Day 2 & 3 - The initial shock quickly dissipated

Day 2 - Desert Safari

After getting a relatively good night's sleep and processing the events of the previous day, we headed to the pool after a hearty breakfast. Because our desert safari was scheduled for the afternoon. I had already booked the tour from home through the "Musement" app. The driver was a bit late and we were afraid we had been forgotten, but after over half an hour, we were finally picked up. On the way to the desert, we picked up 4 more tourists. We drove through the city in a large jeep for about 1 hour until we reached the desert.

The first stop was a small desert camp where we could buy drinks and souvenirs. It was like a shopping promenade in the middle of the desert. Mass tourism at its finest, as we were definitely not the only ones there. All the jeeps gathered here before heading out into the red sand. Well, we'll see what the rest of the day brings.

Half an hour later, we entered the dunes. With loud music, air conditioning, and a highly motivated driver, we raced up and down the slopes in the car. I didn't know that a car could get into such steep angles and still drive in the sand. It was like a roller coaster ride. We stopped in between to take photos and help other cars stuck in the sand. The whole ride lasted about 1.5 hours. The best 1.5 hours of car ride in my life. It was incredibly fun. And the breaks in the middle of the desert were breathtaking. Nothing but sand...

Before the sunset, we continued to a large desert camp. Here, all the jeeps gathered again and it was teeming with tourists. You could go sandboarding, ride camels, get henna tattoos, sip cocktails, and smoke shisha. Alicia and I decided to go camel riding... well, I was more forced into it.

Afterwards, we enjoyed the sunset and took some more photos.

The sun had set, it was getting dark in the desert, and a beautiful evening awaited us. We were treated to a delicious BBQ accompanied by a show with dancers and fire performers.

I had my concerns about these types of tours where you can feel the mass tourism. But I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. The desert camp was crowded in the evening, but there were so many amazing experiences that I would recommend it to everyone. Just overlook the mass tourism and go on a desert safari!!

Day 3 - Water Park

I had been looking forward to this day the whole time... today we were going to the "Aquaventure Waterpark". We took a taxi and drove to the "Palm" to the top tip where the Atlantis Hotel was located. The entrance to the water park was waiting for us there. I was as excited as a little child. I wanted to dive into every slide I could find right away. But first, we found a nice spot to settle down. We chose the beach with a view of the various hotels on the Palm. Then the fun began... we strolled through the park and tried out one water slide after another. I even went down the steepest slide, the "Leap of Faith", all by myself. I think everyone in the park could hear me screaming, but it didn't matter. It was simply amazing. And with not enough adrenaline in my blood, we headed to the next slide. This time, it started with a free fall. That was also worth experiencing.

We enjoyed the day to the fullest. Delicious food was a must, and because we couldn't decide between pineapple, coconut, or watermelon on the beach... we had them all!!

Completely exhausted from the sun, adrenaline, and action, we took a taxi back to the hotel in the evening. We just collapsed into bed!! The next day, the exploration of Dubai would continue...