Travel turns the world into a much smaller place, but the Middle East remains to this day largely shrouded in mystique, beckoning curious adventurers to peek behind the veil at a fascinating world of culture, history and beauty.
Dubai, the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates, blends old-world tradition with ultra-modern luxury. Where fishing and pearling industries were once the driving economic forces, an over-the-top playground for the wealthy has risen from the sand. Dubai celebrates the future with emerging technologies like driverless taxis while attractions like the Museum of the Future welcome innovation with open arms.
Although today expatriates populate the city and visitors can do just about anything imaginable (where else can you get a 24-carat gold facial treatment?), local tours offer a glimpse into the traditions of the Emirati peoples who mastered life in the unforgiving desert, creating a fascinating culture ripe with traditions.
ABC Tours, one of the most trusted names in Dubai tourism and one of the city’s oldest operating tour companies, offers comfortable rides, knowledgeable guides and unforgettable experiences.
With ABC you can experience the city the way you want — tour the waterfront aboard a luxury yacht or take in the landscape by helicopter — but to get the most intimate look into Emirati culture, you’ll want to book the Desert Safari Tour.

© Maxusii | Dreamstime.com
These excursions take you away from the skyscrapers, fancy cars and glamorous beaches and into the sandy dunes. Tours start with dune bashing, an adrenaline-filled ride through the dunes in an off-road vehicle designed to easily cruise the soft sands at high speeds. This adventure is followed by a camel ride, the traditional method of transport for Bedouins, the nomadic peoples who historically populated the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula.
After an afternoon of playing in the giant desert sandbox, the tour gives you a more intimate look at desert life with a visit to a Bedouin camp. Here you experience a variety of local traditions from sword and fire shows to falconry demonstrations. Local craftspeople are on hand to sell their handicrafts, and Emirati artisans will create beautiful henna designs on your hands.
In true Bedouin fashion, guests sit on elegant cushions while they enjoy a dinner show with traditional Arabian cuisine accompanied by live music, belly dancers and Tanoura dancers. As you enjoy an aromatic Arabic coffee or tea and the cooler temperatures of the evening, you can partake in shisha, using a hookah that burns flavored tobacco.
During your stay in Dubai, you’ll want to explore attractions like the Burj Khalifa and a traditional souk, but your visit won’t be complete without a venture into the wild and rugged desert to experience the haunting beauty and beguiling traditions of its people.
Read This Next

Introducing
FX Excursions
FX Excursions offers the chance for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in destinations around the world.
#globility
Insta FeedDaily
Apr 18, 2025Grand Hyatt Atlanta Buckhead Completes Renovation
Grand Hyatt Atlanta Buckhead unveils the completion of its multiphased renovation. With help from leading design firm DLR Group and architectural experts at designONE studio, the renovation features thoughtfully curated upgrades such as improved accommodations and new dining, socializing and relaxation spaces.
Sponsored Content
A Summer Sojourn Along Europe’s Rivers with AmaWaterways
This summer, elevate your vacation experience with award-winning AmaWaterways. Offering a seamless blend of unparalleled luxury, authentic cultural experiences and unrivaled service, AmaWaterways cruises are the perfect way to uncover the heart of Europe during the sunniest season with itineraries that glide along the continent’s most iconic rivers, including the Danube, the Rhine, the Seine and the Douro.
April 2025
Apr 18, 2025Wellness Comes Naturally in Greenville, South Carolina
Strolling through downtown Greenville, South Carolina, it’s easy to see why the city ranks high among the best places to live in the United States: Shops, restaurants and coffee bars line the streets; there are also performance venues, hotels and outdoor plazas. But what really sets this upstate city of just more than 78,000 residents apart are the easily accessible parks and walking trails encouraging both residents and visitors to explore the city by foot or cycle (both handcycles and adaptive bikes are available to rent). Even better, as Greenville continues to grow, city planners and major employers work together to expand these opportunities. When Greenville’s Swamp Rabbit Trail, for instance, opened in 2009, the paved, multiuse pathway ran about 9 miles from the heart of Greenville to the town of Traveler’s Rest.
Daily
Apr 18, 2025California’s Pebble Beach Company to Renovate The Links at Spanish Bay
California’s Pebble Beach Company unveiled the timeline for its highly anticipated renovation of The Links at Spanish Bay. The golf course will close March 18, 2026, and reopen in spring 2027, a few months before the U.S. Open will be played at Pebble Beach Golf Links for the seventh time.
Sponsored Content
Find Your Perfect Escape with Paradisus by Meliá — More Than Just All-Inclusive
Luxury travel today is about more than just beautiful accommodations — it’s about experiencing the destination. Paradisus by Meliá takes traditional all-inclusive resorts to the next level by offering indulgence with immersion, experiences and authenticity. Each resort is shaped by its location, local flavors and curated Destination Inclusive® experiences that bring you closer to the heart of the destination.
Daily
Apr 18, 2025Azamara Cruises Announces Shore Excursions for Maiden Voyage to Greenland
Azamara Cruises has unveiled its new shore programming for its Greenland sailings, which start this July. The cruise line is known for its Destination Immersion experiences and Extended Destination Days; all the immersive shore excursions for Greenland sailings have been created in collaboration with local communities to showcase Greenland’s natural beauty. Due to Azamara’s commitment to locally driven experiences, guests will engage with the destination’s unique culture while supporting the local people.
Exclusive St. Barts Hotel Offers for 2025
Daily
Apr 17, 2025eFlyer Reviews
Apr 16, 2025Grand Hotel Des Bains Kempinski St. Moritz Review
Switzerland’s most storied ski town (the one, in fact, credited with pioneering the very concept of Alpine tourism), St. Moritz legendarily attracts the rich, the famous, celebutantes and the wannabes. Yet, there’s something compellingly earthy about the place, a town on a lake rich with natural environs, where winter sports and summer activities draw athletes and mountain lovers aplenty. As at the mountain restaurants (where some arrive by chairlift rather than muscle movement, and all types of diners and imbibers convene), Grand Hotel des Bains Kempinski St. Moritz straddles the old and new, the lavish and the understated. The hotel, one of St. Moritz’s oldest, opened as a spa haven in 1864, set atop a healing mineral spring.
Sponsored Content
Royal Air Maroc Marks Five Years with oneworld: Strengthening Connectivity Between USA and Africa and Expanding Global Reach
Royal Air Maroc proudly enters its fifth year as a member of the prestigious oneworld alliance. Since joining in April 2020, RAM has demonstrated resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic, emerging as a dynamic airline that enhanced its digital services and expanded its network. The airline plans to grow its fleet to 200 aircraft by 2037, reinforcing its global presence.
eFlyer News
Apr 16, 2025Aranui Announces Expansion with Second Ship
Aranui Cruises, the original cruise company in French Polynesia, just announced a second luxury ship set to sail the South Pacific in 2027. The new ship, Aranoa, expands the cruise line and will journey across the Austral Islands.
ShareThis