Discover dune buggy adventures done differently with Zerzura

Imagine zipping through the desert, sand spraying like confetti, your heart doing somersaults as you vault off a dune and land with a thud that rattles your teeth…

It’s Mad Max meets Mleiha, except you’re the one behind the wheel, not watching from a cinema seat.

This is Zerzura, a new player in Dubai’s dune-buggy game, and one that’s aiming to do things a little differently. Forget the long, lumbering convoys and the cookie-cutter camps. Zerzura doesn’t want to herd you through the desert like a sunburnt tourist on a package tour. They hope to show you the desert on a private, design-led, thrill-charged adventure all your own…

THE ARRIVAL

Forty-five minutes from Dubai, Mleiha National Park opens up like a movie set, red dunes, rocky outcrops, and an eerie, cinematic silence. Zerzura’s private base camp sits tucked amid it all. There’s shade, spotless restrooms (a rare and welcome desert luxury), icy towels, and cold water.

A low-key majlis sets the tone. You sign your waiver, essentially acknowledging that, yes, you’re about to hurl yourself into the desert at unreasonable speeds, and then get kitted out: hairnet, goggles, helmet. There’s a short but sharp briefing, and then the star of the show rolls up.

Don’t expect a Can-Am or a flimsy tourist buggy. Zerzura’s machines are custom-built beasts – four-cylinder, 2000cc engines, 32-inch tyres, and a reinforced frame that’s practically unrollable. These things are born to misbehave, yet feel surprisingly responsive. You can sense the power before you even hit the gas.

THE RIDE

The adventure kicks off gently enough. You cruise along gravel tracks, acclimating to the controls, when suddenly – bam – you’re climbing your first dune. The landscape opens up, and so does the throttle. You push the pedal, and the buggy roars like an animal finally freed.

It’s chaos, but it’s glorious as you slide sideways and launch over crests. There’s a wonderful sense of rebellion in carving your own path through the dunes. No convoy to follow. No crowds to dodge. Just you, your guide up ahead.

Every 10 minutes or so, you stop to catch your breath, and discover the best bits of Mleiha desert, which hides ancient secrets. Your guide points out old marine fossils, once part of the ocean floor. At another stop, you’ll find Camel Rock, a surreal rock formation that looks exactly as its name suggests. Then it’s on to sandboarding, a slightly ridiculous, thoroughly enjoyable tumble down a dune that makes you feel 10-years-old again.

By the time you roll back to base camp, you’re sweaty, sandy, and grinning like you’ve just robbed a bank. But it’s not over yet…

THE DINNER

Should guests choose to continue on, Zerzura offers dining in the desert experiences as a post-dune-buggy perk. You’ll hop back into a buggy and get driven to a secluded setup deep in the dunes, complete with flickering firepit, a rustic BBQ smoking gently in the corner, and a dining table for four, laid out under the stars.

A four-course dinner is simple but good. A mezze spread kicks things off with hummus, mutabal, and fresh Arabic bread, followed by chargrilled chicken skewers and wild mushrooms. A desert green salad, and fire-grilled haloumi comes next, rounding out the mains with grilled lamb chops and chicken majboos with rice, and finishing off with a saffron rice pudding and pistachios. And then, the quiet. No belly dancers or falcon shows, or overcrowded buffets queues. Just space to relax alone.

THE VERDICT

This is adventure stripped of gimmicks, rebuilt for the modern traveller who wants thrill and authenticity in equal measure. It’s also, thankfully, small-scale. You won’t be queuing for your turn on a shared dune or dodging convoys of buggies. Instead, you get something that feels raw pretty damn cool. It’s not the cheapest way to spend an evening (from Dhs3,400 for two guests, including a private dinner), but it’s one of the most memorable.

For more info, visit zerzuraexperiences.com or follow @zerzuraexperiences