By Mohammed Rashad Hussain, Managing PartnerPublished 3 min read
Is dune bashing safe?
For healthy adults, with a desert-trained driver in a purpose-fitted 4x4, it is generally safe. That is not the same as gentle. The car climbs a crest, drops over the other side and slides on soft sand, and you feel every bump in your back and neck.
Dune 4x4s are often built with roll cages. Before the first dune, the driver lets air out of the tyres for grip, and the cars follow a lead vehicle in single file. Those habits cut risk. They do not remove the jolts.
Who should skip the dune drive?
Skip it if any of these applies:
- You are pregnant.
- You have a back, neck or disc problem, or a recent injury or operation.
- You have a heart condition or high blood pressure that a doctor has told you to protect.
- You travel with a baby or a child too small for a seat belt to fit.
- You get motion sickness badly.
If in doubt, ask your doctor, and tell us. The private vs shared desert safari guide explains why a private 4x4 makes a gentler plan easier.
Pregnancy
Operators advise pregnant women to skip the dune drive. The NHS says to ask a midwife or doctor about activities, and to wear the lap strap across the pelvis under the bump. Both messages point to the same plan: take the road route to the camp and enjoy the sunset.
Can you still do a safari without dune bashing?
Yes, and it is a common request. A safari without the dune drive keeps the camp, the sunset, a camel ride and dinner. Say so when you book, and the quote states the route. For families, the Dubai with kids guide covers what suits small children.
For a trip with less movement, a hot air balloon or a helicopter flight is an option. See helicopter, seaplane or balloon in Dubai.
How do you avoid motion sickness in a 4x4?
- Sit in the front or by a window if the driver allows it.
- Look at the horizon, not your phone.
- Eat lightly and drink water.
- Take any travel-sickness medicine in time, as the leaflet says.
- Tell the driver early. They can slow down or stop on the flat.
What makes an operator safe?
Ask for these before you pay:
- The operator’s tourism licence.
- A 4x4 with a roll cage and a working belt for every guest.
- A driver who follows a lead car and does not race.
- A clear answer on how the driver treats a guest who feels unwell.
The dune drive is done in a desert 4x4 by an operator in our partner network, subject to availability. Assure’s own cars are road cars and do not go on the sand. Read what each safari includes on the desert safari, private desert safari and VIP desert safari pages.
Older guests and people with limited mobility
Older guests can join the safari on the road route. Climbing into a tall 4x4 can be hard, and walking on soft sand is slow. Tell us how far you can walk, and we check whether the camp has seating near the car. For clothes, see what to wear on a desert safari.
What to tell us when you book
Send these on WhatsApp to +971 56 684 8148:
- Pregnancy, back, neck or heart issues.
- Ages of all children, so we plan seat belts and child seats.
- Mobility needs.
- Whether anyone wants no dune drive.
If you want to drive yourself, quad bikes and buggies have their own rules, covered in quad bike and dune buggy rules in Dubai. More trips are in day trips from Dubai.
Photos in this guide
A black SUV throwing up sand as it drives down a dune in the Dubai desertRob Young / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
White Toyota Land Cruisers on a dune drive across red sand in the Dubai desertBahnfrend / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Three white Land Cruisers on the crest of a red dune during a desert drive near DubaiBahnfrend / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
A white 4x4 driving over a dune crest in the Dubai desert in soft, hazy lightHeba Hashem / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
