We’re off to play Camel Polo...
- Feb 10
- 2 min read
...is not what I expected to hear.
There I was on a beach, cocktail in hand, fully committed to doing exactly what I’d come to Dubai to do: relax, soak up the sun, and enjoy the good life.
Then the announcement came from the group I was with.
Camel Polo!
Sorry… what?
Camel Polo!
Is that really a thing?
Apparently so.
I ride horses at home, so I’m no stranger to being in the saddle, but this was definitely not on my Dubai bingo card. Curious (and slightly apprehensive), we headed off to the Desert Palm Hotel on the outskirts of Dubai city – home of the prestigious Cartier International Polo – accompanied by our guide from Gulf Adventures, and armed with absolutely no idea of what to expect.
To be honest, it was nothing like the images forming in my head. I’m a reluctant excursion participant at the best of times. If there’s a beach and some shopping involved, I’m happy. Anything that requires effort or coordination usually gets a raised eyebrow from me. But this was an Arabian twist on the traditional sport of kings, and it turned out to be every bit as memorable as promised – and genuinely fun.
Fun in the laugh-until-it-hurts kind of way. Our antics both on and off the camels had us in stitches. The camels themselves – who I should point out had been freshly washed and blow dried especially for us (I kid you not!) – were magnificent. We were split into teams of four, handed team shirts (which we got to keep), short mallets to practise the basics on the ground, and of course the obligatory polo helmets for safety. After some instruction, it was time to meet our partners… and their professional drivers.
These “ships of the desert”, standing in for the more familiar polo ponies, are truly beautiful animals. As we mounted and set off, we quickly learned just how fast they could move. Some of us even experienced them cantering down the field – an unforgettable combination of thrill, surprise, and sheer disbelief.
I’ll admit it: I’m a convert. Camel Polo is the perfect late-afternoon activity with friends or family, and would be a brilliant way to take on colleagues in an exhilarating team-building challenge.
We rounded it all off with drinks on the terrace, watching the professionals show us how it’s really done, before heading back into the city with aching cheeks and stories we’ll be telling for years.
