Champagne and strawberries in the desert

“As long as you have camels, you can't do conservation,” Booysen says. “There's not enough food for them in the desert.”

The biggest issue my wife Chloe and I had with this resort was figuring out what to do with our precious time. Its bungalows rent for $1,000 per night (with discounts for frequent fliers on Emirates airlines), so we didn't want to squander any moments, especially with a trained naturalist at our disposal.

We spent much of the time touring the fascinating desert, waking at 5 a.m. to watch a display of falcon-hunting, and as it turned out, owl-hunting. A spotted eagle-owl followed a trainer's commands brilliantly, circling slowly and swooping just over our upturned faces. Its yellow eyes bulged as it snapped up pieces of bird carcass.

As the sun drifted toward the horizon, we joined a camel trek to the summit of a tall dune where resort staff handed us flutes of champagne and fresh strawberries. We sat in the soft sand with a handful of other couples — Brits, Germans and Japanese — and watched a sunset made psychedelic by the dusty horizon.

For those who want eco-tourism without the strawberries and champagne, there are treks among the dramatic and remote mountain villages of the Shihhi tribes of the northern emirate of Ras al-Khaimah and neighboring Oman.

John Falchetto, 33, a Canadian mountaineer and entrepreneur, takes hardy hikers deep into the rugged Wadi Bih canyon and peaks of the Hajjars for overnight hikes that tackle two of the tallest mountains in the Emirates.

We opted to climb Jebel Qiwi, 1,800 meters 5,900 feet tall, an easy climb over sharp rocks in the blazing sun.

IF YOU GO ... AL-MAHA http://www.al-maha.com or (011) 971-4-303-4222. Nightly rates for two-person bungalows begin at $1,000; summer discounts available. Last summer, Emirates airlines' frequent flier club members were offered bungalows for $490 per couple. Stays can be exchanged for frequent flier miles. Rates include meals and private guide. WADI BIH http://www.mountain-extreme.com or (011) 971-7-204-1370. Overnight trips with guide John Falchetto, $180 per person, including food and transportation from Ras al-Khaimah. Day trips and sea-mountain trips include snorkeling and kayaking. GETTING THERE Dubai's airport is served by 110 airlines. Emirates Airlines offers two daily New York-Dubai nonstops. Al Maha is a 40-minute drive from Dubai. The resort arranges $250 airport transfers but you can get a taxi for less or rent a car. Mountain Extreme's base is just over an hour from Dubai; $55 each way from Dubai. WHEN TO GO The Gulf's steamy summers (June-September) are best avoided, but for those who can handle the heat, flights and hotels are cheaper. Al Maha is open year-round, and Mountain Extreme runs limited excursions in summer. The weather cools in October and stays nice through April. OTHER The Emirates is probably the most western of Arab countries and one of the safest. English is widely spoken. The country is home to some 15,000 Americans and welcomes tourists to its huge array of resorts. Dubai is also a top U.S. Navy shore leave destination. The country has never been hit by a terrorist attack, but the U.S. State Department urges vigilance. Alcohol is legal and accepted in Dubai. U.S. passport holders get free 60-day visitor visas at the airport.: http://www.al-maha.com or (011) 971-4-303-4222. Nightly rates for two-person bungalows begin at $1,000; summer discounts available. Last summer, Emirates airlines' frequent flier club members were offered bungalows for $490 per couple. Stays can be exchanged for frequent flier miles. Rates include meals and private guide. Source: The Associated Press

We parked Falchetto's Land Rover at the side of a dirt track and hiked to a village deep in a landscape that crosses Macchu Picchu with the Grand Canyon: terraced stone villages sitting on precarious perches above gaping canyons of colored rock.

Falchetto developed a unique brand of eco-tourism, investing his income renovating abandoned Shihhi villages and using them as base camps for hikers. Most villages can only be reached on foot, and are perched in stunning locations on the edge of cliffs with distant views of the Indian Ocean.

Falchetto is working with the emirate's ruler to establish a nature reserve in the peak district. We spent one night in the village, sleeping on cots in the silent mountain air, watching the rising moon illuminate the canyon below.

At 5:30 a.m., with the sun brightening the sky, we set off on a three-hour ramble to the summit, where we sat on the peak, ate sandwiches and rubbed our sore feet. The barren canyonscape below, with striated layers of limestone and other rock, resembled a vast topographical map spread out before us.

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