This is my Dubai Travel Itinerary and Review: A Spa Day and Desert Night! I went to get a massage while Ed and the kids went to the beach and pool. I checked in at the Talise Ottomon Spa which was nothing short of amazing! They took me to a posh reception area and gave me ginger tea with a sampling of dates, dried apricots and cashews. After I changed, they put me in a room with marble chaise loungers which were heated and more tea and apricots. I need one for home. Fountains all throughout the spa led to a tranquil state of mind. I had a 60 minute Sultan’s massage. She physically climbed on my back. I had never had that happen before. All in all worth every penny....I mean Dirham.
We were ready to head out on our desert tour. We took a minivan to the desert then switched over to a Range Rover open air Jeep. Think Indiana Jones. They greeted us with cool wash rags with rose water and a water bottle for the desert journey. They wrapped us with a head scarf and away we went.
We went through the desert and saw some animals. This was about a 30 minute ride. Then we stopped to watch a falcon show. We were greeted with apricot date juice. Very good.
Romeo, the peregrine falcon, put on a
show for us. The Bedouin used falcons 2500 years ago for hunting. It would take 4-5 weeks to train. The birds wear a helmet to limit their vision. Out of sight, out of mind originated from falconry. $8k for a bird in today’s market! It is Illegal to hunt with them in UAE. Romeo actually holds a passport and can fly in cabins on airlines. I thought that was interesting.
We made it to camp! Our family rode camels. Omg. They lie down for you to climb on. They are still damn tall. They brought me a step stool. They tell you to hold on tight and lean back as the camel stands up. Boy do they mean it! You feel like you’ll fly off! The ride was about 3 minutes which was long enough for me. Getting off the camel was far more
The guide told her, “Screaming won’t save you!”
We dined on bread that you crumble up into some lentil soup. Camel meat is EXTREMELY chewy, but has good flavor. We tried various other Emirati dishes.
Annicakes was part of the drum show. The girls and I all got henna tattoos. We opted for leg/ankle so we could cover up easily for school and work. Of course, they had shisha which we did not try.
It was such a neat experience!
Video of the falcon...it was so neat!
I’d rather be on an airplane with a falcon that has a passport than some humans that have them!