Bassata Village — Attraction in Umm al-Quwain

We stayed overnight at the Bassata village to experience the true flavour of traditional Arabic lifestyle. It took us just over an hour from Dubai to drive to our destination. The approach road to the Bassata Village takes you through very interesting twists and turns, wadis, sand-draped rural tarmac roads and a mesh of off-road tracks before you finally reach the ‘back of beyond’ where this idyllic nature retreat is located.

Tranquility and a sense of glorious isolation are the feelings you find yourself immersed in as soon as you enter the Bassata Village complex. The sense of space, both physical and mental, is what drives people to travel to such far-out places in search of solitude and silence.

The evening entertainment bonanza starts just after sunset and goes on for over an hour. A well laid out buffet is served as you enjoy the performances on stage while munching on the delicious barbecue buffet dinner on offer. Adding to the atmosphere of the night was the talented belly dancer who was dancing to the upbeat rhythms of Arabic music. As I sat there on an oversized pillow, puffing on my apple-flavoured shisha and watching the seductive moves of the belly dancer, I couldn’t help feeling like Lawrence of Arabia!

After an eventful evening of riding a dune buggy through the desert, watching a series of enthralling performances and enjoying a three-course dinner, it was finally time to retire for the night in our respective tents. However, there was one more surprise on the menu before we could hit the sack. A big campfire awaited us just outside our sleeping tents. We sat around the bonfire on comfortable pillows and enjoyed the sound of crackling wood in the fire in front of us and the star-studded desert sky above us. A few camels watched us in intrigue from a safe distance as we gave them company till late in the night. Before falling asleep though, I took time off to gaze up at the star-filled sky above and enjoyed my time under the open night sky.

The next morning we woke up to the sound of chirping birds that had gathered on the nearby ghaf trees to sing their morning songs. As we were lazily basking in the morning sun, I spotted a pair of blue-winged birds chasing each other in the blue skies above – and reminded myself of the importance of enjoying the small pleasures of life.

After a fulfilling breakfast, we checked out early to explore the nearby areas on our drive back and take in the sights and sounds of the all-encompassing desert around us.

All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the Bassata Village and would surely come back to escape the hustle-and-bustle of the city life and rejuvenate and recharge.

The entire property has a very minimalist and simple design. Bedouin style majlis tents line the central courtyard around which you can spot a number of Arabic Ghaf trees (Prosopis Cineraria) that make this place a natural oasis in the middle of the desert. We were welcomed by a cacophony of birds chirping in the trees as we walked the carpeted walkways towards the main entertainment and dining area which is located in the middle of the campsite.

Special mention here must be made about the courteous and friendly staff of Bassata Village. The ever-helpful and knowledgable staff – including members from the senior management – is there to welcome you upon arrival and to wave you goodbye when you’re ready to leave. A butler is appointed for each tent to ensure that your holiday exceeds your expectations, from delivering water to your tent to bringing drinks and snacks as you sit around...

Deep in the Ras Al Khaimah desert, you’ll find Bassata Bedouin Camp and Desert Village. The backdrop is the glorious flame and terracotta-hued dunes set in a protected enclave, home to wild camels, the rare oryx, and the occasional lone donkey.

As entertainment, the Bedouins would chant Taghrouda, a mesmerising form of poetry composed and narrated by men as they travelled through the desert on camels. They believed that the hypnotic rhythm would encourage the camels to walk in step. The poems are linguistically creative, with improvised praise and parody sung at celebrations and around campfires. Nabati is another form of poetry spoken by non-Arabic natives.

The Bedouins have a staple diet of goat meat, rice, flour, nuts and dried fruit. They would traditionally cook their food on campfires or in the sand. Goat and camel milk, tea and coffee are popular drinks. They favour two types of coffee, plain coffee qahwa sada, or sweet coffee qahwa helwe.

You can experience a day in the life of a Bedouin and learn more about their traditions. Nature lovers will enjoy being in the vast plains of desert and ride in a caravan of camels, take in the breathtaking scenery and wander through the acacia trees that pepper the landscapes. You can have an exquisitely drawn henna tattoo penned by a local Bedu woman back at the village. For those that are more adventurous, why not try your hand at sandboarding? Not typically Bedouin tradition, but lots of fun. The chefs will prepare a variety of traditional fayre on an open grill with succulent meats and vegetables. The buffet is served with lots of delicious Arabic side dishes and warm, freshly made bread to give you an authentic taste of Bedouin living. The Bassata village is a replica of a typical Bedouin village where you can experience a true nomadic existence. You will watch in awe the lythe movements of the belly and tanoura dancers. Tell stories of your 1001 Arabian Nights adventures under twinkling stars around a...

Very good, but..

We have paid Megasafari - quad/buggy riding, jeep, camel and surfing on snowboard + dinner.

Buggy riding - no possible enjoy on max, all trip is between 25-50 km/h - its boring for men who want enjoy dunas on max!!! For example: In Egypt we could do almost whatever we wanted. Driffting here is prohibited!!!

Jeep - awesome experience, but in car were 6 people + driver. I was sitting on seats back and with my 184cm all the time hitting my head to roof. Another back seats in front of me where OK, there was roof higher.

Camel - we were not try it (our decision protect animal).

Surfing on dunas - after our rides with buggy and jeep, we came back to village after sunset and somebody said "there are snowboards, you can borrow it and go there surfing" - the "there" was close behind village, but without any light. Really you want to go to surf in the dark to desert without light? I dont think so. In my opinion is better take the snowboard to jeep ride and try it while is pause of...