Dubai UAE - The Desert Safari Experience

If you're ever in the beautiful country of Dubai, UAE (either for work or vacation) one of the must do's there is the Desert Safari.  It's just one of those things that you should add to your bucket list when you go there.  I found myself speechless as I sat on the top of a dune, overlooking vast areas of nothing but sand. It's scary and awe inspiring at the same time.  You can just imagine being back in Biblical times wandering in the desert with your group.  It's simply amazing.  The sand itself is an amazing hue of red.  The type of sand so fine I think you can actually use it in an hour glass.

Sand as fine as it gets.

The current cost of the desert safari depends on the type of tour you'll be taking and which tour company you hire.  The cost ranges from 100 AED per person up to 400 AED per person (1 AED = about 12 pesos).  You can Google a dozen tour companies which offer the desert safari experience or you can ask your hotel for a good tour company. But the basic inclusions for the evening desert safari tour are:

• Hotel Pick up/drop off
• 20-30 minute desert safari drive
• Buffet dinner and BBQ
• Belly dancing show

The Desert Drive

The best part of the desert safari for me was the drive to the desert outpost.  From the city proper it'll take about 1-3 hours to get to the desert.  The tour company will pick you up in a Toyota 4x4 with built in roll cage for safety.  Once there you make a quick stop at a store at the edge of the desert so that you can buy some water.  I suggest you buy some water especially when you go there during the summertime.   Because you'll be going into the desert and water is a must!  The next stop will be at the campsite for dinner unless there is some random stop in the desert for some sand surfing.

In the desert the drivers will pick up some speed and literally ride the dunes.  They'll go up and down and left and right and slide down sand dunes.  It's pretty safe but your body will still pump out that adrenaline.  If you're prone to throwing up I would suggest carrying a plastic bag with you.  You can never be too careful and the drivers will thank you for it.  

Our driver drove over a dune and slid down the side while the wheels where spinning and we got stuck.  We had to get out of the car while it was basically on its side.  It took them a while to get the car unstuck. I took this time for some snapshots.

Car stuck in the sand.

Desert view.

I took below video of them trying to get the car unstuck.

It took them about 30 minutes to get the car out of the sand and we got going again.  After a few more minutes of driving we arrived at our camp site for the buffet dinner and BBQ.  Here you get the chance to ride a camel and get some henna tattoos while waiting for dinner to get ready.

The food itself was amazingly good, lots of BBQ, middle eastern food, and plenty of belly dancing and a guy twirling for over 20 minutes doing different things while twirling.  Man, that guy must have been dizzy doing that!  The twirling guy was one of my most favorite shows for the night actually because lets face it, twirling for that long would make all of us puke.

After enjoying the dinner and show it was time to head back home to the hotel.  Overall it was a very fun and exciting experience.  It's a must try when you get the chance.  Maybe it's time to book that Cebu Pacific flight and make Dubai your next destination.

Take a Hagod Spa Break

My wife and I are always on the lookout for new things and new experiences.  We also love relaxing and getting massages.  So this last weekend I got to spend some great leisure time with the wife at Hagod Spa in Makati.  It’s located just a short walk from Greenbelt 1 and the Asian Institute of Management.  Its exact address is The Colonnade Residences (Basement), 152 Don Carlos Palanca St. Legaspi Village, Makati City.

The spa itself has been around for about 10 years already and this is definite proof that they have something great to offer to its customers.  Its main entrance can be found at the basement of the building.  Please see pictures below.  Note:  They are in the process of renovating so as you can see in the picture they have a temporary sign on display.  The interiors of the spa will also be renovated soon for a better spa experience so we’re looking forward to that.

The waiting area is a small cozy place and is very quiet compared to some other spa’s we've been to.  Maybe this sign has something to do with it?  Either way, I love the fact that once you enter the spa it’s very quiet and relaxing.

The interior is a mixture of a traditional and modern Filipino home.  It even has an old chair in the corner where you could put up your legs and relax.  You know the ones with the long arm rests?  The furniture and floor all look antique and adds to the general ambiance and theme.  It kind of feels like you went home to the province.  It has that laid back mood and quietness that I generally associate with visits to my grandparent’s house.  All of that combined put me at ease right off the bat.

While waiting for our turn for the massage the staff gave us some complimentary hot tea.  It was made out of a honey/lemon/ginger type mixture.  It was nice, warm, and presented in a motive fitting tea set.  The tea is a small, but much appreciated addition to the whole spa experience.

Hagod Spa and Nail Services definite must try in my opinion is the Swedish massage.  It only costs P400 and is as relaxing as it gets.  The Swedish massage is a relaxing, full body massage that consists mainly of sliding (or gliding) strokes on the human body.   I personally prefer this over other types of massages which I find painful sometimes.  And as the name of the spa suggests you can also get your nails done there.

For reference, I have listed some of the costs and services below for your convenience.  For other services or updated pricing you may contact them at (02)893-3698 – 0939-939-5390.

Full Body Massage:

• Swedish Massage                              P400
• Shiatsu Massage                                P400
• Combination (Swedish & Shiatsu)      P400
• Aromatherapy Massage                     P400

They also have other services such as:

• Foot Spa with Foot Reflex                 P400
• Therapeutic Massage                         P1200 (or "Tuina" which consists of a 2 hour treatment of a traditional Chinese method using hot compress to relax muscles an reduce muscle pain.
• Executive Package                             P1500 (Body scrub, full body massage or a choice of foot spa with scalp treatment.

When it was our turn for the massage the staff led us through a short hall with curtains.  Behind the curtains we found a small but comfy therapy area where we could get undressed.  It was clean, the towels were fresh, and there was a small basket provided for us where we could store our belongings.

Shortly after getting dressed in the usual massage attire (shorts, and pretty much nothing else), we got a great 1 hour Swedish Massage by Hagod Spa.  At certain points during the massage they will ask you if you want to do some stretches.  Since I wanted to experience all of it I opted for the stretch and boy did they do a good job since the stretching involved some good acrobatics.

Overall we had a great time at Hagod Spa.  It’s a very affordable and above par spa experience.  Not only did we get to relax, enjoy, and get a massage; we also learned that a heftier price tag does not necessarily translate over to better service.