If you’ve ever experienced the Dubai summer you know there are only a few weeks left before stepping outside becomes somewhat of a chore.
With that said, we teamed up with Decathlon to gather our camping gear and enjoy the UAE’s great outdoors before having to hibernate for the summer. Camping’s not much fun on your own of course, so we invited some of Dubai’s more popular outdoor social media influencers to join us at Al Aqah beach for a weekend of sporting activities.
Before heading out on our road trip, the day begins with us picking up supplies from Decathlon for our beachside adventure. Surfboards, kayaks, snorkelling gear and volleyball equipment is all loaded up as we’re aiming to make the most of the glorious winter weather, before having to retreat to the safety of air conditioning, away from the summer sun. As you’d expect with a car full of influencers – Ghida Arnaout (@monkyseemonkydo), Samia Kallidis (@skallidis), Luke Morris (@islandofluke), and Charbel Zakhour (@wheresmybackpack) – they have their GoPro’s and drones in hand, as we make the journey from Dubai to Fujairah.
“If I’m staying at the beach I always have my sleeping bag, and a headlamp when I go camping” says avid outdoorsman Charbel Zakhour. “Kayaking and racket beach ball are my favourite things to do when I go camping”.
One-stop shop: Pick up surfboards, kayaks and snorkelling gear at Decathlon
Upon arrival, the group waste no time setting up the tent and sleeping bags before getting straight into the water sports. The setting couldn’t be better with the Indian Ocean flanking us on one side and the Hajar Mountains on the other. Well into their health and fitness our group of social media stars hike through the mountain range, up sand dunes, and around the winding wadis at the foothill of the mountains. As the sun sets, thoughts inevitably turned to food, which is prepared on a gas stove picked up from the Decathlon store earlier in the morning.
Morris said, “I can’t go camping without my paddle board, and volleyball. Paddle boarding is my favourite thing to do and my favourite camping spot in the UAE is Fujairah. There’s a great beach, mountains and a really chilled out vibe so it’s perfect”.
“I love all kinds of sports and if the beach is involved it’s perfect. Camping in Dubai is perfect because it’s secluded and you can see the stars at night”, added Samia Kallidis
You can watch the video from the Decathlon camping experience on the @Sport360 Instagram page.
What: Camping at Al Aqah Beach, Fujairah
Where: Decathlon, Ibn Battuta Mall, 04 557 7308 and City Centre Mirdif Mall, 04 283 9392
Contact: www.facebook.com/DecathlonDubai