole way.
Their stride is smoother than horses, which makes long rides more comfortable.
Petting them honestly feels a bit like petting a giant dog.

At one point, the handler fed the camel, and I got a close-up look at the teeth and the slow, deliberate chewing process. Fascinating and a little intimidating.

I joked with the staff about bringing a camel back to the U.S.:

“Can I take this camel back to America?”
“You want to take a camel?”
“Yeah. There are no camels in America.”
“He will sneak it on the plane.”

Arabic Coffee & Mint Tea: The Flavor of the Desert

After the ride, it was time for the coffee and tea ritual.

They poured traditional Arabic coffee — light, fragrant, spiced — into small cups. I’m not a big coffee drinker, but this was different. It tasted:

Smooth
Aromatic
Almost ceremonial

After that came hot mint tea. Just like the coffee, it felt more authentic than anything you’d get from a grocery store — not just because of the taste, but because of the setting.

Sitting in a desert camp, sipping tea and coffee poured by people who grew up with these traditions, hits differently than drinking something out of a paper cup in a mall.

The Al Maroom Breakfast: A Private Desert Feast

Then came breakfast.

One of the staff introduced himself:

“My name is Touch. I’m from Sudan.”

He brought out what can only be described as a feast:

Eggs
Beans
Cheese
A sweet egg-and-sugar dish
Fresh Arabian bread
Honey
A variety of dips and spreads
Cold drinks like soda and juice available

It’s called an “Al Maroom” breakfast, a traditional Arabian-style spread.

Normally, this is set up buffet-style for a whole group. On this particular morning, it was just for me. A full table of food, in a quiet camp, alone in the desert.

The flavors were rich, comforting, and filling — exactly what you’d want after an early camel ride.

Falcon Time: Meeting a Desert Icon

After breakfast, I got to meet another icon of desert life: the falcon.

The handler introduced Shahim, a one-and-a-half-year-old falcon. Still young, but already sharp and focused.

Falcon facts I learned:

Diet: chicken legs (yes, really)
Lifespan: around 12–30 years
These birds are deeply connected to Bedouin culture and desert survival history

I held him, watched him get fed, and asked (half-jokingly, half-seriously):

“Can I take this back to the USA with me?”

Short answer: no.
But it was tempting.

Culture, History, and What This Safari Really Shows You

One of the things I appreciated most about this tour was the cultural storytelling.

My guide explained that Dubai today is famous for malls, skyscrapers, and luxury — but this camp is designed to show you what life looked like before all that.

They’re trying to share:

How Bedouins lived in the desert
What their homes looked like
What they ate and drank
How they worked with animals like camels and falcons

The staff don’t just commute in and out for a photo-op; many of them live and work near the camp, with proper accommodations and facilities behind the scenes. There’s structure, organization, and real effort behind what feels like a simple morning out.

Tipping and Gratitude

Before we left, I wanted to show appreciation to the team:

The camel handler (Aziz)
The chef
The coffee and tea server
The falcon handler
The guide and driver

I asked my guide if I could tip the staff and if the money would be split. He said yes, and I trusted him to divide it fairly.

This experience truly felt like a once-in-a-lifetime morning, and it wouldn’t have been the same without the people behind it. Tipping was absolutely worth it.

So… Is This the Best Desert Safari in Dubai?

Camel rides.
The best coffee I’ve had in ages.
A full Arabian breakfast.
Time with falcons.
Real conversations about culture and history.
And, somehow, a private tour on a group booking.

For me?
This was hands down the best desert safari I could have booked in Dubai.

If you’re going to Dubai, you have to do a desert safari. There are dozens and dozens of options out there, and it’s easy to get lost reading reviews for hours.

Let me save you some time:
This is the one.

Unforgettable memories.
Peaceful, authentic, and well-organized.
This is what it means to Travel Far.

book this experience HERE

🎥 Watch the Full Video

Want to see the full experience — from pickup drama and first camel ride to Arabic coffee, breakfast, and falcons?

🎥 Watch the full vlog: “Dubai Desert Safari: Middle East’s Best Camel Ride” on YouTube.

Thanks for coming along — and as always…
Travel Far.

Dubai Desert Safari: Middle East's Best Camel Ride