Sonara Camp — Restaurant in Dubai

We booked the nest with sunrise facing for a night stay on 8 Mar 2025, it happened to be a good time, not too hot, we can enter the DDCR at 4.30pm.

Love the sunset with food and drinks at the teepee. As my last profession was an events planner and I used to turn beaches to the Sonara camp experience regularly and thus decided to just dine in at The Nest that comes with the stay and not book the SONARA CAMP dinner. It turned out to be the best decision as we had time to enjoy the nest and everything that came with the nest’s package. I was impressed with the quality of canapés and freshly fired pizza, grills from the kitchen that serves only 14 nests. I didn’t even need dinner and was really full from the sunset bites. It was so exclusive and no mass of people wandering in my enjoyment of the sunset and sand dune horizon. Arriving on time gives us enough time to drop off luggage, take plenty of pictures before the rest checks in. The service team on the ground was so good with their photography skills catching the golden hour for me. Dinner was excellent with good selection of grill meat, way too much food for the Asian small eaters. Great vibes!!

The room was very comfortable and glad they provided bedroom slippers, Loccitane toiletries, fluffy towels. Woke up early for sunrise and realised in retrospect, we didn’t need to pay for the sunrise view as everyone from other nest would crossed the front of our nest to get to the top of the dune for the best sunrise view. I like the turn down service where they provided throws, turn on the fire and gave us hot water bags to enjoy the evening under the stars. They need to have ironing board and iron for loan though.

Breakfast was a generous spread served to our table. The food quality is excellent in my opinion, we sat next to a tree and the singing from the bulbuls was truly morning music to accompany the breakfast. Great coffee and service staff.

Being first on the camel ride has its privileges, totally love the camel ride. I only had time to look up the wildlife that we shared a night under the stars with only after we depart, I freaked out a little when I saw giant green horn beetle moving on the sand at sunrise. Thankful the vipers didn’t come out to play as it was still cold then - according to the staff.

Ground staff were amazing !

Once in a lifetime experience, just once.

My pre-trip Enquiry on WhatsApp with the team was not the most pleasant, they skirted quite many of my questions and avoided answering questions on the weather / temperature . Eventually the temperature they provided for our packing differed from the global weather app which was much more accurate, my friend did not bring sufficient cool clothings because of this. Room service and buggy transfer is a long wait and unfortunately my friend arrived with a sprained ankle and we depended on that to move from our nest to the sunset teepee. Only reason for 4 and not 5 stars...

Our big day at Sonara !

I can confidently say that proposing to my fiancée at Sonara Camp on the 16th of November was the best decision I’ve ever made.

Imran was my go-to person throughout the planning process, and I couldn’t have asked for a better support. He ensured everything was perfect, from reserving a private table for two to giving me ideas that made the entire experience truly unforgettable. I’ve been to Sonara Camp many times before as part of an event agency, where we organized numerous top-notch events. But this time, experiencing it purely for leisure was something else entirely. For the first time, I truly indulged in the magic of Sonara Camp—so much so that I even found myself roasting marshmallows with kids, soaking in the joy and carefree spirit of the evening.

Imran also introduced me to Mustafa from Filmline Production, who helped craft the perfect proposal plan. The day began with us arriving around 4 PM at the stunning sunset deck—the upper part of Sonara Camp—where we were greeted with a welcome drink and a variety of activities. From falcon shows and photo opportunities with owls to archery, swings, and camel rides, there was something for everyone to enjoy. The team even took us to a breathtaking sunset viewpoint where guests could capture the golden hour magic.

The proposal plan was beautifully orchestrated. The photographer suggested we explore the activities while he signaled the perfect moment. I was nervous the entire time, keeping the ring box hidden in my pocket without letting my fiancée suspect a thing. After a camel ride and some fun moments, the photographer asked us to pose for pictures at the sunset point. Following his cues, we faced away from each other for one pose, and on his countdown, I turned, went down on one knee, and made my move. That moment is etched in my heart forever—a perfect proposal in a perfect setting.

What stood out was how special the experience felt—not just for us but for everyone. Best part is that my fiance didn't have any clue because Sonara Camp has a way of making every guest feel uniquely special. So, it was lowkey all about us but not making it obvious (i hope you get the point). Well, choosing this venue over other shortlisted options was definitely the best decision and I now have a special place in my heart for this magical location.

A massive thank you to Imran, Mustafa, and the entire Sonara Camp team for making this moment so memorable. And of course, a big shout-out to the minds behind Sonara Camp for bringing luxury to the desert and making Dubai, the city I proudly call home, even more special.

If you’re considering a proposal or a unique experience, I can’t recommend Sonara Camp enough—it’s truly...

Nice if you have no prior expectations and if it had been half the price. Targeted at tourists, disappointing for staycationers. Visited in January 2021, would not come again.

Tents were nice, clean and spatious, but we were told we would need to book 2 tents for a family of 4, when each of the two tents had 1 double and 2 single beds set up inside. No lighting inside the tent however, and no drinking water.

We were also convinced to pay to book a 'lounge' which was essentially just a few sandy pillows around a table, one which every guest had access to apparently with/without booking.

The camp overall was in a poor state, and in disrepair. It seems like no money has been reinvested into the location since it was built. A torn up hammock is left hanging, the 'sandboards' there to 'surf' down a dune are damaged and worn down so badly they do not slide anymore.

But sure, the fairy lights hung up around the dining area look pretty at night.

Food was promoted as one of the main selling points on their website with a 'gourmet' experience. Not only was the food very basic, lukewarm and of average quality, but it was also not cooked on site as advertised (we saw cars coming in and out from behind the kitchen with each course that was served), - we think it was reheated on site over fire for show.

Great performances from the fire dancer and falcon keeper, these made up a little for the major shortcomings at dinner.

Bar service was very limited, with an understandably small selection since we are in the desert. Snacks that were offered however were just plain tortilla chips with no sauce or dip, kind of embarrassing given the price point.

Breakfast was incredibly basic, and we all agreed that we could have just as well skipped it.

Service was alright, no complaints, but very slow and focused on packing up once the day visitor leave after dinner.

We paid for an overnight stay, but the entire experience seemed tailored to evening visitors only. Once these left all services shut down, bathrooms were left filthy and ucleaned until we left the next morning, no replacement of used up toilet paper or hand towels. We had to find staff and ask repeatedly to have some water and a light...