Avondwoestijn Safari met Camel Ride, BBQ Dinner en Dune Bashing

We did this tour yesterday . We had a brilliant tour with Habib, he’s an excellent guide and we would highly recommend the trip

Let’s start with the overall rating, purchasing the “VIP package” its not 1st Class, it’s not Business class, it’s at best the Premium Economy class and that is even stretching it, at American Airline it would be “Main Cabain” class, so calling this “ VIP “ is not at all appropriate. My rating and this feedback is about the “VIP service” that has the “significant higher cost”, (about 10x higher cost) and that higher cost is in no relation to what you get. It started at the Hotel, the car was freezing cold (the entire day) and the bottle of water was warm enough to cook pasta. It was stored in the trunk, not even in a cooler. During the 40-minute drive from the Hotel to our 1st stop, I tried to have a conversation about Dubai, the buildings and landmarks as we passed them. He did not speak English or German, and I must have irritated him, so he turned on his Arabic music mix which was actually good music. When I commented on the good music it went up to level 25 for the rest of the day. That level did not come down for any of my phone calls, only for his calls. Next, we arrived at the 1st stop, the place where you can ride the ATV’s and go shopping. At that time, he did speak English and told me all about the shop and suggested what I should buy there. He escorted me right into the shop to me designated salesperson who immediately started to put clothing on me. I thanked the sales dude and looked around the shop. Well, that only lasted 30 seconds because he was on me like a fly on chocolate, he would just not go away. I walked out of the store, and my driver was gone, mixed up with the other 1,000 customers and drivers. After a while he found me and asked why I did not buy anything. Next, he directed me to the ATV rental kiosk (additional cost over the VIP package). I told him that I don’t want to drive them right now, but I would like to try sandboarding, and I point to the board. While the sandboarding activity was included in my VIP package, my request was not acknowledged and it never came back up, so I did not get to try the Sand Boarding. My best guess would be that I was now not meeting my time schedule, losing the store time and the 30minutes ATV ride screwed things up so I was brought into a room. There I was told to sit down and when I asked why and for how long his lack of English was back and he walked away. Eventually he came back and said I must sit here for another 30 minutes, again I did not understand the reason why. After my time on the bench, he took me back in the car and the Dessert Drive started. That was fun, he was a little on the safer side of driving compared to the other cars I saw, but I got it. Keep in mind, while this was the best part of the “VIP” package, it is also the same for the standard package, the only difference is I was the only person in the car vs the other cars had mulcible passengers. Now the sun started to go down, and he said we need to stop and drive to the next stop. I asked him why there are so many people parking in the desert and he said because they are large groups and I am “VIP” .. I said,, maybe they are staying there to see the sunset in the desert, that must be cool to watch .. again, his English was not good enough for him to understand and 8 minutes later I saw the sunset while driving on the highway. About 20 minutes later we arrived at the 2nd place, the Camp, the place where I can ride my Camel and see the show. There was a robed in area of 10 meters by 10 meters that had two Camels and a big sign .. “Free Camel Rides”. He told me that is my “VIP” Camel ride and I must stay in line with the other 50 people, again no difference per “VIP”. There were also two more Camels that people took for rides away from the Camp. I was told that the “FREE” ride is included in my “VIP package” and for (he mentioned the sum) I could ride the Camel outside the camp. At this point, if you get the standard package, share the car with other people and pay for the Camel ride outside the camp you just got more privileges than the “VIP” package at a “VERY significant less cost”. So now we have entered the camp which is divided into two equal sized sections. Approximated 500 none – VIP seating and approximate 500 VIP seating, different only by the color of the seats, the big flashing and blinking “VIP” sign and the robes separating them. I was given a seat in the second row in the “VIP section” while none-VIP people got to sit in the 1st row in their section. Again, no difference here paying for the “VIP”. The first person to come to me was “toys for sale”, the second person was “alcohol for sale”, and then I got my free and unlimited soda and water, a 2 liter coke bottle and a plastic cup. It was nearly 1 hour, and the show started and by that time all the none-VIP guests that stayed behind to watch the Desert sunset had also arrived. Again, here as well, buy the none-VIP package and pay for the alcohol and you have the better deal. Now during the evening I was visited multiple times by the Toys and alcohol dude, but the soda/water dude was gone. Now the next dude showed up if I wanted to place an order for food ? .. good thing was, I was not hungry and did not order anything. About 25 minutes later it was announced that the “VIP” buffet is now open. Ok, now I get food and reach the stand with the grilled chicken (actually very good tasting). They had 3 different types, and I asked to have one type and three pieces of that. Now I created a problem, the food giver refused, and I laughed at him and said “are you serious” !! .. well that triggered the “security man” … and he told me to go, sit down and I can always come back for more and what is on my plate now is all I get !!!! … I laughed and walked away because at this point the entire “VIP” package was soooo bad that I went from being upset to “this is actually insane here” .. and also worth mentioning, the none-VIP customers get the same food .. again, no need to buy the “VIP package”. At the end of the event, I was called by the driver to meet him by the gate (Camel area). When I got there, I saw a lot of people in line waiting for the car to drive back to the place where our cars are. I waited some time in line with none-VIP customers and told the driver, I am going back in, please call me when you have a ride. The driver asked me to sit on the bench but I declined and walked back in. While there I saw the falcon and opted to have him on my arm .. well, even VIP package has to pay for that separately, again no reason to purchase the “VIP package”. Eventually the driver called me out to the car. I was on the phone with someone important at that time and wanted to finish the call before I get in the car but I was told to get in. In the car I had to end the call because the driver of this car and my driver sitting in the back seat had a conversation so loud that I could not hear the other person on the phone, even making gestures to the two did not make a difference so I had to end the call. We got back to our car, and the driver drove me back to the Hotel with the music blasting level 25 …. I hope my experience gives a good understanding what the difference/upgrade is to “VIP” and in summary, its only the fact that you have a car for yourself. Financially, it also does not make sense to purchase the “VIP” since all the goodies (ATV ride, Camel ride, alcohol, falcon, etc ..) are extra and the same for none-VIP. The core things like the Dessert drive, the free Camel ride and the food is the same so, safe yourself the cost and aggravation on becoming “VIP” ... I shared this feedback with the company before I posted it and the replay was …… “””I really apologies for inconveniences. Your package private car for pick and drop and inside desert for dune bashing. After that vip Sitting in Camp included. But falcon and long ride camel not included Sir. You face problem from my driver I really apologies for that and I will try my best to improve our services.””” … and that validates my point of the significant cost of the VIP package, its just not worth it. Everyone gets picked up at the hotel, everyone has the same desert bashing, seating is no (minimal) different, and the events like ATV, Falcon pictures and “extended .. lol “ camel rides are extra anyway.

