TRIP FULL: To The SW Corner: 8th/9th (+ optional 10th Feb) 2018

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In A Nutshell

Our longest weekend sand dune driving route, smooth easy lines, gorgeous dunes, extremely remote.  Choose either one or two night’s camping with either two or three days dune driving.

The area

This is the last relatively unspoiled large expanse of desert in the UAE.  Lying between the Ghayathi-Arada Road (E15) and the Saudi border, it covers approx. 12000 square kilometres of desert, with very few restricted areas.  Our route will be easy with a few tricky bits here and there and will take us through beautiful dunes with little or no tracks or garbage!  The route is suitable for new drivers and tuition will be given where and when required.  This route was developed by Marina and has been published in Mike Nott’s Guidebook – Advanced Off-Road Adventure Routes UAE and Oman.

(Optional) Thursday 7^th February 2019

Travel to start point (arrive any time between 5pm and 10.30pm), camp.  For guests signing up for the Friday and or Saturday camping, there is no  charge for this.  Note: food is not provided for Thursday night/Friday morning but if you arrive after dark then a large camp fire will await you!

Friday 8^th February 2019

After breakfast (tea and coffee supplied), campers will pack up and be ready to hit the sand at 1000hours

Those who have not camped should meet us at the start point at 1000hrs, 27kms north of Arada and 2hrs 27 minutes’ drive from the Mafraq Junction on the E11 on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi.

The route is approx. 180kms offroad on pure sand, no gatch tracks or gravel plains here, we hope to do around 100kms before we stop to camp

• Picnic lunch provided
• Camp in a very dark sky, some 70kms from the nearest road!
• Campfire and hearty BBQ with lots of variety (vegetarians and gluten free catered for too)

Saturday 9^th February 2019

Light breakfast and drive back to road, aiming to finish 60kms south of Ghayathi, Al Dhafra,

Those of you on half-term break may like an extra night and some more driving so

• (optional) Return to desert for one more night camping, BBQ and more desert driving (many cars will need to carry extra fuel, or travel approx 40kms to refuel at the nearest ADNOC)

Event Fees

Package A

One night (Friday 8^th February) – Note Thursday night camping is FOC

• Adults 680aed
• Single supplement (for car with driver only) 250aed
• Children aged 4-11 years 340aed
• Camping gear (tent, air mattress, chairs) available for hire at 75aed per person

Package B

Two nights (Friday 8^th February and Saturday 9^th February)

• Adults 980aed
• Single supplement (for car with driver only) 350aed
• Children aged 5-11 years 550aed

Registration form below, or download it from here

[pdf-embedder url=”https://thedesertdiva.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/master-registration-form-camping.pdf” title=”master registration form camping”]

Reserve your place with a 25% deposit, payable by bank transfer, mastercard or visa.

Balance due 14 days before start of trip – 24 Jan 2019

Maximum number of convoy spaces – 10 guest cars

all photos submitted by teams from the Dark Skies Challenges 2015-2018.  This annual event is held in the same area on the last weekend of February each year.