Adventure in the Dubai Desert

Name: Adventure in the Dubai Desert
Uploaded: 2024-04-20T14:53:44Z
Duration: 20 min 32 s
Description: At around 06.00 just before sunrise, the hot air balloon safari begins. Adrenaline began to surge.

At around 06.00 just before sunrise, the hot air balloon safari begins. Adrenaline began to surge.

This article has been translated using AI. See Original .

BUDI SUWARNA

· 6 minutes read

About an hour from the center of Dubai, which is filled with sparkling skyscrapers, there is a challenging "other world": a vast, deserted desert that seems devoid of inhabitants. We explored its wildness in a hot air balloon early in the morning.

It was not yet dawn when the car we were riding in left the hotel where we stayed in the Jumeira area of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Friday (22/3/2024). In just a dozen minutes, the view of the city, which was all brightened by lights, began to disappear from sight. It was replaced by another side of Dubai that was wild.

Fog comes and goes within minutes as we travel on the smooth toll road. At times, the visibility is only 100 meters, forcing drivers to slow down their vehicles. "This is how the weather is around the desert, it often changes," said Nicky, our guide and the driver of the car we were riding, almost as if asking for forgiveness.

Once the fog was blown away and visibility was clearer, he stepped on the accelerator deeply. Slowly we entered the heart of Dubai Desert which was still embraced by night. The asphalt road changes to thick desert sand, causing the car to sometimes swerve left and right. Not far from the last asphalt road we passed, we arrived in the middle of the desert. At that point we—a group of journalists from Jakarta invited by Dubai Economic Tourism—stopped.

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Stepping out of the car, the desert wind gently greets with a cold shiver that makes the body tremble. Clear skies leave behind stars that still twinkle in the early dawn. There are already a dozen tourists who have arrived first while enjoying their hot coffee or tea. Not far from them, several crew members begin to inflate the hot air balloons with large fans that make a roaring sound. Fine dust particles fly around, causing portable lamps to flicker in the surrounding area.

"Welcome. This morning we will embark on a hot air balloon adventure. No need to worry, it's safe and enjoyable," said Captain Vytautas Samarinas, a hot air balloon pilot who will take us on the journey to the sky. He is a Lithuanian pilot who has 23 years of experience flying hot air balloons.

Captain Samarinas then gave a brief explanation about safety procedures, especially during take off and landing. All passengers must wear a seat belt that is attached to the hot air balloon basket. When landing, all passengers are asked to face the inside of the basket, hold on, and bend their knees slightly to absorb possible impacts.

At around 06.00 just before sunrise, the hot air balloon safari begins. Adrenaline began to rush to welcome the hot air balloon adventure for the first time. One by one the passengers boarded the hot air balloon basket which was perfectly round. The basket room is divided into five parts. The four sections facing each other are occupied by 10 passengers. One section in the middle is for the pilot and six LPG gas cylinders.

As soon as the crew on the field released the restraining device and the pilot released the gas cylinder valve that sprayed fire, the hot air balloon slowly lifted off. Its movement was gentle, without any sudden turns. All passengers shouted for joy. The childhood fantasy of flying with a hot air balloon as portrayed in cartoons had truly come to life. At dawn, there were at least eight hot air balloons soaring above the Desert of Dubai.

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"We will fly at an average speed of 20 to 25 kilometers per hour. Currently, we are at a height of 700 meters above ground level and we will continue to climb to a height of around 4,000 meters," said Captain Samarinas.

He said that technically, a hot air balloon can fly up to a height of 10,000 meters above ground level. However, it is risky because the air becomes thinner at higher altitude. In addition, there is an airport and military airfield not far from the Dubai Desert.

The charm of the sunrise

The view of the desert below became increasingly blurred and eventually disappeared completely as our hot air balloon pierced through the clouds. Our view now extends to the horizon, where black shadows of the Al-Hajar Mountains located in eastern United Arab Emirates, bordering Oman, can be seen. Suddenly, amidst those black rocky mountains, a burst of yellowish-golden sunlight appears. It contrasts with the black shadow of Al-Hajar and the grey clouds. It truly is a spectacular transition from night to morning. From there, we understand why hot air balloon adventures must begin just before sunrise.

After enjoying the moment of sunrise from a height, Captain Samarinas turned the hot air balloon to show the beauty of the Dubai Desert from the other side. The Dubai Desert looks like a spread of brown or orange-colored sands with black dots that are actually rocks or shrubs. When the hot air balloon flew lower, several properties could be seen in some parts of the desert. Captain Samarinas said that some of the properties belong to the emir's family, which are usually occupied on weekends or during holidays. Among those properties, there are some that are equipped with private zoos.

We will land about 6 kilometers from the take off point this morning. The air was clear and the wind speed was only 10 kilometers per hour on land. It looks like it will be soft-landing, but still be prepared for a little shaking.

We also flew near the oryx conservation area in the desert called Emty Quarter or Rub'al Khali. Oryx is a type of antelope that inhabits the plains of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. This beautiful-eyed oryx is the national animal of the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and Jordan.

Captain Samarinas said, "this morning we were lucky because the air was very clear and the temperature was not hot. These types of adventures are usually held from September to May. However, the best time is in the months of October to March. After that, the air in Dubai will be scorching like 'hell'. "During the scorching summer season in Dubai, June to August, I return to Europe and fly hot air balloons there," he said.

About an hour into the sky, captain Samarinas slowly lowered the height of the hot air balloon. "We will land about 6 kilometers from the take off point this morning. The air was clear and the wind speed was only 10 kilometers per hour on land. "It looks like it will be soft-landing, but still be prepared for a little shaking," he said.

As it gets closer to land, the balloon moves more slowly and tends to be horizontal. In just a few minutes, the balloon was approaching an empty desert with soft sand. Captain Samarinas reminded all passengers to check their seat belts, hold on and bend their knees slightly. "Get ready. No more selfies!” shouted Samarinas.

A moment later, we felt a fairly strong impact on the bottom of the basket we were standing on. The basket was dragged several meters to the ground. Before the basket could stand upright perfectly, the pull of the hot air balloon made the basket tilt and eventually topple over to the side. All the passengers screamed in shock, but soon followed by laughter.

Captain Samarinas laughed heartily. He said that with the basket tilted to the side, passengers can easily get out without having to climb.

Safari on land

After adventuring in space, we continued our exploration on land. Nicky brought us in a jeep to tour around the barren desert where the temperature wasn't too hot at the time. After just driving a few kilometers, we arrived at a Bedouin tribe house, a nomadic tribe in the Arabian Peninsula. "These houses used to be inhabited, but the Bedouin people have become wealthy and live in the city now. They only come here for vacation," Nicky joked.

After that, we toured with a camel named Jamal, played in the soft and warm desert sand, and made friends with the falcon which is the national symbol of the UAE. The eagle for the Bedouins was an important animal that helped them hunt rabbits, wild fowl and other bush animals.

After about three hours, the safari came to an end. We returned to the heart of Dubai, carrying memories of our adventure on land and in the air of the Dubai desert.

Editor:

MOHAMMAD HILMI FAIQ

Adventure in the Dubai Desert

About AI Translated Article

The charm of the sunrise

Safari on land