Cheat and Fraud company.Collected money from senior citizens and never mentioned what is included and what is not included. Food was terrible. Driver was smoking throughout..worst ever

The evening tour done with dune bashing and dinner. You set yourself up for shabby shops, that's just part of the job. But you do assume that you spend most of your time doing the activities. A total of about 10 dunebashen, 1 minute sandboarding, 5 minutes camel ride. The Arab evening was fine, nothing special, but fine. Lasts an hour and a half and stops abruptly. Everything else accompanied by a driver who says nothing. Very often stops, gets out and just disappears for 10 minutes. Drives you around everywhere and is only apping behind the wheel! Book this elsewhere! There are mega many providers.

Amazing desert safari by Muhammad Javed! Great camel ride dune Bashing ,and Delicious BBQ Dinner . "Highly recommend "

I can’t recommend the Evening Desert Safari by Arabian Tour Packages enough! The entire experience was seamless, from the timely pick-up to the courteous service throughout. The dune bashing was a heart-pounding adventure—our driver was an expert, making it thrilling yet safe. The camel ride was serene and gave us a unique perspective of the sprawling desert. Dinner was a culinary delight; the BBQ was flavorful and complemented by fresh salads and desserts. What made the evening special were the cultural performances—authentic, vibrant, and captivating. The fire show was particularly impressive. The tour was well-organized, ensuring we got the most out of every activity. It’s perfect for anyone looking to explore the UAE’s desert charm in comfort and style.

From picking up at the hotel till return we have a great time.Fantastic experience driving boggy on dune,afterwards Dune bashing with very experience driver ,ride on camel and fantastic BBQ diner with great show /belly dancing and fire show/.Everybody coming to Dubai for holiday should book this.This is a must when in Dubai.

The pickup from my hotel was seamless and the hospitality was heartwarming. Riding camels was dream come true, and the BBQ dinner was beyond delicious. The entertainment was lively, and the whole experience left me speechless.

Starting with aromatic Arabic coffee and dates, the tour whisked us away on a whirlwind of excitement. Riding camels against the desert back drop was surreal, and the evening's entertainment was top notch 10/10 would do it again.

From the cozy pickup at my hotel to mesmerizing belly dancing under the starlit sky, every moment was pure magic. The camel ride was highlight, and the BBQ dinner was mouthwatering, can't recommend this tour enough.