The husband and I have never been away – just the two of us, since having all the little people. So when the opportunity came to review Bear Grylls Explorer Camp – we jumped at it. We made arrangements, packed our bags and drove up to Jebel Jais on a glorious Saturday winter morning in January. The weekend away was absolutely jam-packed with activities both on the mountain and within Bear Grylls itself. It was just fun, fun and fun. So if you’re looking for an adventurous getaway, this is it.

Read on : our review of Bear Grylls Explorer Camp, should you decide to check it out with, or without the family.

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Where is Bear Grylls Explorer Camp?

Bear Grylls Camp is located halfway up Jebel Jais, at Wadi Shehah.

They’ve picked a very picturesque spot to be based in, with the Hajar Mountains around it. It’s no 5-star Dubai luxury resort with 5 heated pools, haha. There’s a reason why they call it an Explorer Camp and if you are familiar with Bear Grylls’ show – you’ll have some sorta expectation. If you don’t – I hope the photos and review will give you an idea of what to expect 😉

What is the set-up at Bear Grylls camp like?

There are basically 16 cabins in the area – which you’ll see, are makeshift shipping containers. There is a reception area in the middle, and to the front you’ll find their various activity stations which I’ll go into details.

Please leave your high heels at home because they do not work on site – ha ha! Sneakers, and comfortable attire – highly recommended. I even brought my jandals and it was pretty tough walking around as there are stones everywhere.

How are the cabins in Bear Grylls like?

Do not worry – they’ve tried their very best to make it as luxurious as possible for a campsite. Glamping, you may call it.

There’s a double bunk below a single bunk. Mini-fridge, closet to hang your clothes and a bathroom. Guess what? There is a shataf or some may call ‘bum-spray’! Amazing, right?

Camping, and you can still wash your bum! 5-star, indeed! 🙂

Remember to bring your own toiletries though as there isn’t any in the cabin. Double check Bear Grylls’ website to see what else you need to pack.

Is Bear Grylls Camp family-friendly?

Well, as someone with young children, all under 8 years old – I would personally say it’s more suitable for older kids.

They of course welcome families with children of all ages, but do take note that the terrain is very rough (see image below) with lots of jagged stones, and drop-offs to the sides of the campsite so you will have to keep an eye out on the toddlers who are pit-pottering around.

The more sensible, older children will know better!

What about food? Can you bring your own food to Bear Grylls?

You absolutely can. They have BBQ Grills right outside so you can cook up your own. Alternatively, you can order a BBQ meat box which is delivered from 1484 by Puro to site, and you can cook it all up on the BBQ yourself.

I would also recommend driving up to 1484 by Puro for a bite at some point. It’s such a beautiful restaurant – and well, the highest one in UAE as well. Have a look at read through our review of 1484 by Puro, to see how it’s like.

What activities can you do at Bear Grylls Camp?

There’s so much you could do at Bear Grylls. They have various survival courses that you can sign up to, varying from intense 24-hour ones to family courses.

You can also opt to do hiking, rock-climbing, archery, rifle shooting and abseiling. There’s also a confidence high ropes course on-site.

Rock-climbing

Well well – first ever time to do rock-climbing and why not do it in the proper outdoors like the Hajar Mountains, ay? 🙂 Man, this was so much harder than I had anticipated. There were two kids with us, ages 8 and 9 and the older girl did Ninja Warrior in the states (Note : Min recommended age=8, height = 122cm). She was so quick, it was absolutely amazing and so impressive. Then you’ve got my husband and I, late 30, early 40s – struggling to climb, ha ha! Such a challenge and so much fun to do something out of your comfort zone.

Definitely something to try if you haven’t – plus if you have a small group like ours, you can go multiple times over that hour time-slot which I thought was such good value for money.

Cost : 90 AED/adult ; 65 AED/child _{See details on Bear Gryll’s website.}

Shooting

This was my husband’s preference, obviously. I think I got 1 shot on the paper out of 10, ha ha – and obviously the man got all 10 shots, very close to the bullseye as well. Shout out to Lauren who’s a pro and showed us how to do it properly!

Cost : 50 AED/adult

Abseiling

We initially thought this would be the same as coming down the mountain after our rock-climbing session, but it’s slightly different as you control the ropes yourself (don’t worry – there is someone making sure you don’t fall down as well, haha). The trek itself to the abseiling site was good fun. Stunning scenery, and such fascinating geography. The activity is over an hour, and as before – if you are not with a big group, you are welcome to do it again, and again 😉

Cost : 90 AED/adult ; 65 AED/child _{See details on Bear Gryll’s website.}

How much is it to stay in Bear Grylls Camp?

As of right now – January 2024, the rates at Bear Grylls Camp are as follows :

• Mon-Thursday Nights : 400 AED
• Friday-Saturday Nights : 650 AED

As a Dubai-based resident, this is such a great price and absolutely no reason for you to consider NOT doing it 🙂

Please check current rates on Bear Gryll’s website.

Overall Thoughts

Our staycation at Bear Grylls is definitely a memorable one. If you’re looking for a kid-free getaway with the other half, with other friends – I highly recommend it. There’s so much activities you could do on-site, and then definitely spend a day to explore Jais Adventure Park as well.

Have a read of our Jais Sky Tour experience, and do a spin down the mountain on the Jais Sledder (have a peek of our reel, to see how it’s like). Book Jais Sledder tickets here.

The crew at Bear Grylls were super friendly and so fun to be with. Shout out to Frans, Lauren, Ray and everybody else on-site. Book a getaway at Bear Grylls, particularly while it’s cool outside! Here’s a proposed itenary, of a staycation at Jebel Jais. Enjoy!

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• Bear Grylls Explorer Camp
• More info on Bear Grylls Website

Disclaimer :

1. We were guests of RAK Leisure to review Bear Grylls Explorer Camp.
2. All prices shown in this review is as of January 2024. Please check with Bear Grylls current rates when making a reservation.