Discover the wild side of Dubai with these thrilling adventures

Dubai has never been somewhere that does things half-heartedly. Highest, longest, deepest — the superlatives are pursued with a breathless urgency, creating the framework for what’s fast emerging as one of the world’s great playgrounds for thrill-seekers. From vertical-acceleration roller coasters to skydives over manmade wonders, freediving in the Mariana Trench of pools to every conceivable watersport (and a few that are, frankly, inconceivable), Dubai is awash with options. Buckle up, dig deep into your reserves of courage and brace yourself for a destination that does exhilaration like no other.

1. Hit the dunes in a buggy

The desert’s not hard to find in Dubai; for all the rampant development of recent decades, it still dwarfs the urbanised portion of the emirate. A string of activities make the most of its vast, oddly alluring charm, with balloon and camel rides at one end of the adrenaline spectrum — and dune bashing at the other. Strap yourself into a four-seater dune buggy, either as a driver or passenger, for a two-hour experience of Mad Max proportions. The desert ecosystem is surprisingly delicate and diverse, so your high-speed spin will be restricted to a pre-agreed circuit that still offers plenty of challenge. Hotel pick-up and drop-off makes this adventure hassle-free and there’s always the chance to combine it with quad biking, sandboarding or a desert-camp stay.

2. Skydive over the Palm

Viewed from ground level, the Palm Jumeirah could be mistaken for any cluster of beach-fringed buildings in Dubai. It’s only from above that this remarkable feat of island-building is visible in its full, frond-sprouting glory. Not that you’ll be in a state to take it all in, as you plummet to Earth at up to 125mph during what is one of the world’s great skydives. Taking off from a spot by the trunk of the Palm, you’ll spend around 20 minutes getting to the drop height of nearly 2.5 miles. Then, it’s a minute of euphoric, face-distorting freefall, captured by an intrepid videographer. Once the chute has been deployed, your tandem instructor steers you back down to a grassy landing zone at your departure point. Not quite ready to take the plunge? Try a taster session at Inflight Dubai’s indoor skydiving facility.

3. Zip-line across the rooftops

The preamble to the world’s longest urban zip-line is disarmingly serene: you’re invited to lie face down on what looks a lot like a sunlounger. Don’t be fooled, however, as harnesses are attached, carabiners and pulleys are readied, and, the next moment, you’re hurtling in the ‘superman’ position from this 42nd-floor launch pad through the gleaming high-rises and superyachts of Dubai Marina. The zip-line is a kilometre long, during which you’ll hit speeds of nearly 50mph and catch glimpses of the golden sands of Marina Beach and the Palm Jumeirah stretching into the distance. Photos and a personalised video using footage from your helmet-mounted camera provide a brag-worthy memento. Height, age and weight restrictions apply, so best to check first.

4. Dive into the world’s deepest pool

The pearl-diving heritage of the United Arab Emirates is celebrated in the oyster-shaped design of Deep Dive Dubai, a 60m-deep freshwater pool located a 20-minute-drive away from downtown Dubai. The attraction is mocked up as a sunken contemporary city, with treasures to hunt for as varied as a motorbike, grand piano and foosball table. There’s even a basketball court where divers can attempt an underwater dunk. Snorkelling, free-diving and scuba options are also available, at a depth to which you’re permitted determined by experience and qualifications. The water’s heated to a pleasant 30C and non-divers can watch the action in this human aquarium through reinforced picture windows from a sunken cafe.

5. Ride the storm coaster

Queue-clogged theme parks aren’t to everyone’s liking. But what if you could hop on one of the world’s great coasters with the ease of grabbing a Starbucks? The Storm Coaster, in Dubai Hills Mall, is set in a purpose-built, glass-walled cylindrical building. Coiled within are 2,198ft of track, beginning with the world’s first 50-metre vertical launch followed by loops and inversions. The pre-amble is wonderfully visceral, with passengers herded into a ‘sky deck’ by costumed staff to watch — and feel — an apocalyptic storm rampaging across Dubai. The coaster runs until 11pm most days and until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, so come late for (fleeting) glimpses of the nighttime skyline. 

6. Flyboard over the ocean

Insert pretty much any ‘boarding’ prefix and you’ll find it in Dubai: wake-, skate-, sand-, even snow-. But for those who want a truly unique experience, it has to be flyboarding. The physics are pretty simple: a hose around 65ft in length redirects the propulsion from an accompanying jet ski to the board, to which you’re attached with ski-boot-style bindings. While the jet-ski driver controls the thrust, you steer the direction with the help of your toes to move forwards and backwards and the bend of your knees to go side to side. It’s entirely alien — and absurdly enjoyable. Sessions last 30 minutes and are held in a contained section of water adjacent to the Dukes Hotel on the Palm, after which you’ll be ‘dolphin diving’ and triple backflipping like a pro. Possibly.