Need to know
Rooms
This entirely private camp can cater for groups from two to 20 (you’ll only ever share the sand with people you know).
Check–Out
10am; earliest check-in, 3pm. Guests leaving on an evening flight can still enjoy the hotel’s activities after check-out.
More details
Rates usually include Continental breakfast.
Also
If you like the look of Magic Camps Abu Dhabi, check out its near-identical twins in the deserts close to Dubai and Oman.
Hotel closed
Magic Camps shuts down annually between 1 May and 31 August.
At the hotel
Communal tent for breakfast, dinner and general lounging. In rooms: free bottled water. The open-air bathroom tent attached to each tent has a shower bag, a water-filled basin and a flushless toilet (just add sand). Locally sourced shampoo, conditioner, hand sanitiser, baby wipes, face cloths, towels and slippers are provided.
Our favourite rooms
All Magic Camps’ tents are born equal – and if there are only two of you, there will only be one tent to bed down in. This is glamping, Berber-style: each of the spacious tents has enough room to swing an oud in. Lounging is encouraged via the bed and the little sofa, topped with a tray of fudgy dates and sun-ripened apricots. The tent is lit with lanterns and candles by night; in winter, you’ll appreciate the extra blanket.
Packing tips
A copy of One Thousand and One Nights will get you in the right frame of mind…
Children
The camp isn’t designed for tiny tots, but adventurous little Smiths aged six and above will love it (they’ll have their own tent, too). If you're travelling with children, ask about extra bed rates for littles when booking.
Sustainability efforts
This temporary camp doesn’t have electricity or running water: instead, it relies on solar power. When dusk falls, it’s lit entirely – and atmospherically – by candlelight. Bath products are organic: suds up using camel soap or olive-oil soap from Aleppo.