Dubai: Discovering the delights of the dunes
Soeryo Winoto, The Jakarta Post, Dubai
Arabian music jolted the tranquility of the dunes of Margham where we and about 100 tourist, were relaxing and enjoying dessert in traditional Arabian Bedu tents after having savored a local dinner.
Then a woman in sensual attire ran out from a corner toward the center of the arena, which was a large spread of blue carpet bordered by an array of small cushions.
"Here comes the belly dancer," one tourist whispered to another.
The visitors, holding cameras in their hands, quickly surrounded the area where the dancer started swaying and shaking her hips and shoulders in time to the music.
The desert wind seemed to blow a little bit hotter when the alluring dancer started grabbing audience members one by one to join her in the dance.
She encouraged the visitors to follow her movements, from shaking their shoulders and hips to carefully undulating their bellies.
Not surprisingly, the 30-minute show was the highlight of the desert safari because it was a new spectacle for many of the visitors, including our party of six Indonesian journalists invited on a tour of Dubai by Emirates Airlines.
It was a hard act to match, but we also experienced some more heart-stopping action on the dunes in the late afternoon. Before enjoying the belly dancing and a dinner on the dunes, our group had been taken in four-wheel drive vehicles for a sensational journey through the rolling desert.
We left our hotel, located close to the beach, at about 4 p.m. by Toyota Land Cruiser.
"Here we go. Don't forget to put your safety belt on," our driver Kareem told us before the car sped off on the highway.
Less then 90 minutes later, our vehicle started to climb up and careen down the rolling red dunes of Margham.
"Such a journey is not recommended for those who have heart problems," Kareem, who hails from Tanzania, said with a smile. His left hand kept a firm grip on the steering wheel and his right hand on the gear stick.
"I must be careful, or I'll miss the right moment to shift gear and we'll slide down or get stuck in the sand," he said just seconds before we really were unable to navigate a dune some three meters high.
Our adrenaline was racing, but experienced Kareem was able to handle the situation after asking us to get out of the vehicle.
Watching the sunset from a steep dune was an impressive moment, while a camel ride was another great adventure in our desert safari.
The desert is one of the tourism commodities sold by Dubai, one of the United Arab Emirates which can boast a combination of natural riches and good business strategy in reaching out to visitors.
"Things do not happen by accident, but form part of a long strategy," explained Frederic Bardin, general manager of Arabian Adventures.
Arabian Adventures is owned by the Emirates Group and is part of its Destination and Leisure Management Division.
"There are seven points that make people visit Dubai," Bardin said. "Cleanliness, hospitality, good service, modern, smooth traffic, attractions and, most of all, excellent security."
Bardin, a Frenchman who has lived in Dubai for more than 10 years, assured us that the sheikhdom was a very clean.
"Everything works well here, this what I mean by modern. And Dubai is the safest place in Asia," he assured us, adding that the cosmopolitan city was also blessed with such natural gifts as beautiful beaches, lagoons and the desert.
"The number of hotel guests in 2000 was 3.5 million. We are targeting 15 million guests by 2010. These things are possible. Dubai changes very fast and the Asian market is now picking up."
One remarkable thing is that Dubai has never abandoned its Islamic morals even in the quest to draw tourists.
"You can see belly dancing and get alcoholic liquor in some hotels because of the hotel owners' licenses. But some hotels don't offer alcoholic drinks or erotic dances as the owners don't want that," Bardin said.
"There are no casinos in Dubai as they are against syariah (Islamic law), and anything related to sex is controlled."