Anantara Sir Bani Yas offers 87 square kilometres of pure adventure…
Have you ever wanted to wake up to an African dawn? Or dreamt of seeing gazelle nibble the grass metres in front of where you sit with your morning cuppa, or watching a giraffe lazily munching the top of a tree just a few metres away?
Well, you can do all that at a place that’s only a road trip away.
Many UAE residents are often surprised to learn that Abu Dhabi has a remote island housing 11,000 wild animals. Those who are in the know about Sir Bani Yas, however, will already appreciate the unique characteristics that make a 3.5-hour trip to the island feel more like a Kenyan escape than a staycation in the capital.
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The first hotel to welcome overnight guests to Sir Bani Yas Island has reopened after being closed for almost a year during the pandemic.
Desert Islands Resort
and Spa by Anantara promises a family-friendly stay on an island that is also a protected animal reserve, giving visitors the chance to get up close and personal with more than 10,000 animals including oryx
, gazelles, giraffes, ostriches, mountain goats and more.
The National headed out there to discover exactly what it s like to spend the night on this island sanctuary.
The welcome
Getting to the resort involves a ferry crossing from Jebel Dhanna. From here,
Resorts on island paradise, Sir Bani Yas to reopen in February
The island wilderness reopens just in time for Valentine’s Day, HINT HINT…
Sir Bani Yas is one of those destinations that has to be seen to be believed. Located a 25-minute boat ride from Jebel Dhanna (a two-hour drive from downtown Abu Dhabi), the island wilderness is home to a collection of exciting wildlife, architectural wonder, romantic vistas and three luxury Anantara resorts.
This awe-inspiring atoll is a world apart, an IRL Jurassic Park, with exotic mammals in place of giant murderous lizards.
Oh, the things you’ll see