LONDON: A six-hour dune experience in Dubai’s Lahbab desert has taken the top spot on Tripadvisor’s Traveller’s Choice Best of the Best Bucket List for the second year in a row.
Just 1 percent of Tripadvisor’s 8 million listings are classed as “Best of the Best,” according to the travel platform, which releases this particular bucket list just once a year.
Earlier in the year, it revealed its Travelers’ Choice Awards for 2023 based on reviews from its users. The awards recognize the highest rated destinations around the world across six categories: popular, trending, food, nature, culture and ski.
“Experiences turn travelers into adventurers, connecting them with the local community and giving them unforgettable stories for years to come,” said Kate Urquhart, general manager for experiences at Tripadvisor.
The dune-bashing tour combines various desert activities and is described as the “greatest way for visitors to see Dubai’s desert surroundings.”
It includes a 60-minute quad bike ride across Lahbab’s red dunes, camel rides, sandboarding, stargazing and a traditional Arabian BBQ. Suitable for anyone aged over 14, the trip is operated by Dubai-based OceanAir Travels and costs from Dh400 ($109) per person.
Following the dune trip on this year’s bucket list were hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru, whale watching in Alaska, driving Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way and off-roading in Aruba.
The desert experience also achieved the No. 4 spot on Tripadvisor’s list of the Top Overall Experiences in the World for 2023, behind a day tour of Bali, a Thai cookery class in Chiang Mai and a visit to Hawaii’s Oahu island.
