Dubai: A blue sky, orange sunset and sand dunes sprawling as far as the eye can see. No, this is not a painting, but the scene of a Gulf News Fun Drive. This year it is being held from January 13 to 14.
We spoke to some of those enthusiasts, who have been on several of the past Fun Drives about what they loved most about the experience.
Sami Syed
For 14 years, Sami Syed has been attending the Fun Drive. A CEO of a Dubai-based packaging company, Syed always goes with a group of people. Whether he has a business meeting or a trip to go on, he makes sure that he is able to rescedule everything just so he doesn’t miss his favourite trip of the year.
He told Gulf News: “It is a good experience. Everything is well organised, be it the meals or the overnighter. You get to meet a lot of new people and make friends.”
The most exciting time for him is the flag off. As he is waiting in queue, all set to take off, he is never sure what is going to happen next and that is exhilarating.
His experience with the Gulf News marshals has been great. If his or one of his friend’s car ever got stuck, they would come forward to help and “safety was always a priority for them”.
At the campsite, Syed and his friends find it fun to discover their tent and enjoy the bonfire. His journey of driving through the desert began with the Fun Drive and now he frequently goes offroad. “We don’t just drive but learn along the way,” he said.
Djordje Zdravkovic attends the drives with family and friends.
Another Gulf News reader who has been attending the Fun Drive for years is Djordje Zdravkovic, a Serbian national based in Dubai.
An offroading enthusiast, Zdravkovic also attends the drives with his family and friends and is happy that this year’s event will be once again in Liwa, Abu Dhabi.
The architect said: “This is something you cannot experience anywhere else. There are a lot of cars in the same place and it is an adventure, which is very exciting.”
His favourite memory is the challenge of off-roading and finding your way through the desert. In his opinion, it comes with experience “just like everything else”. He has been living in the UAE for 13 years and learnt to drive in the desert over time. “It’s not very difficult, but you have to be careful,” he said.
He now goes offroading every week and said that the Fun Drive is something that everyone should experience at least once.
Irfan Izhar with family.
After attending the Fun Drive 10 times, Irfan Izhar, an entrepreneur based in Dubai, continues to wait through the year for the next one. He refers to it as “one of the best drives in the region”.
He said: “Whether it is the breakfast, dinner or the overnight camp, everything is well organised. The marshals work very hard. It’s one of the most wonderful experiences.”
People who have never been before, Izhar recommends it wholeheartedly. His most memorable experience is from last year’s drive, which is when he lost the way. “We didn’t know where to go. That’s when I called one of the marshals and they tracked us down asking questions like, which flag or checkpoint we had crossed last or what we saw around us,” he said.
He had driven in the desert before the first Fun Drive, but got the confidence only after his participation. From here on, he never wants to miss any drives.
Saeed Al Zarouni, an Emirati based in Sharjah who works as a driving insurance manager, was part of last year’s drive and thought it was a “great experience”. For him and his friends, it was a lot of fun just being in the middle of the desert and driving.
His favourite memory of the event is how well it was organised. “The marshals were very helpful, and were there if we needed anything. It was amazing that everything, including the food, was ready for us,” he said.
He is very keen about offroading in general and his friends plan a trip once a month. They usually go in a big group and cook themselves a meal.
Mohammad Ramzan, working as a graphic designer in Al Ain, has attended two drives and found them to be “thrilling”. The first time, he didn’t expect it to be hard but was surprised because some of his friends hadn’t driven in the desert before. The second time, he was more prepared and thus had more fun.
He said: “We had four to five vehicles. Some of us were not experienced and that was the main reason we had some issues.”
The most memorable thing from the drives were the dunes. The marshals helped them, too, but even his group helped out a few people as they had some experience with cars being stuck in the sand.
Wong Koon Wah, a Singaporean expatriate living in the UAE for 11 years, started off-roading in 2013. His first Gulf News Fun Drive was in 2015, and he’s looking forward to all the excitement as he comes back this year for his third time.
Wah said: “It’s a ... great way to spend a weekend! There’s such a diverse range of people who have never gone off-roading before, to those with experience and those who have just bought a four-wheel drive car who are very confident and bold. You have the people who don’t want to stick to the track. It’s just really fun to be part of it all.
“I like to be one of the last 10 people to leave the start gate. I have a bit of experience driving at this point, so I’ve luckily never gotten stuck. Experienced people will get stuck when they try to go off the course, so I think people just need to listen to the marshals.”
For many, the Fun Drive is a time for family. Sidharth Rao Putta, is an Indian student in London, UK, but grew up in Dubai. For the last six drives, it has been something he does with his family when he comes home for the holidays.
He said: “We usually take at least two cars, because we go with a large group. Now and then we get stuck driving through the desert, but there are always marshals to help.”
For Putta the best part of the experience is the desert. Putta said: “Going through the desert you see endless amounts of golden sand, not to mention it’s just fun to go up and down the dunes!”
“At the last Fun Drive, the campsite was in the Liwa desert. There was a 200-metre dune beside us and I was the first person to drive up it and then everyone started doing it after. That was a lot of fun!”
It’s also a family occasion for Harsh Pancholia, an expatriate born and raised in Dubai. He’s 25 years old and he has gone at least 20 times, by his count.
Pancholia said: “It’s a family thing. My father’s been going since the first one and he’s probably missed only two or three.”
There are many reasons why Panchiola and his family attend year after year. He said: “It’s discovering new routes by doing the drive and it’s how well prepared it is. It’s a chance to all come together as a family and as friends as well. It’s all prepared for us, so there’s not much work to do. We have a fun time every time and it’s a great adventure activity.
“My favourite part is the certain areas that are usually difficult and they’re often named after certain people in the Gulf News team. You know you’re coming up to something difficult when you see that name coming up!”
Habib Saeed Al Rajaby, an Emirati, is looking forward to his first Fun Drive happening in Liwa, as he has only gone to the ones in Dubai and Umm Al Quwain.
Al Rajaby said: “I’ve been more than five times. I think I return each year because this is the time all my friends decide to go together and we really have a good time. The organisation of the event as well is also bringing us back each year.”
As an experienced off-roading driver, he hasn’t gotten stuck in the sands on the Fun Drive and has helped others if he knows he can do so without getting stuck himself. Sometimes it’s best to leave it to the marshals if you’re just going to end up being stuck as well, according to him.
Al Rajaby said: “The Fun Drive is mostly a track you use and it’s easy. That being said, I haven’t been to Liwa and people have told me that the Liwa drive is challenging.
“For me, it’s the camping and overnight experience that is my favourite part. It’s what makes it nice.”
Ivo Dielen
According to Ivo Dielen, a Belgian expatriate who has been living in Ras Al Khaimah for eight years, getting stuck in the sand is all part of the experience. He has gone to the Fun Drive every year he has been in the UAE.
Dielen said: “I like the atmosphere. The noise and people getting stuck. We go with a few friends, this year we will be a few cars. We off-road a lot and if you don’t get stuck, you haven’t tried hard enough.”
His group sticks together during the drive and helps each other out when they get stuck since they have all the gear and know-how. Dielen said: “The stretches where you’re really going through the dunes are my favourite. When you have an area where 10 to 15 cars are getting stuck, it’s good fun to go around and find your way to the next way point on your own track.”
“It’s really well organised, it goes smooth, which is why we keep coming back. The Fun Drive is impeccable.”
