By Mia Lajos
“… and a Heaven in a Wild Flower, Hold Infinity in the Palm of Your Hand and Eternity in an Hour. “
William Blake’s famous poem could have aptly been inspired by Dubai’s magnificent Sand Desert. One of the most surreal and extreme landscapes, the biggest sand desert on our planet is an amalgamation of a rich biodiversity and extreme conditions that merge into unforgettable sights of raw beauty.
The enormous dunes are part of The Empty Quarter – a description that you can take quite literally, for it is the scarcest section of the Arabian Desert. With 650.000 square kilometres (about 400.000 sq miles) it would cover the entire area of the US State of Texas with fine, beige powder that piles into hills of up to 250 meters (820 ft) – higher than the tallest skyscraper in London’s Canary Wharf.
Deserts all over the world have been spreading due to the increase in deforestation, the changing climate and the rising temperatures. The Empty Quarter has gotten so inhospitable that the ancient caravan trails laden with frankincense and other goods on their way to serve the markets of the Orient ceased to cross the infinite sand one hundred years ago. Their trails have been erased by the incessant winds; now it is hard to imagine that such a place has been inhabited at all.
But one couldn’t be farther from the truth. Not even such a hostile environment can keep the force of life away. A Heaven in a Wild Flower indeed – the flora that fights its way to the hot dry surface of the ground, such as the Desert Hyacinth, is not only beautiful but also part of the reason for the survival of the grazing Oryx or Gazelle. This harsh landscape has produced some of the most beautiful specimens of their species, such as the Sand Fox or the feline Caracal, three kinds of Praying Mantis or the emerald-and-rosé marbled Oleander Hawk Moth.
In spite of many species having perfectly adapted to the conditions, they have nevertheless been suffering from diminishing numbers; some have been extinct from the region until the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve re-introduced them into a newly established nature sanctuary. As so often, the threat lies in human interference perpetuated by the rapid growth of the region’s cities. However, the growing accessibility of the land provides many varied ways to experience and enjoy this unique combination of biodiversity and geological characteristics.
The most considerate way to do so is on a horseback ride along the ridges of the dunes. For the more adventurous ones, there is the option of a desert safari in 4×4 off-road vehicles, complemented by a BBQ under the stars. Add the incredible spectacle of the sun setting beyond the horizon of this majestic landscape, underscored by the mysterious singing of the dunes – sand that gives off low booming sounds when moved – and the atmosphere becomes saturated with the magic that fuelled human imagination for centuries. The age-old tales of Scheherazade and the legends of the Lost City of Ubar that are told at the Bedouin camp fires awake the spirits of an era long gone, making an Hour truly Hold an Eternity.
You can tailor-make your holiday to the UAE, including desert tours, with Kenwood Travel Dubai
Photo: HumanandNatural
