When in Dubai, there are many desert safari companies to choose from. Most will take you out into the Emirati desert and offer camel rides, BBQ dinners, and cultural entertainment. Just one, however, focuses especially on sustainability and ecotourism: Platinum Heritage Safaris from Hero Experiences Group.
Platinum Heritage Safaris isn’t like the other desert safari offerings. One highlight that’s exceedingly difficult to find is witnessing falconry, one of the oldest traditions of the United Arab Emirates, honoring the UAE’s national bird. As we watched the sun set over the desert, we got to watch a thrilling falconry show featuring a local peregrine falcon named Shadow. Peregrine falcons can fly up to 140 kilometers per hour, and as tracked by his trainer, Shadow reached 98 km/hour in front of our own eyes. It was fascinating learning about falconry, seeing one in action, and even getting to take pictures with him. We also learned that falcons live almost twice as long when in captivity, furthering the sustainability model of Platinum Heritage.
Falcons weren’t the only breed of animal we saw on our tour. In addition to riding camels, we also came face to face with some of the UAE’s cherished creatures. A highlight of Platinum Heritage is their nature safari, in which we were driven in vintage Series I and Series II Land Rovers. The significance is that a Land Rover was given as a gift from Queen Elizabeth II to Sheikh Zayed, the founding father of the UAE, formerly a British territory. In these classic Land Rovers, we were taken around the dunes to encounter local wildlife, including the national animal of the UAE, the Arabian oryx. The company works with a conservationist to ensure that their tours don’t disrupt the natural habitat or welfare of these beautiful creatures. In fact, a portion of the money from every tour goes directly to planting alfalfa for the oryx to eat.
Their campsite is the only one of its kind to run completely on solar power. On the grounds, they cooked us delicious foods such as lamb ouzi, camel meat, hummus, and fattoush salad. We also enjoyed some traditional Emirati performances and gazed at the stars in the desert sky. There’s even an option for an overnight stay on the campsite in a Bedouin-style stone dwelling room.
All of this is done in a section of the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve that’s controlled by a member of Dubai’s royal family, the Maktoums. As explained by our phenomenal guide Danish, the Maktoum only allows Platinum Heritage access to their grounds because of their commitment to the sustainability of Dubai. This is why the Platinum Heritage tour does not include dune bashing, which can damage the environment and cause desertification. There may be a time and place for that, but this tour is about preserving the history and wildlife of the Emirati desert.
As part of the global push toward sustainability, Platinum Heritage crafted a tour that makes you feel like you’re contributing to the land, not just using it as a playground. To protect the local flora and fauna, these tours aim to leave no traces beyond our footprints, which are soon wiped away as the wind blows over the sands. If you’re looking for a fun desert safari that you can feel good about, Platinum Heritage delivers the virtuous option.
You can book a Platinum Heritage desert safari online at https://uae.platinum-heritage.com/ or by emailing info@uae.platinum-heritage.com.