hoodiexo wearing a dress in the Dubai desert
Travel

The Dreaminess of the Dubai Desert

Hello my loves! I’m sorry it’s been so long since I last posted, but as you can probably tell from the rapid change of location (last time I posted I was in Tofino) I’ve been pretty busy. Having quit my job just a few weeks ago and moved out of my apartment downtown Vancouver shortly after that, I’ve finally begun the adventure that I’ve been planning, and it all starts in Dubai.

After a stop over in Toronto (where it was freezing, especially since I only packed clothes for warm weather!) and surviving a 12 hour flight to Dubai after that, I finally made it. A little dazed and confused on the first night of my arrival, I opted to stay in and refresh for my first night here — a wise choice since I was then able to make the most of today!

I’m currently traveling with one of my best friends, Madison, and visiting another best friend, Nat (who’s here working for Emirates). The three of us spent the day exploring the desert on the outskirts of Dubai (quite close to Abu Dhabi, it turns out) and let me tell you… it was AH-MAZING.

The three of us spent the day exploring the desert on the outskirts of Dubai, and let me tell you… it was AH-MAZING.

I’d never seen a desert like this one before. Sure, I’ve been to California and ultimately fallen in love with all the different forms of cacti, but this is a whole other world. Here, the dunes go on forever. The hills are as high and low as hilltops and valleys, and the sands stretch out along the horizon just like the ocean. I’ve never experienced anything like it before, and the tour we took was the perfect way to dive right in.

We booked the day with Eagle Tours Dubai, which is run by the most friendly and knowledgeable guide ever, Reza. Meeting up with him and the rest of the group at a hotel, we quickly loaded up into our various 4×4 vehicles, and the girls and I were lucky enough to have a private car to ourselves with Reza himself as our driver. Leading the fleet, we drove off into the desert, chasing the sun as we went.

As we approached the desert, we made a quick stop at some small shops so the drivers could fill their tires. It turns out driving in the sand is a tricky ordeal — especially when you don’t want to get stuck or roll the car accidentally. Once everyone was prepped, we lined up the cars and took off — the wide expanse of desert sand in front of us and the fleet of cars behind.

we lined up the cars and took off — the wide expanse of desert sand in front of us and the fleet of cars behind.

Understandably, the drive was adrenaline inducing. The three of us girls were yelling and screaming in the back with shock and excitement as the car tore up the sand, slid down the dunes, and accelerated into the sunset. After about 15 to 20 minutes of driving around like this, we finally made a stop to take some photos. As a blogger, this is pretty much my crack — and believe you me, I was prepared. All three of us had opted to wear long, gorgeous dresses despite the strange stares from others in the tour group, and the results are worth it. Was it practical? Not necessarily, but it also wasn’t surprisingly impractical (it’s not like we had to hike to get anywhere). Plus, there was some kind of incredible feeling of running through the desert in a gorgeous dress, wind whipping the fabric behind you and the sun beaming down on your bare shoulders. I’ll never forget that feeling… if only I could post it along with these photos!

As the sunset symbolized the end of a day well spent, we took off once again to a small Bedouin-style camp for dinner and a show. Seated on gorgeous carpets and pillows placed directly on the sand, we feasted on all kinds of delicious foods, smoked a little sheesha, and (inevitably) fell asleep on the car ride back. Maybe I’m still getting over the jetlag or maybe the day was just that good, but either way I can’t wait to see what the rest of my week here has in store.

More updates soon! xx









Wearing TOBI’s Jamee Plunging Maxi Dress in Mauve available here.

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  • Laurie Hood
    December 14, 2017 at 9:44 am

    love the blog Stephanie, I’m going to follow you!