I booked well in advance for the noon tour at Pyndan Camel Tracks and we arrived, as advised, half an hour before the tour started. It was easy to find the camels using the map on the brochure available at our hotel and cross referencing with the car’s GPS.
The tour was very popular and had 12 riders – the maximum number for a ride is 14.
My partner and son shared a camel, with my son riding up front.
Others who had booked together also chose to ride on the one camel and the guide decided who would sit in front or back, based on safety reasons.
As a biker, I knew I would be able to climb the steps onto the mounting platform and on and off my camel and sit stably. While there is no weight restriction for customers riding a camel which may weigh up to 680 kilograms and be just over 2 metres tall – I felt more comfortable buying 2 seats so that I had a camel all for myself because I weigh over 110kg.
We set off with our camels tied in a ‘string’ or ‘camel train’ which gave me an extra sense of security – some of the camels are ex racers and I would not have fancied free camel riding. I took plenty of photos which, once I sought though, I intend to share on Instagram and Facebook.
We wore the safety helmet provided by Pyndan Camel Tracks and the family wore comfortable shoes and remembered our sunscreen and water bottles and we all wore a scarf around our necks. My wife also carried a back pack with spares, in case anyone lost a scarf – we didn’t.
No one wants their holiday to be ruined by COVID 19 and riding in a string makes social distancing easy. While remaining COVID 19 free can’t be guaranteed and we rely on people who feel unwell to self-isolate, I felt comfortable that Pyndan Camel Tracks were implementing approved protocols. Overall, it was clear the company has safety as a priority.