Fancy an adventure tour taken to the extreme? Dune buggying is a full-on adrenaline bender spent rocketing across the desert plains in custom-made two-seater buggies that resemble something you’d see on a lunar landing.

Tried & Tested: Dune Buggying 
Explorer headed to Al Faqah with Delta Adventures, an adventure sports company that offers just that: the opportunity to crisscross the desert just between the Dubai and Al Ain border at full throttle. It’s not a school, so don’t expect a lot of one-on-one time with the guides (unless you really need to). Rather, it’s an adventure tour taken to the extreme, a full-on, half day adrenaline bender spent rocketing across the desert plains in custom-made two-seater buggies that resemble something you’d see on a lunar landing. 

What do you need? Wear loose, breathable clothes and close-toe shoes. Remember it’s the desert; it’ll be hot when you’re stationary. Also, these buggies are manual and while the Delta team say it’s not necessary to have experience driving a stick, it’s a more enjoyable experience if you can feel as comfortable as possible behind the wheel. 

Who goes?  Many people. Word is out, and these excursions are popular. It’s a mix of visitors and resident’s, motor heads and general adventure enthusiasts in search of their next thrill. Since it’s likely that there will be a mix of abilities in the group, the Delta team usually split the groups between the faster and slower sets. That way everyone can still have fun no matter what their competency level. 

What happens? Delta Adventures arranges morning pick-ups within Dubai at around 07:30. From the city it’s a 40-minute drive to the small village of Al Faqah just near to the Al Ain border. It’s then a swift ride up and over a few dunes until you reach the dune buggies. It’s taken six years for the talented Delta mechanical team to perfect their home-made, custom built, 1,500cc engine desert machines but they are extremely proud of them, painting them in bright colours, tweaking the aesthetics, maintaining the engines and attending to their every needs. 

Our trip begins with a briefing on desert driving and what to watch out for on the dunes — other potential traffic (though highly unlikely), shrubbery, pylons, camels you know, the usual. I’m shown how the engine switches on and off, and how to move from 1st to 2nd gear. We then saddle up and strap in.

The adventure begins immediately, and we assault the desert with our feet to the floor, the engine roaring. The trails meander with no discernible logic across open plains, but that simply provides ample opportunity to sashay sideways through deep, sandy troughs. I’m riding shotgun in an off-road buggy in convoy, tearing across the desert, dust hanging in the air behind us for what seems like a quarter of a mile.  

The trip is one part adrenaline fix and one part comedy sketch. Scattered around the area, there are deep sand pockets of such fine granularity that a person just stepping in them will sink in three or four inches; lift off the throttle for even a second in a buggy and you won’t get moving again without getting dirty.
Thankfully, should problems like this arise, Delta’s rig team —a Toyota Land Cruiser complete with towing equipment and shovels — shadows the group from the back.

For an altogether different desert adventure, the dune buggies also come equip with sand boards, and at one point, all the drivers get to have a go. If you’re not used to board sports – or have the balance of a baby elephant on a tight-rope, you’ll not find this the easiest of pursuits. But if you’re standing when you reach the bottom of the giant dune, you’re biggest hurdle is yet to come – climbing back up to the top.

The capabilities of the Delta Adventures buggies make them thrilling over such bumpy terrain, but they also grant customers stunning views over the desert and a late afternoon ride is often accompanied by magnificent sunsets. And although the 1 ½ hour experience is a seemingly wild, rollercoaster voyage, the Delta Adventures  experience is characterised by remarkable preparedness and professionalism. The convoys through the desert are tailed by the aforementioned 4x4s, the leading buggy is on constant watch, and the team do their very best to make sure everyone’s having fun the whole way through.

How much of my life will this take up? Pick-up times are either early in the morning (07:30) or in the afternoon (13:00) and the entire adventure lasts four hours with 1 ½ hours dune buggying. 

How much does it cost? It’s Dhs.495 per person if you sit in a buggy unaccompanied. Otherwise it’s Dhs.315 based on two people sharing the same buggy.

In short: If you’re looking for an alternative desert safari with a more hands-on approach, put your pedal to the medal in one of these super cool, super fast dune buggies.