YOUR heart lurches as the four-wheel-drive gears up to negotiate the sand dune ahead. You reach for the skies and then . . . begin the great descent.
This does not begin to describe a desert safari in Sharjah - something tourists from all over the world are going there to experience.
A typical safari package includes heading into the desert in an off-road vehicle where, after spending a roller-coaster encounter with sand dunes, a colourful Arabic tent provides a welcome relief with barbecued delicacies and Arabic beverages.
After dusk, you sit around a bonfire and, if it is a big enough group, a belly dancer, often accompanied by an Arabic band, makes for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Variations can include an evening deep in the desert in an authentic Bedouin village, perhaps by an oasis.
Sharing Bedouin food and hospitality, often to the accompaniment of traditional music and dancing, can go on into the small hours.
On its own, spending some time in the desert can be, for most, a near-mystical experience.
