Desert Safari Trip, 6 Hour Fun, Friends & Family, Camel Ride & Dinner Included.

A real scam and a real danger. Despite the fact that the driver was excellent, the camel tour lasted literally 2 minutes: a simple circle about 5 meters in diameter, and that’s it. I don't even have time to take a picture. As soon as I got off the camel, my 4-year-old daughter ran about ten meters into the sand and suddenly started screaming: she had become entangled in abandoned barbed wire everywhere. She was wounded and bleeding. I immediately spoke to an official, who seemed absolutely unconcerned. He simply put on an antiseptic spray, without more. Then a salesman offered us a so-called VIP table upgrade, which I accepted and paid for. Arriving at the buffet, I realize that the same table had been sold to another couple. So we all ended up at the same table together, and I had to add two chairs myself so I could sit my children down. The show was ridiculously short, then we had to leave already. In short, a huge disappointment...

We were not allowed to board the bus at the point of pick. Complete waste of time. I expect a refund and apology.

This is mass tourism full in the face. There is nothing personalized about it. I booked 7 places via Groupon on the Basic Desert Safari. Perhaps the slightly less than professional attitude when I went to book a date might have given an inkling of what was to come. I was to WhatsApp the vouchers which I did. The person on the other end of the phone specifically said there was no need to print the vouchers. I had them on the Groupon app anyway. We were collected in a bus that has seen better days and taken out to the 'desert.' I have lived in the UAE almost 15 years. The area is made up of low sand hills out the back of Sharjah that have been implanted with a series of tour 'camps.'. Believe me, if you want to see really spectacular desert you want to be in Abu Dhabi emirate. The bus dropped people along the road and we disembarked in a carpark where 4WDs were racing about collecting groups of people for the desert drive. It is 15 minutes of driving through loose sand. I guess its a thrill the first time or for those who don't get out on sand too often. There are no seat belts so very young children could easily be thrown about. You will be deposited at the respective 'camp.' This is where you will quite quickly be parted from the contents of your wallet by any one of a number of side hustles: quad bikes that go around in small circles (100AED for 20 minutes for 1 person or 150AED for two), horse riding, having photo ON the horse without going anywhere, photo with a falcon, photo with kulfiya (AED 20), photo on camel - you won't be asked whether you want this (40AED), walking further than a 50m circle on a camel...There are a good 2 hours for this additional fleecing. Water, tea and coffee are free as it henna painting; the bathrooms are clean and tidy. While we were sitting, the company people approach me to give them access to the email from Groupon confirming the purchase. Remember they already had them via WhatsApp. I had printed them as well. Better safe then sorry. No - they wanted the email. Apparently they don't get paid otherwise. Why don't they say this when you make the original call to book the date? Poor organization all round. I have used Groupon many times and this is the first time any company has done this. The food was substandard. Cold onion 'chips' and something resembling a pastry-cum-deepfry item. Even disguised with ketchup it was inedible. They are not pushing the boat out on dinner either. Very basic. It is not a whole lot better for the VIP package. There are 'shows' - a couple of belly dancers neither setting the world alight; the twirling Moroccans and a fire show. Those had some interest but none of it is connected in any way to Emirati culture. Outside the camel have gone and it is a wait for a 4WD to take you back to the main bus. There we waited 40 minutes for a family to arrive. The driver appeared to have reserved seats for people and there was an argument in which the company staff showed themselves to be extraordinarily unprofessional. If you want to have reserved seats, have allocated numbers. It was a poor ending to a mediocre outing. If you want to do these safaris, go much further afield and well away from these commercialized bits of desert. Better still, hire your own 4WD and go out to the section that are untouched and where the solitude of the desert is part of the memory. This is not it. Only recommend if desperate.

the worst agency that you can book with!! the driver came before the time 30min earlier without notify us, and requested us to take a taxi or bus and pay for it even tho it wasn't our fault

Absolutely loved the safari dessert with our 21 month old child, he also love it.. we will 100% recommend this for sure.

Extremely difficult to get picked up, a driver was hour late without apologising. Be prepared to pay additional money for photos, shisha, and having people constantly trying to sell you something. Only good thing is the experience in the dessert.

My booking confirmation CLEARLY indicated hotel pick up with my hotel address. However, today, the morning of my tour, the provider called me and demanded an ADDITIONAL 80aed for me to be picked up. The tour itself was only 30 aed! In any event, i sent a screenshot of the confirmation, CLEARLY STATING that i was to be picked up at my hotel, with NO MENTION of ANY additional cost. She still refused to honor the booking and told me if I did not like it, then call viator for a refund. i actually booked via Tripadvisor. I will file a complaint with both US regulators, as well as UAE and Sharjah tourist authorities as tour providers should not be allowed to get away with these unethical business practices which completely discredit the integrity of both countries. I tried to attach the screenshot, but I am getting an error message that the file is too small to upload! SMH.

Amazing experience, from 4x4 dune bashing to food to show! Timing of pickup and drop can be improved but above that it will highly recommend.

Safari for 15 min, 6 ppl in one car, great expirience huh? Bus was late for 30 min for pick-up, dropped us after the trip somewhere, never asked us if something’s not alright. They don’t pick you up from hotel and they don’t control how you will come back. So-called show is for 50 year-old-plus, everyone tries to sell you smth.

This "safari" in the "desert" is at best a tourist catch, at worst a real scam. It all starts with a stop along a highway along the desert, we board a 4X4 that walks you 5 - 10 minutes in the dunes then disembarks you in a camp located 500 meters from the road. Directly, we are alpine by the locals who offer you a camel tower, photos, an experience with a raptor, for payment of course and in a very unpleasant way. This is followed by a fairly mediocre meal with a hundred people and a quite short and probably very unauthentic show. In short, I strongly advise against this activity, and I would advise Tripadvisor not to offer this activity anymore.