Egypt: dune buggy in the desert

A holiday in Egypt is not complete without driving a quad or dune buggy in the desert. It seems that every man in the hotels wants to try and sell you a tour. But if you are there with a tour operator, you can also book it through them.

You have to know that the passenger also must be 16 years old. This is also true for quad tours. A child riding with a parent is also not allowed (although we saw it multiple times with other groups). The tour will last about 4h in total.

We were picked up at 8 am sharp at our hotel by somebody from Falco Safari. At the assembly point, a row of dune buggies was waiting for us. When our group was complete, we were thoroughly enwrapped/protected against the sand with the typical scarfs. You can buy them on the spot for 5 euro but better is to buy them in your hotel or one of the little shops in downtown Hurghada for 1-2 euro (don’t forget to bargain). Sunglasses are also a must. A helmet is provided by them. Oh, and don’t wear white ;).

And don’t worry, there are seatbelts in the buggies. I recommend wearing a t-shirt with a higher neckline and short sleeves. My tank top didn’t give me much protection against the shaving of the seatbelt. A nice abrasion was the result.

And then it was time to go: all dune buggies drove in 1 straight line into the desert. In the beginning, I thought it was scary: you don’t have to wear a helmet when it safe, right? But what could go wrong? Not a lot actually. The speed wasn’t that high, although it feels like it is. After a few minutes, I was like: this is fun, a lot of fun ?. Look for yourself.

We drove towards the mountains to visit a Bedouin village. A nice cup of thee and some camels were waiting for us. Don’t expect too much of the camel ride, it only lasts a few minutes. One of the guides also made a funny picture: look how strong we are. After a short explanation about Bedouin lives, it was time to go back.

I thought it was much more fun than quad biking, or at least more comfortable. Driving with a dune buggy in the desert is a must when you are in Egypt.

Want to do something more cultural? Go to Luxor or Caïro for the day.

Did you ride a quad or a buggy in the desert already?

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