Renowned for its wealth, long sandy beaches, luxurious hotels and duty-free shopping, a holiday in Dubai has a lot to offer. We chose to stay at the famous six-star Jumeirah Beach Hotel as it was situated away from the extensive building works in luxurious surroundings and had its own private sandy beach. With 14 restaurants, many bars and fantastic service, we really couldn’t have made a better choice of hotel.

However, as a complete contrast, halfway through our holiday we decided to take a night away from the luxury of the hotel and arranged a desert safari excursion. Our Arabian adventure began when we were picked up from the hotel late afternoon by a four-wheel drive destined for the desert. The Land Rovers were spacious and comfortable and the guide was accommodating, letting us stop along the way for some great photo opportunities.

The scenery was breathtaking and the drive across the dunes as thrilling as we were promised. However, at times it felt very bumpy so I wouldn’t recommend it for small babies, infants or the faint hearted!

Our first stop was at a farm where I had the opportunity to ride on a camel, which was great fun, whilst my adventure-loving husband attempted the art of sand-boarding. We were then taken to a traditional camp to spend the night. Watching the sun sink into the sand, we sat around a blazing bonfire and enjoyed a BBQ feast followed by Shisha (the famous Arabic water pipe). To our delight a traditional belly dancer provided entertainment and we relaxed as the sounds of the Arabic music drifted into the distant dunes.

The guides provided comfy sleeping bags and we lay in our camp watching the stars before falling asleep. Bathroom facilities were on-site and catered sufficiently for our needs and the tents were spacious and clean. Whilst it was nice to get back to the air-conditioned luxury of the Jumeirah Beach Hotel the next day, I was really glad that we had taken the time out for a real Arabian adventure!