Sonara Camp: The ultimate desert dining experience in Dubai

When you talk about unique desert experiences, Dubai is always at the forefront, providing one of a kind experiences that create perfect memories. The newly opened Sonara Camp, Dubai is just another example of it. This unique restaurant located in the middle of the Arabian Desert offers extravagant desert dining in Dubai to anyone who wants to experience something out of the box. 

The Sonara Camp is a desert restaurant in Dubai and the first of its kind eco-friendly eatery in the UAE that operates on the core principles of sustainability and zero waste. The entire camp is powered by solar energy and all products and material used here are sourced from ethical means. 

LUXURY DESERT DINING IN DUBAI

Get ready for a delicious fine dining experience in the desert paired with carefully curated activities and entertainment sessions. A dinner at Sonara Camp comprises of delicacies inspired from traditional Arabic cuisine fused with classics from French culinary arts. There is also a selection of dishes that present a brilliant fusion of flavours from the east and the west. 

The food is cooked to perfection, promising you a delicious and elaborate dining experience in the desert. Everything is created using the freshest ingredients and cooked live in front of you. The sophisticated menu includes both vegan and non-vegan options. Oh, and don’t be too surprised if you’re accompanied by a herd of the Arabian oryxes or the gazelles. After all, you’re in their territory.

PRICES FOR DESERT DINING IN DUBAI

Perhaps the best thing about dining at Sonara Camp is that you get to experience the desert first-hand, along with recreational activities and delicious food. The entire affair can last around 4 to 5 hours. This luxury desert dinner in Dubai will cost you:

• Price: AED 860 per adult | AED 380 per child (Aged 5 to 12) 
• Toddlers below the age of 5 dine complimentary

WHAT’S INCLUDED IN THE PACKAGE

The Sonara Camp dinner package includes:

• A soft dune drive or camel ride
• Canapés and refreshments served at sunset
• Live entertainment and musicians
• A lavish dinner served on your table
• A pre-decided set of fun activities

WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED IN THE PACKAGE

The Sonara dinner price does not include the cost of:

• Alcoholic beverages
• Shisha
• Chauffeur service

CUSTOMISED EXPERIENCE

You can also customise your Sonara desert camp experience with a selection of activities that work best for you. Keep in mind that this desert restaurant in Dubai is located in the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, so all activities have to be prepared for and planned in advance. If you want to indulge in any activities other than the ones planned for the day, there will be extra charges for it. For individual prices of different activities, contact the Sonara management. 

ACTIVITIES AT SONARA DUBAI

You can choose to customise your experience with the following set of activities:

• Stargaze with an astronomer
• Listen to a story
• Fire Show
• Drums Class with professional musicians
• A lesson on UAE heritage
• Volleyball
• Soft archery
• Sandboarding
• Photography and drone videography
• Belly dancers, camel riding and falcon show
• Driving in the dunes
• Dune bashing
• Dune buggy
• Quad biking or fat biking

OTHER INFORMATION

Want a one-of-a-kind desert experience with sumptuous food and tons of activities for all ages? Head over to Sonara Camp. Here are the details you need to make that happen. 

• Sonara Camp Location: Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve (DDCR), Al Ain Road, Margham Gate

HOW TO GET TO SONARA CAMP

There are two different ways to reach Sonara Camp. You can choose to:

DRIVE

This new desert dining in Dubai can be accessed via a 40-minute drive out from Downtown Dubai. Should you choose to drive to the camp, the restaurant’s concierge team will meet you at the pre-decided time. 

REQUEST PRIVATE CHAUFFEUR SERVICE

The other way to reach Sonara Dubai is to opt for the restaurant’s private chauffeur service. This service allots you a full-time driver who picks you up from your home/hotel and drives you back whenever you want. 

• This service is not included in your luxury desert dining experience and will cost extra
• The driver will confirm the pick-up time in advance via a phone call
• Your pick up time would ideally be an hour prior to the reservation time

THE SHUTTLE SERVICE

Regardless of the conveyance you choose, you will be dropped off at the DDCR gate. From there, the Sonara Camp shuttle service will transport you to the camp. Here too, you have the option to choose your shuttle service from:

• A 10-minute dune drive in a Land Cruiser
• A 20-minute camel ride to the camp 

There are eight different time slots available for the shuttle service, which span between the duration of 03:30 pm and 07:00 pm. The shuttle service is part of your Sonara desert dining package in Dubai.

SONARA CAMP CONTACT AND RESERVATIONS

To enjoy the perfect dinner in the Dubai desert, make reservations at Sonara Camp beforehand. For now, the camp is accepting online reservations only that can be done through their website. For queries and further information, you can contact Sonara Camp, Dubai on their phone number or email.

• Contact: +971-50-336-7909
• Email: info@sonara.ae

SONARA CAMP TIMINGS

This dinner under the stars in Dubai is an elaborate evening affair that includes fun activities, delicious food and an authentic desert experience. While you get to choose your arrival time at the camp, you have to be on your way back once the clock strikes 10:30 pm. 

• Official Timings: 03:00 pm to 10:30 pm

At this point, Sonara Camp does not provide overnight camping facilities. They haven’t revealed if something like that is planned for the future or not. It is quite understandable if a luxury desert dining experience feels incomplete without a chance to spend the night on the dunes. Fortunately, Nara Private Escape (the sister entity of Sonara) offers a unique glamping experience with luxury camps, big enough to house four people. You can definitely take that up. 

In addition to this, there are a number of desert resorts in Dubai, located close to the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve – with Al Maha being the closest one. If you plan properly, you can convert this lavish desert dining in Dubai into a full-fledged luxurious weekend in the Dubai desert. You can even sign up for one of the overnight desert safaris in Dubai. It’s definitely worth experiencing. 

If you wish to level up the adventure a notch higher, camping in Hatta is your best option. You’ll have the desert, the mountains and your camp – all to yourself. But before you head out, make sure you are prepared for overnight camping in the UAE, because the desert dynamics are slightly different than regular camping trips. 

The weather these days is perfect for exploring the Dubai desert. A luxury dinner at Sonara Camp could be just the excuse you need to embark upon it. 

On the other end of the spectrum are oases. Al Hayer Oasis in Al Ain is one of the latest developed oases in the UAE. You could visit with the family for a fun day out.

Have you had a chance to explore the desert or oases in the UAE? Let us know about it in the comments section below! We’d love to hear from you. 

* Cover Image courtesy: Sonara Camp Official Website