Top Adventure Sports for Adrenaline Junkies in Dubai
Sure, it’s easy to be beguiled by Dubai’s extravagant glitz and glamour, the city’s hedonistic nightlife and plentiful shopping that ranges from glitzy luxury malls to decadent gold and spice souks. However, if you’re looking for a Dubai tour packages that brings out the daredevil in you, we recommend getting your thrill on with Dubai’s high-octane adventure sports. But, before we go any further, why should you head to Dubai?
It is only in Dubai that you will find a diverse array of adventure sports options that lead you through the sand, sea and snow. Only in Dubai will these attractions coexist within an arm’s length of each other where visitors can feel the adrenaline rush.
Sandboarding
Snowboarding has been around for long enough for it to be declared as an official sport of the Winter Olympics. Now, imagine strapping your feet to a board, just like a snowboard, but using it to scale massive sand dunes! The rush is addictive enough for Dubai’s stunt riders to head to the Big Red, where you can book a dune buggy or ATV ride to a large dune and launch yourself off the very top. Most tour operators will also throw in a spot of dune bashing, or driving through Dubai’s sandy mounds on a rugged SUV. As your sandy adventure draws to a close, take some time off to watch the sun go down over Dubai’s panoramic skyline.
Skiing and snowboarding
If you have what it takes for a thorough rinse and repeat of your dune-top adventure, head to Ski Dubai. One of Dubai’s most talked-about attractions that has one of the largest manmade ski slopes on the planet, Ski Dubai combines 6,000 tonnes of snow with a 400 metre-slope to offer you the skiing adventure of a lifetime. Temperatures dip as low as -9 degrees C so make sure to bundle up. The resort also offers lessons for beginners. When you tire of skiing, head to the indoor zip-line or take a trip to the petting zoo, where you can indulge in a ‘VIP Peng-Friend Encounter’ that involves hobnobbing with penguins in a private room.
Wakeboarding
Another favourite with thrill-seekers, wakeboarding is actually a lot tamer than sand or snowboarding. Wakeboarding involves riding a wakeboard over a relatively still body of water, while a motorboat tows you along at speeds of roughly 30-40 km/h. Dubai’s Jebel Ali area is a wakeboarding hotspot – head to the Jebel Ali Golf Resort and Spa and embark on your seaside adventure near the Palm Jebel Ali. The resort also offers wetsuit and board rentals… all you need to bring along is your sense of adventure and a little cash.
F1 driving
Dubai’s reputation as being the playground of speed demons is thoroughly cemented by the Dubai Autodrome. Here, you can sign up for a crash course in F1 driving, which involves a quick classroom session and a spin on a lightweight, but incredibly fast car. Feel the speed course through your body as your car races from 0-100 km/h in only 4 seconds and manoeuvre your machine expertly through the track’s challenging twists and turns. For roughly USD 250 per session, this is as close as it gets to what life as Michael Schumacher or Lewis Hamilton would feel like.
Water sports, slides and marine life
For a spot of more sedate and family-friendly fun, look no further than Aquaventure at Atlantis, the Palm. Often called the best water park in the city, Aquaventure has a number of hair-raising adventure rides that include Aquaconda – the world’s largest waterslide, Zommerango – the waterslide that challenges the laws of gravity, and the appropriately-named Leap of Faith that will send you hurtling down a nine storey-mega slide in a second-long vertical drop – if that wasn’t exciting enough, the Leap of Faith culminates in a clear acrylic tube that is surrounded by sharks and cownose rays. Visitors travelling with children will appreciate the Lost Chambers Aquarium, which is themed on the Lost City of Atlantis: participate in hourly myth tours or book your ticket for an informative aqua-theatre shore. Round off your trip with some yoga in the company of some of the rarest and more exquisite fish species in the world. Visitors can also swim with dolphins, hang out with sea lions or help feed the cownose rays. This park is definitely an attraction to book your tickets for, if you’re travelling with the family or young children.
Skydiving
What better way to explore Dubai’s breathtaking cityscape than to hurtle towards it at speeds of up to 201 km/h? That’s exactly what SkyDive Dubai offers you – climb into an aircraft that leads you to 13,000 feet above Dubai, and then jump with a trained videographer who will not only guide you to safety, but also record what could possibly be the most thrilling experience of your entire life. A word of caution: only visitors who weigh less than 100 kg and have a BMI of less than 31 may participate, owing to safety concerns.
Flyboarding
A sport that is as Instagram-friendly as it is a hit with A-list celebrities, fly boarding involves wearing a jetpack that propels you over water. Your board is connected to a long hosepipe that directs pressurized water under your boots, propelling you to a dizzying height of 49 feet. A relatively recent thrill – fly boarding was only invented in 2012 – this high octane sport is definitely only for the bravest. While in Dubai, head to Jumeriah Harbour to experience what technology-enabled levitation feels like.
Micro-lighting
Ultra-light or micro-light aviation involves taking off in a one or two-seat, fixed wing aircraft. Look no further than the Al Marmoom Desert Reserve in Ras Al Khaimer, where you can book your own fifteen-minute micro-light flight that leads you over mountains, desert, lagoons and lush plains. If you have the time, inclination and the funds, you can even sign up to train as a licensed pilot. Courses are conducted by the Jazirah Aviation Club, and can get a little pricey considering how addictive the overall experience is. The aviation club also conducts flying experiences on gyrocopters, powered parachutes and paramotors, if you’re in the mood for a little variety. Not one of your garden-variety thrills, a micro-lighting session is definitely one of those experiences you carry with you for a lifetime.
Dubai’s adventure sports are an exciting way to experience this wondrous city through new and rejuvenated eyes. If you’re looking for the best flight ticket offers and hotel deals that will allow you to splurge on the most thrilling adventure experiences, make sure to check out Musafir.com. Regardless of whether you’re a solo traveller or are journeying with friends and family, you’re sure to find an option that best suits your budget and requirements. Bon voyage!