Sonara Camp: Sunset and a Chef's Dinner in the Dubai Desert Reserve

Sonara Camp is a desert camp in Dubai where the camp itself is the reason to come. There's no wild jeep ride on the dunes here — instead, a full, relaxed evening inside a nature reserve: sunset from a lounge on the dune, a 3-course chef's meal, and live shows into the night. The camp sits inside the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, about a 40-minute drive from Downtown Dubai and about 45 minutes from the airport.

The reserve itself is part of the experience. It's the first national park in the UAE, spanning about 225.9 sq km. It's home to Arabian oryx, mountain gazelles and sand gazelles, with 562 wildlife species recorded there in total. At the reserve's entrance, you move from the gate to a relaxed 4x4 ride to the camp, and along the way you can spot oryx roaming among the dunes.

The camp has two parts: the Sunset Lounge and the desert restaurant. The evening starts at the lounge, with an open view over the dunes as the sun goes down. This is the time to ride a camel, try sandboarding, play volleyball or soft archery, and take photos. There's also a falcon show at sunset. As it gets dark, you move to the restaurant, where tables are set on the sand around a round stage, under a tall, lit bamboo structure.

The meal is the heart of the evening. The house chef prepares a 3-course sharing menu, combining Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine, made from fresh, local ingredients. The menu is seasonal and changes through the year. There's a vegetarian menu, a vegan menu and a kids' menu, and you can request adjustments for halal, gluten-free or nut-free. During the meal there's an interactive hawk show, and soft drinks, tea and coffee are included.

The shows continue through the meal: belly dance, a tanoura performance, acrobatics, and the fire show the venue is known for. Kids have their own corner, with activities, crafts and a movie under the stars, so parents can enjoy the meal in relative quiet. The venue describes itself as a zero-waste eco camp, and it shows in the simple design of wood, bamboo and fabric.

Who is this for? Couples looking for a special evening in the desert, without the bustle of a mass-market safari. Families with kids, thanks to the kids' corner and activities. And anyone for whom good food matters as much as the view. Anyone who wants to stay in the desert overnight too can combine the evening with a stay at The Nest, the nearby lodging site, which has its own page.

The evening at Sonara starts at 16:30 and ends at 21:00, so you always see the sunset from the lounge. There is a high season and a low season, and the price changes between them. In high season the camp fills up, so it is worth booking ahead. In the winter months the desert evenings are cool, and it is worth bringing a light jacket.