During my stay in Qatar, I was able to experience a lot of firsts. I cozied up to camels, swam in the Persian/Arabian Gulf, climbed the stairs of the oldest mosque in the country, dined in some of the fanciest spots in Doha, and my personal favorite: sat up front during a crazy dune bashing adventure in the Arabian Desert; one of the scariest and most exhilarating things I’ve ever done.
My driver was a friendly, outgoing Egyptian guy in his late thirties who shared strange, personal stories with me, like the time he went to a brothel in Europe and told me in detail what happened, and the time he visited strip clubs in the states and had never seen anything like them. (He really liked Las Vegas.) He spoke with enthusiasm and laughed non-stop. My sides hurt from laughing along with him as we drove up and down the huge dunes. He was blasting techno music the entire time and I just about lost my mind when suddenly New Found Glory started playing and he knew all the words. It wasn’t even Sticks and Stones NFG, it was Nothing Gold Can Stay NFG. I couldn’t believe it! (If you’re unfamiliar with that band, it’s probably for the best, but they’re a pop-punk band I was obsessed with in my early teenage years.) I couldn’t believe I was in the Middle East on a sand dune roller coaster ride listening to New Found Glory with my new friend. It was too strange but so amazing!
The car ride itself is pretty terrifying, but you just have to trust that the driver knows what they’re doing. You slide sideways down hills to the point where it feels like the car is going to flip on its side, you drive full speed to the top of a hill and then take flight on your way down, watching the sand surround the vehicle while you’re in mid-air. Though I was pretty freaked, I was still smiling from ear to ear. It’s definitely not something you should try if you have a queasy stomach, a bad back, or a fear of heights!
The views were phenomenal and I loved digging my feet into the sand, wondering if I was the first person to do so in that spot in such a unique, remote place. From the top of certain hills, you could see Saudi Arabia in the distance. I’ve always been drawn to the beauty of the Middle East and feel so grateful that I was given the chance to explore Qatar and see the desert. I really hope I’ll be able to visit that part of the world again someday. There’s still so much I want to see!
Stephanie says
Wow – this looks like such a fun adventure. I love the photos!
Amanda says
Thanks, Stephanie! 🙂
Courtney @ Adelante says
This sounds like an EPIC adventure! I would love the adrenaline of it all, but I also have a tendency to get carsick. So maybe it’s not for me 😉 Sure sounds like you had an exhilarating time though!!
Amanda says
I definitely did! 🙂 That’s so sad you get carsick!
McKenzie Allyshia says
The photos are absolutely gorgeous ♥ I would love to experience the sand between my toes there!
Amanda says
Thank you! It was such a cool feeling. I had to keep pinching myself!
Anna says
This sounds so fun and something that I would LOVE to do! There are sand dunes near Southern California, and we were gonna go dune buggying on a work team-building trip. But it got cancelled at the last minute and I’ve always been a bit sad it never happened. Doing it in Qatar is so much more exotic!
amandaaude@gmail.com says
Aw, that’s totally sad! I’d do it again in a heartbeat. It was so fun!
Carly says
You definitely checked off tons of awesome life experiences off your bucket list on that trip! I can’t imagine driving in the sand there. I would be terrified every time the car slid. Glad you got to your destination safely and enjoyed the experience
Carly at A Modern Mom Blog
amandaaude@gmail.com says
I know! It was so crazy, haha. An amazing experience for sure!
Miu says
Thanks for stopping by and your good wishes!
Your adventures in Qatar sound very exciting! I love the story with your driver 😀 The world is only a village as they say 😉
amandaaude@gmail.com says
🙂 So true!!
Sara says
Wow, those sunset pictures are spectacular!! Beautiful captures!! Your driver sounds like an interesting character – from brothels, to strip clubs, to his love of Vegas, lol. It’s good that he felt comfortable sharing his adventures with you! I don’t know if my stomach could handle the ride, but I bet the view at night was absolutely breathtaking given how desolate the area appears!
amandaaude@gmail.com says
Thanks, Sara! Haha he was an interesting character, indeed! I was laughing the entire time – it was so fun!
beatravelling says
I’ve only been on the free city tour for long layovers, even though I’ve travelled through many times. Apparently I have a lot more to cover 🙂 #wanderfulwednesday
amandaaude@gmail.com says
It was a really cool experience – I definitely recommend it!
Rhonda Albom says
The dune bashing sounds exciting. I saw it in Muscat, Oman and did a more tame version (with sand skiing) in Morocco. In New Zealand, the dunes are limited so people go sandboarding on them (not sure if it’s even legal to bash them here.)
amandaaude@gmail.com says
Wow, that all sounds like so much fun!
Setarra says
Ha! Your driver sounds like he was super entertaining! I feel like this will be a memory you will always look back on that will make you smile. Out of curiosity, I googled New Found Glory since I had never heard of them before and they kind of remind me of Blink 182?? So cool how music can cross borders and language barriers!
amandaaude@gmail.com says
Haha he was soooo goofy! I was smiling like a goon the whole time! And yeah, they do have a Blink 182 vibe! I was amazed he knew who they were!
California Globetrotter says
Omgosh that sounds like fun! I think I too would have both an adrenaline rush and a bit of fear! I think it would remind me a bit of driving in circles in the dirt back in high school with a friend! I’d love to do this! #WanderfulWednedsday
amandaaude@gmail.com says
Haha so true – it was a crazy experience!
Cynthia says
New Found Glory on a sand dune. Talk about a “what is my life” experience! I would love to visit any sand dune – would be a totally new and otherworldly experience, I think! There are some famous dunes in Western Michigan that I’m trying to convince my Michigander husband to take me to sometime 🙂
amandaaude@gmail.com says
Haha yeah, my mind was blown! I didn’t know there were dunes in Michigan! How cool, I’d love to check those out, too! (I’m a Wisconsin native!)
Christine Keane says
Oh wow, that sounds exciting and terrifying at the same time lol. I would be freaking out thinking it might flip! Qatar looks like such a beautiful country!
amandaaude@gmail.com says
Oh gosh I know, I was a little freaked at first but then just had to trust he knew what he was doing! Haha, yes Qatar is a beautiful country indeed.
Marcella ~ WhatAWonderfulWorld says
I love sand dunes. Despite the fact that they are just sand, they are always so pretty. And haha, I laughed thinking of the techno music in these calm surroundings!
amandaaude@gmail.com says
Haha oh man, thinking back on it now makes me laugh! It was such a fun time.
Sarah says
We really loved our visit to the Sahara desert, and your photos remind me a lot of that trip. So I think I would really enjoy going to the Qatar sand dunes, too! What a unique experience!
amandaaude@gmail.com says
Totally – I’d love to visit the Sahara!
Kelleyn Rothaermel says
Stunning photos! I feel like i am right there with you!
amandaaude@gmail.com says
Thanks, Kelleyn!