FEATURE--Amid sand dunes in Dubai and a Sri Lankan loss

By Feizal Samath in Dubai

What a coincidence! Just as Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa opened Sri Lanka’s first sand dune adventure centre last week at the Port City in Colombo – taking a ride in a 4-wheel buggy – we (a group of media personnel) were enjoying the thrills and near-spills of an unnerving ride on the sand dunes of Dubai.

Colombo seems to have taken a leaf from Dubai’s exciting, popular and what-is-called, ‘Dune bashing’, an adventure in a four-wheel pick-up or 4-wheel buggy over the sand dunes in the desert.

The dune adventure was nothing short of excitement. We reached the sand-dune site just outside Dubai accompanied by Lakshan Madurasinghe, Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Nepal and Bhutan – Coca Cola Sri Lanka (Pvt) Ltd.

There were three options at the location: ride a camel, ride an open buggy over sand dunes which gets you covered (almost) in sand or ride a fully enclosed pick-up over the dunes, some of which are very hilly that you get the eerie feeling the vehicle would topple.

We took up dune bashing and a camel ride. The shouts and screams from the vehicle were reminiscent of a Ferris-wheel ride where occupants scream, shout and sometimes throw-up when they are swung up and down at high speed.

Before the sand dune ride, the air pressure in the vehicle’s tyres is sharply let off to 13 from 40, to enable a better grip on the sand and reversed to 40 when returning to steadier ground. With an experienced driver at the wheel, the pick-up takes off at speed, swerving, climbing sand hills and going down sharp slopes, twisting and turning in the sandy hills.

The sharp climbs followed by deep slopes make the passengers screech in terror, wondering why they ever undertook such an adventure. For the person occupying the front seat next to the driver, the experience can be so nail-biting that grand plans to click those all-important photographs is a lost dream, as the dunes rush up and then there is a deep drop with the vehicle hitting the ground with a jerk.

A terrifyingly challenging experience is when the vehicle is driven sideways on the sloping sands, sliding and slithering, with the fearful adventurers clinging to the sides……..and the driver frantically attempts to prevent it from turning turtle. The vehicles stutters as the driver switches gears to get some momentum or to allow the tyres to grip the sand and huge sighs of relief from the passengers when the difficult terrain is way behind them.

At the top of the highest sand dune, many vehicles have gathered with their passengers watching the sunset, a fantastic picture with the sand dunes in the foreground. We too get off the vehicle, watch the sunset and click numerous pictures as a mild sand storm passes by.

As we descend to the starting point, we are convinced that we would never take this dangerously enthralling ride again, ever! A hard promise to keep as Lakshan had done this adventure before and vowed never to do it again!

That was the most exciting of three days in Dubai, a city that draws millions of visitors and has one of the biggest airports in the world.

According to officials, while most tourists believe Dubai's revenue comes primarily from oil, only a moderate amount of oil reserves is used to generate infrastructure for trade, manufacturing and tourism. Dubai not only attracts millions of tourists but is a thriving business centre with a growing number of business travellers attending global events in this desert city

Dubai is part of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) which is the third-richest country in the world after Qatar and Luxembourg and derives its income largely from tourism, business events and trade

Everywhere you go you see high-rise buildings in different shapes and sizes with many new ones springing up. It also has many firsts, the tallest building in the world – the 154-floor Burj Khalifa and the tallest frame in the world, a giant structure resembling a photo frame in another part of the city.

Shopping is exciting with all the famous global brands available, that is if you have the cash. However, for items with middle-range prices, there are different shopping malls and streets that cater to your preferred price range.

Travelling abroad can be exhausting these days due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the requirement of RT-PCR tests. For anyone hoping to board a plane out, a negative report of an RT-PCR test taken 72 hours before departure must be presented at the airport. The test is usually performed at a private hospital in Colombo. In the case of Dubai, a rapid antigen test must also be taken at the Colombo airport (the location is in the airport car park where Asiri Health has set up a temporary testing facility) with the results being given in about 90 minutes. For all processes, you are required to be at the airport 6 hours ahead of departure time (this might apply only in the case of travellers to Dubai or the UAE).

Arriving in Dubai, a rapid antigen test is taken at the airport and thereafter a test at the hotel, at least 48 hours ahead of your return. What happens if your test is positive? Our group’s results came negative but I presume you won’t be allowed to travel if the test is positive.

After the sand-dune ride, we drove to a desert restaurant where a sumptuous dinner buffet greeted us accompanied by Arabian music and dance.

The next day it was a ride up to the topmost point of the 154-floor Burj Khalifa which is a mixed development of hotels (we had lunch at Armani Hotel on the ground floor – the hotel is part of the high-end Italian luxury fashion house), offices and apartments. The speedy elevator takes just a few seconds to reach the top where you get spectacular views of Dubai.

Wednesday, October 28, was a big day for Sri Lankan fans as Sri Lanka was facing Australia in a group match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Reaching the giant stadium in the evening, we were directed to the hospitality booth with unlimited food and drink and a great view of the proceedings – you tend to get tipsy and forget the match!  Unfortunately, Sri Lanka lost the match being only able to muster 154 runs for 6 wickets with the Aussies reaching the target, losing only 3 wickets and with 18 balls to spare.

It was disappointment for the large Sri Lankan contingent of fans whose often raucous but spirited cheering replete with ‘papara’ bands didn’t help steal a victory from the Aussies.

The next day, it was shopping at a middle-range supermarket and thereafter heading for the airport for our ride home.

(The 3-day trip to Dubai was sponsored by Coca Cola for sightseeing, partaking of great Arabian food and watching the T20 World Cup encounter between Sri Lanka and Australia on October 28. Coca Cola is the main beverage sponsor of the competition).

The media group (above) with Lakshan Madurasinghe at the match.

At the match.

At the sand dunes.