Is the desert camp OK for kids (and what age)?

Families ask this a lot, and my honest answer is that a night in a desert camp is often the highlight of the whole trip for children — and there's no real minimum age. I've sent babies, toddlers and grandparents out to the dunes happily. The dunes themselves are a giant natural playground: kids roll down them, build "sandcastles," sandboard the slopes, and the night sky out there, with zero light pollution and a blaze of stars, genuinely astonishes them. Add drumming round a campfire and a camel or two and it's magic at any age.

The thing that decides whether it works is the type of camp, not the child's age. The old-school "basic" bivouacs — shared facilities, thin mattresses, no power — are a tougher sell with little ones. A modern "luxury" or "comfort" camp is a different world: proper beds with warm bedding, en-suite or private flushing bathrooms, lighting, sometimes a small pool, hearty meals and rugs and lanterns. That's what I book for families. The comfort gap is enormous and well worth it when you're wrangling a toddler in the dark.

How you get there matters most of all with young kids. The romantic image is a one-to-two-hour camel trek over the dunes to camp, and that's wonderful for older children and teens. For toddlers, babies or anyone who'd find a long camel ride a struggle, I arrange a 4x4 transfer straight to the camp — five or ten minutes across the sand — with just a short, optional camel moment near the camp for the photo. You lose nothing of the experience and spare everyone a tough trek. Time arrivals and departures for sunrise and sunset, which are the showstoppers anyway.

A few honest practicalities. Desert nights get genuinely cold, especially autumn through spring, so pack warm layers, hats and socks even if the day was scorching — chilly, tired children are the main thing that goes wrong out there. In high summer the daytime heat is intense, so spring and autumn are the kindest seasons for kids. Keep little ones supervised around the campfire and the dunes after dark, bring a torch, and pack snacks, water and any comfort items. Most camps are happy to do early or simple meals for children.

My genuine verdict: a desert camp is brilliant with kids of any age, provided you pick a comfortable camp, transfer little ones by 4x4 rather than a long camel trek, travel in a kinder season, and pack for cold nights. It's the kind of experience children remember for the rest of their lives — and our family team books exactly the family-friendly camps and gentle transfers that make it stress-free.