If you're looking for the best way to discover the beauty of the UAE desert, look no further. Going on a tour in a powerful self-driving buggy will make you discover its true beauty! Take a look at how our trip went down.
It’s still dark outside when my alarm rings, you can just see the first sunrays. I pack a quick snack, and coffee and get on my way. On the route to Al Badayer, I am enjoying the sun rising above the desert. Some parts of the highway are still covered in fog which makes the drive even more fun.
You can order a free pickup (from anywhere in Dubai) included in this buggy tour but I enjoy early morning driving. We meet with the rest of our group at the parking loft in front of the base and move inside. When you arrive, you will see all 20+ buggies of different sizes parking outside. They do a quick maintenance check and wash them after each ride so just a look over the parking loft will give you the first shot of adrenaline.
When we enter the base, we’re surprised by how smooth and fast everything is. We just fill and sign a waiver and head to a counter. “Oh you’re from Ithara, here are your wristbands!” - each group will get different colors for the guides to make sure they have the right group. Then we just get a helmet with a face shield (and long sleeve t-shirts for those who need them) and are ready to go. We have a few minutes left so we make sure to enjoy all the base can offer - from free coffee, water, washroom to sun cream which we know will be needed as the sun goes up (it can be still cold around 7 AM but the sun will be burning strong around 9 when you’re going to be getting back.
After a few minutes, a guide picks us up and we move outside to check our buggies. That’s where he gives us a quick brief which is simple: always follow my tracks, don’t drift, don’t jump, and keep a close distance so we can move fast. He makes sure to scare us a bit by highlighting that none of the insurance companies is willing to insure the vehicles and that we just signed a waiver saying all damage goes after us. OK, no jumping today.
Then we move to our buggies - there’re 4 of them in our group, three two-seaters and our four-seater (that usually goes last in a convoy). The guide makes sure we stash all our belonging in the gloves department and fixes our seatbelts. The adrenaline kicks at the moment you start the engine.
Our guide drives first in his buggy and takes us slowly out of the base’s parking loft. The first few 100s of meters are for all drivers to get used to the steering and brakes but driving these buggies is simple. Gas or brake. Left or right. That’s all you have to worry about.
The convoy crosses the bridge over the highway and we enter the desert heading to the Pink rock. From the first moment, the buggy’s wheels touch the sand you know this is going to be fun! All of us are a bit hesitant at the beginning but as we get used to the sand we pick up the speed.
The guide takes us through a tested track which he knows will be easy to navigate even for inexperienced drivers. From time to time we climb a small dune or ride around the bowl and that’s honestly the most enjoyable part. These buggies are super strong so unless you’re driving in the middle of summer - when the heat makes the sand extremely soft - it’s almost impossible to get stuck. If you have ever driven a car in the desert, you’ll be surprised how easy it is to accelerate and turn with these turbomachines. What you’ll appreciate the most are the suspensions that make you forget that you’re not driving on a solid road.
We pass along a few other groups when we get closer to the Pink rock and the view is really beautiful in this area. We drive around the rocky mountain and take a break right behind it. The guide has water and chips as snacks for everyone which comes in handy. The sun is already up and we start feeling the heat. The other group decides to use the break to try sandboarding as our guide pulls the board from his buggy. We take some pictures, change drivers, and after half an hour we’re back on our way.
We are three in our 4-seater buggy so we asked the guide to make one more stop on the way to make sure we all can enjoy driving this 4x4 beast. If you want to enjoy more driving time, opt-in for 2-seaters which in general are the best value for money when it comes to driving. It is a few minutes to 9’o clock when we get back to the base - that means we got 1 hour net time of driving. And yes, it went very fast!
We high-five the rest of our group and get to the base to pick up all our belongings there. We’re all still on an adrenaline rush (and most of us are covered with sand) so cold water towels come in handy. And that’s when we say goodbye, get to our cars, and on the way back to Dubai.
To sum it up, it was a perfect morning in the desert! The buggies are powerful but comfortable to drive at the same time. The guide and all the staff around take care of your safety and convenience all the time so you don’t have to worry about anything but enjoy a great time and take tons of pictures (oh and they’ll send you some from the guide as well).
A few tips:
Wear something comfortable. As there are no windshields or windows in the buggies, it will get sandy.
Take a hoodie or long sleeve to protect you from the morning breeze (unless it’s summer - then you have the other problem :))
Other than that you don’t have to carry anything as the base and the guide will have you covered.
Don’t forget your Go Pro if you have one. And don’t forget to tag @ithara.ae on your stories :)
