7 days ago
Beyond The Bucket List: How Hero Experiences Is Redefining Regional Travel
In a region known for record-breaking attractions and glossy, sky-high ambitions, one homegrown travel group is quietly rewriting the adventure playbook. Hero Experiences Group, based in Dubai, is not in the business of ticking boxes. Instead, it's carving out something much more personal: meaningful, high-end experiences that are immersive, culturally rooted, and memorable.
Forget the usual tour bus experiences. This collection of adventure brands – spanning desert safaris, hot air ballooning, aerial observatories, and nature-based outdoor escapes – caters to the kind of traveller who's less interested in seeing and more intent on actually experiencing. A Different Kind of Desert Safari
The group's flagship brand, Platinum Heritage, has redefined what a desert safari can be. Rather than speed through dunes in roaring 4x4s, guests are invited to slow down and step back in time – travelling in vintage Land Rovers from the 1950s, visiting a Bedouin-style camp built from natural materials, and dining under the stars on traditional Emirati cuisine. It's immersive, eco-conscious, and layered with cultural context. For those after something more polished, the Platinum Collection offers private Range Rover tours, fine dining in the dunes, and exclusive access to royal desert grounds. New heights
Then there's Hero Balloon Flights, a premium hot air balloon operator offering sunrise flights over the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve – and, in Saudi Arabia, over the ancient sandstone formations of AlUla. These aren't your standard balloon rides. Guests take off from elevated sites in refurbished cabins, drift low enough to spot oryx and gazelles, and experience falcon shows mid-air before retreating to a secluded desert breakfast curated by Michelin-starred chefs. It's a rare mix of elegance, wildlife, and tradition, all in one quiet, golden morning. A unique view of Dubai Photo: Supplied
More urban in spirit is The Dubai Balloon, a tethered helium balloon located on the edge of Palm Jumeirah (GRAZIA even hosted its very own immersive event there). It lifts passengers 300 metres into the air, offering panoramic views of the palm-shaped island and Dubai's greatest architectural hits. While it caters to tourists, it's just as appealing for locals looking for a fresh vantage point (or a unique place to propose). There's even an on-site café and retail shop to round out the visit. For the Adventurers
For schools, corporate teams, or anyone craving something less polished and more rugged, Absolute Adventure delivers nature-based challenges designed to build confidence, foster connection, and ignite curiosity. From kayaking to canyoning and hiking, these outings are intentionally raw and stripped back, but executed with high safety standards and seamless organisation. The Saudi Expansion
In Saudi Arabia, Hero Experiences is bringing its signature storytelling approach to one of the world's most exciting emerging destinations: AlUla. Platinum Heritage Saudi offers eco-luxury desert journeys through the Sharaan Nature Reserve, one of the kingdom's most pristine landscapes. Guests can explore ancient rock inscriptions, admire sandstone formations, and witness the biodiversity of the Arabian desert—all while steeped in cultural authenticity and a firm commitment to sustainability.
Meanwhile, Hero Balloon Flights Saudi lets travellers take it all in from above. Floating over AlUla's otherworldly terrain, passengers witness 200,000 years of history from the quiet serenity of a sunrise balloon ride. It's a humbling, cinematic perspective on a landscape that has captivated explorers for centuries.
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topics: Dubai, UAE, TRAVEL, SAUDI, Hero Experiences
