This Luxury Glampsite in Dubai Will Have You Dancing in the Dunes

IT’S NATURAL TO associate Dubai with mammoth shopping malls and waterparks, but the emirate is also a phenomenal destination for exploring the outdoors. In the cooler months, between November and April, families break free of the shackles of summer and flock to the desert cities to ride mountain-bike tracks, hike the rugged mountains of Hatta, surf the waves breaking in front of the iconic Burj Al Arab hotel, and seek out the dunes of the desert for sunset barbecues and sandboarding.

And while all these experiences can be done without spending a dirham, there are a handful of more curated ways families can experience Dubai’s natural assets, which are sure to imprint for life. 

My nieces, Harley (9) and Blake (6), and I are sitting in the back of a 4WD as our driver Kassim deftly manoeuvres the vehicle over undulating dunes. There are squeals as he jokes about the snakes and scorpions that frequent the glampsite. We’re in Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, a 225-square-kilometre area of protected desert that’s home to various endemic wildlife including Arabian oryx, scorpions, gazelles, foxes, lizards and birds. 

The 15-minute drive takes us deeper into the park. It’s incredible to think that within an hour’s drive of the city you can be among this relentless wilderness and know that there is a sparkling metropolis just beyond. “You’ve been upgraded to a sunset-facing tent,” says our mudeef or butler, as he packs us into the electric golf cart and we cruise towards our overnight digs. 

Glamping is certainly not a new trend, but The Nest by Sonara (luxury tents, which can accommodate up to four people, from AED 2,300 per night) has set a luxurious new standard for Dubai glamping. And kids are invited. We’re overnighting at the camp in a luxury ‘nest’ designed by award-winning Italian architect Gianni Ranaulo. 

Despite our nest’s many design features—sliding glass doors, a dune-like roof that blends into the scenery, a firepit, an outdoor majlis (sitting area), an extensive ensuite—Harley and Blake are enamoured by its mini-bar fridge, which is hidden behind a door in the rendered wall. The girls have kindly been catered for in plush twin beds on the floor, while I’ve got the double to myself. It’s incredibly spacious, however as we’re visiting in May—at the end of winter—the AC struggles to adequately cool the tent. T+L TIP: Plan your stay for the winter months before April. 

At The Nest there is absolutely no need for screen time. Before the sun sets, a driver picks us up for our all-inclusive dinner (alcohol is extra) and entertainment at nearby Sonara Camp, both part of a collection of luxury camps owned by expat Stephanie Reichenbach. It’s a stylish setup with teepees, lush, white lounges with shaded awnings overhead, and fairy lights. At the entrance, a man dressed in dish- dash (traditional Emirati dress) plays Arabic-inspired tunes on an electric guitar. 

My nieces, their faces flush with the heat, are less interested in the complimentary canapés of flatbread and soft drinks and more so the activities: sandboarding, archery, camel-riding and falconry. After a couple of downhill shreds on the sandboard and a family camel ride, complete with sun glowing pink on the horizon, we head up onto the dunes. Alia the falcon and her handler are putting on an impressive show, set rather poetically to the tune of Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman’s “Time to Say Goodbye.” It’s all very dramatic and tasteful. 

After the sun has set, we head down to the lower camp for dinner, where tables are centred around a circular stage with fairy lights stretching out like rays. Dinner is a set menu of three courses, with options for kids, and sharing-style plates for adults of Arabic dips and lamb chops, which, while delicious, I struggle to make a dent in. The girls are roasting marshmallows over a firepit when the atmosphere shifts. A series of performers takes to the stage over the next hour, each twirling fire with such skill it makes Cirque du Soleil look like amateurs. We’re blown away by the talent— and doubly so by the boom of the grand finale. 

Tonight’s a school night, so I’m conscious of getting the girls back to our nest and to bed. Next minute, the performers start grabbing people from the crowd and a conga line forms as ubiquitous Dubai brunch party tune “I’ve Got a Feeling” pumps and we’re led to a makeshift dancefloor as neon lights pulse green and red. Harley, Blake and I are now raving with strangers at 10 p.m. in the middle of the desert in Dubai, our hair wet with sweat. They’re begging me to stay longer. 

We don’t get much sleep that night due to the heat, but I hope my nieces will remember that their Gigi (their nickname for me) took them out “clubbing” before they were even 10. 

Lede and hero image courtesy of Jenny Hewett
Images courtesy of The Nest by Sonara, unless otherwise noted.

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