What to eat before a dune tour (and what to skip)

Before a dune tour, eat something light and familiar, early enough for it to settle: bread, fruit you peel yourself, rice, grilled chicken, a mild soup. Drink water from the morning onwards, not just once you're in the vehicle. And what to skip: greasy food, very spicy dishes, a big plate right before heading out and, above all, alcohol. That goes for the UTV, sandboarding and zorbing alike, though each has its own twist.

It sounds like minor advice. It's one of the things that saves the most afternoons.

What to eat before a dune buggy tour

The goal is to arrive with energy and a calm stomach. Not empty, not stuffed.

Going on an empty stomach doesn't help. Some people skip food entirely because they're scared of feeling sick. Then halfway through the route, with the sun overhead, their energy drops and they go shaky. On our tour you drive the UTV yourself, and driving on sand takes attention and a bit of arm strength. An empty stomach gives you neither.

What works best is an ordinary-sized breakfast or lunch, nothing fancy: bread, eggs, oats, rice, chicken or a mild soup, with a banana or a tangerine you peel yourself. If you know you're going to sweat, a few crackers or a plain sandwich give you a bit of salt.

What's best saved for later:

• Fried and very greasy food.
• Strong chilli (save the ají for dinner).
• Heavy dairy if you're not used to it.
• Lots of fizzy drinks, which bloat you.
• Anything new or questionable from a stall you don't know.

The NHS page on motion sickness advises against heavy meals, spicy food and alcohol shortly before travel. On a dune you move in every direction, so it applies in full. The same page mentions ginger as something that may help; if it works for you in a car, bring some.

About that last point on the list: if you've just arrived in Peru and want to try street food, read our guide to eating street food in Ica without getting sick. The short version is food adventures after the dunes, not before.

Can I drink alcohol before a UTV tour?

Our answer is no, and here's why.

On our UTV tour you're the driver. You've got a factory rollover cage, a 4-point harness and a helmet, with the guide in front marking the route and radios between vehicles. All that kit is there to protect you, but the kit doesn't drive. Your reflexes, how you read the terrain and how fast your foot finds the brake are still down to you.

Alcohol makes all of that worse, even when you feel fine. And in the desert there's a second problem: it dehydrates you. The NHS says so on its dehydration page: alcohol and caffeine can make dehydration worse, and heat and sun raise the risk.

We see it most with groups of friends and stag parties: the lunchtime beer "to get in the mood". Our advice is simple. Don't drive with drinks in you. If someone in the group has been drinking, they should ride as a passenger or tell the guide before we set off; we'd much rather hear it at the base than find out on a dune.

The night before counts too. A hangover in the desert is headache, dehydration and nausea all at once, with the sun on top.

You're in pisco country, and we genuinely recommend it. At sunset, with the tour done.

How much water to drink in the Ica heat

The desert dries you out without you noticing. The air is dry, sweat evaporates fast and you don't feel the fluid going. By the time you're thirsty, you're already behind.

Start drinking in the morning, not as you're climbing into the vehicle. Carry your own bottle of sealed water (not tap water) and take a few sips at every stop, even if your body isn't asking for it. If you want a simple check, the NHS uses the colour of your pee: pale means you're fine, dark means drink more.

The signs that the heat is getting to you are headache, dizziness, nausea, tiredness and strong thirst; the NHS describes them on its heat exhaustion page. If you feel any of that during the tour, say so on the radio or tell the guide at the next stop. There's water and a first-aid kit in the lead vehicle, and stopping is never a problem.

Meals and drinks aren't included in the tour, so bring your own water.

The one who ate big and got sick: what really happens

Here's a scene we see again and again.

A group arrives straight from lunch on an oasis terrace. Big plates, fried food, a beer or two. They do the briefing and the practice run on flat ground, all fine. The convoy sets off. First dune, laughter. Second dune, someone goes quiet. Third dune, they ask to stop, pale and in a cold sweat.

We stop. Water, shade, air. Sometimes they bounce back and carry on as if nothing happened; other times they spend the rest of the route watching from the passenger seat, not up for much. Either way, they've lost what they came for. And in a group, when one person gets sick, everyone's pace changes.

It could almost always have been avoided with a lighter lunch and more time between eating and setting off. If you know you get carsick or seasick, read our guide to motion sickness on a dune tour and tell us beforehand: we can adapt the pace so you enjoy it.

If you're sandboarding or zorbing

Sandboarding is arranged on request, not included by default. Walking up a dune is harder work than it looks, so here you do want some food in you and water with you.

Zorbing. Meeting time is 4:30 pm. It's the activity where a full stomach shows most, because you're spinning inside a ball. Have a light lunch and leave a good gap before. If you want to pair it with the UTV, see how on the zorbing page.

What to tell us on WhatsApp

Message us on +51 967 564 701 with the date, how many of you there are, ages, where you're staying and, above all, whether anyone gets motion sick, has a health condition or would rather not drive. With that we can adapt the pace and suggest which part of the day suits you, so eating and heading out don't clash. The rest of our protocol is on the safety page.

Frequently asked questions

Can I do a dune tour on an empty stomach? We wouldn't. Without food your energy drops halfway through, especially in the heat; better something light and familiar, with a gap before you set off.

What should I eat to avoid motion sickness on a dune buggy tour? Mild, low-fat food, no strong chilli and no alcohol, with time to digest. If you get carsick, tell us beforehand so we can adapt the pace.

Can I have a beer before the UTV? Our advice is no. You're the one driving, and alcohol slows your reflexes and dehydrates you in the desert heat; if someone's already had a drink, they're better off riding as a passenger. Save the beer for after the tour.