A desert safari in the region of the Hajar mountains and conservation reserve in the UAE. 1950’s Series 1 and 2 Land Rovers were used and part of the fun, tracking across the desert observing wild Arabian oryx and Arabian gazelles. A night was spent at a old bedouin camp to then go hot air ballooning just before the sun rise. It was quite a windy morning and it got unpredicably much more windy as the day progressed. This was not so noticible at 4000ft but later at hedge hopping height over the sand dunes it became quite exhilarating and ended with first a heavy then a skatting landing comming to a halt just before a restricted zone within the desert. All In all a pretty tame and at times luxurious adventure compared to the raw experiences I encountered in the desert area of Rajasthan India. This was my first hot air ballooning experience and I found the low altitude, high speed ride quite surreal. The silence of the craft and outstanding natural beauty ensured this to be the most memorable part of this UAE visit and as recorded in this book some sights were a lucky but well enjoyed chance