The trailer for the new Star Wars movie “The Force Awakens” is out and the buzz surrounding where it was shot in the desert outside of Abu Dhabi is everywhere.
Let me tell you, this desert is amazing and even better in real life than on film.
Parts of "The Force Awakens" was shot in the Empty Quarter (also known as Rub’ al Khali). It's the second largest sand desert in the world and covers over 650,000 square kilometers. This sand is so fine that when you step in it, you sink up to your ankles, and when you go up hill, you have to run or else you will slide back down. It’s a challenging and amazing experience, but you will have a lot of sand in your shoes.
The fine sand is also why it looks like ocean waves. As the wind blows, your footsteps disappear and tiny waves of sand appear.
I went with a girlfriend a couple of weekends ago as I’ve been dying to stay in a desert resort in the Empty Quarter. The one I picked was Al Sarab Desert Resort, which is located about 2 hours outside of Abu Dhabi in the middle of nowhere – or in the middle of the Empty Quarter.
But it was worth the long drive as everything at the resort was better than I imagined – from driving up to the resort gates (that looked like a desert fortress) to drinking camel milk with dates (their welcome drink), to the super posh bathtub that neither of us had time to use in our fantastic room.
RIDING ON CAMELS AND FAT TIRE BIKES
We hadn’t planned on doing excursions, but when we got there, we couldn’t resist. Instantly we signed up for a sunset camel ride in the desert and Fat Tire Biking at sunrise. You notice all our activities are either early morning as the sun sets, and that’s because it’s the desert. The rest of the day is pretty hot so you want to spend that part in the pool or in air conditioning somewhere.
So first up…the camels. I’ve done camel riding in Morocco years ago, but that one was lame compared to this adventure.
With the Al Sarab Desert Resort, you are riding your camel for a good hour or so. I’m saying riding, but really you are just sitting there. The camels know where they are going so you don’t need to steer or anything. They walk in this slow leisurely line up over the dunes and eventually you stop on top of a sand dune and watch the sun go down. Super relaxing.
Then there were the fat tire bikes. These are the opposite of relaxing. This was challenging. The tires are fat AND they are flat. The reason for this is so that you have more traction in the sand and don’t sink. Remember how I mentioned that you have to run up the hills or else you slide back down on the sand? Well, on the bike, you have to pedal really fast or else you’ll sink, slide down and then fall off. They are also really bouncy when on solid ground (that part was fun).
I highly recommend fat tire biking if there. It’s an experience you won’t find anywhere else as this desert is unique. Plus, once I got the hang up it, going up and down the dunes was a blast!
SO MANY STARS
The absolutely best part about our trip to the Empty Quarter was the night walk through the desert.
There were just four of us and the guide. He drove us out farther in the desert away from everything and then we trekked through the sand under the light of the moon. The only sound out there was our footsteps as we sloshed through the sand, but we could see the tracks of other creatures in the sand as we walked. Even the beetles sink in the fine dust so you could see their tracks too.
Finally, at the top of one of the dune, the guide had us stop, lay back and gaze up at the sky. With no light pollution, the heavens were an astrologer’s dream. I’ve never seen so many stars. It was as if they were layered upon each other. And the silence of the desert was so peaceful.
I never had time to do this, but if you go, try to camp in the Empty Quarter under the stars. They resort can set up a tent for you, provide food and the transportation to the middle of the desert and back. After seeing the starry night sky, I've now added this to my list of things to do next time.
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