UAE, a 4×4 desert safari to Liwa

Full day Liwa 4×4 Safari from Abu Dhabi

The guide to visit Liwa Oasis

The United Arab Emirates represents a perfect destination for people who want to try a beautiful experience in the Middle East and enjoy different activities and attractions.

For this reason, Uae became a paradise for millions of visitors in the last few years. One of the ”not to be missed” daily trip in the UAE is the desert safari, a must for travellers who want to try an amazing experience in the Rub Al Khali (also called Empty Quarter), the second-largest sandy area in the world that extends throughout the Arabian Peninsula.

Usually, people arrange the desert safari from Dubai. Several companies offer various packages with many activities for different prices: dune bashing rides, camel rides, sandboarding, dinner and entertainment, safari nights, 4 wheel ATVs rides and many others. We tried most of these activities with different local tour operators, and we were always satisfied with the service. 

Anyway, although we love the part of the desert around Dubai, we really want to recommend an underestimated place rich in beauty and wildness, located 220 km southwest of Abu Dhabi: the Oasis of Liwa. If you like to discover unusual itineraries, far from the crowd, this is the right choice! Once we arrived in Abu Dhabi, we arranged a Liwa desert safari with a local agency found on the web. In the past, Liwa was known as the Bu Fallah desert because of the Bu Fallah tribe living in this area. The next day, very early in the morning, we jump on the 4 WD Toyota, and after a couple of hours of drive on a tarred road, we switch to the desert, finally beginning our ride along a track.

The stunning landscape is characterized by an endless sweep of huge shimmering dunes; the colour of the sand ranges from an almost orange-red colour to a golden brown, while the clear sky creates a wonderful contrast with the shades of the desert.

The heat is quite strong, the temperature out of the car is around 40 degrees, and the breeze is hot, but this charming place makes us forget the heat; in this area, there is also the opportunity to see wild camels or gazelles, and this also makes the trip more charming and wild at the same time.

On the way to Liwa Oasis, about 25 kilometres away, we stop in a spectacular place called Moreeb Hill, known as the Scary Mountain. Considered by many local as the highest dune in the world, it is definitely one of the highest we have ever seen.

With more than 300 meters in height and with a 50 degrees slip-face, this spectacular wall of sand is the favourite destination in the UAE for sandboarding lovers who arrive every year in Liwa to attend the Liwa International Festival.

After taking some pics in Moreeb Hill, we proceed to Liwa Oasis, an isolated paradise lost in the vast desert. Renowned for its crops of dates, it was an area populated by many Bedouin tribes due to the water richness and the short distance from Abu Dhabi and Al Ain.

Once there, we meet an old man resident in the place, who welcome us with mint tea and fresh dates and talk with us about life in the Oasis, sure really fascinating but at the same time very hard. In the late afternoon, after completing the tour with the visit of other attractions, we leave the desert with the warm sunlight colouring the horizon in the background and still in our mind the beautiful experience we tried. On this beautiful trip, where of course the main attraction is the Liwa Oasis, you will also have the opportunity to visit different places such as a Camel Farm, the Liwa Fort, have fun with dune bashing and have lunch (or dinner) with a very rich BBQ.