Sir Bani Yas Island, Abu Dhabi

 

 

Desert Islands Resort & Spa
Sir Bani Yas Island 

Desert Islands Resort

    When was the last time you visited an actual 'Private' island?      

    A true, private ‘Desert Island’ off the coast of Abu Dhabi.  Only ONE luxurious, intimate five-star hotel at that time on the island for our weekend.  

    Yet, there we were at Desert Islands Resort & Spa by Anantara with a room overlooking the pool and ocean! 

View from our Room

    Cheetahs, leopards, striped hyenas, Arabian oryxes, Arabian gazelles, sand gazelles, ostriches, peacocks, giraffes...    

    The white hot desert, sharp naked mountains, cobalt blue Arabian Gulf and glittering white beaches...  All on a private ‘Desert Island’.  Very restricted and utterly magical. 

  
    How did we get to this private island and why did we go there?  

    Well, we had an unusual, yet fascinating flight on an old UAE Air Force C-130 cargo plane which had been outfitted with about 20 seats.  

    No flight attendants, no beverage service, no pretzels, and no restrooms for the 1.5 hour flight from Abu Dhabi to Sir Bani Yas Island. 

Al Bateen Private Executive Airport, Abu Dhabi

Our Group Boarding our Plane on the Tarmac

UAE C-130 Cargo Plane

    Why were we on this strange flight?  

    Because Bill held the position of Director of the Institute of Applied Technology (IAT) in Dubai.  He oversaw two large government owned all-boys high schools.  

    One school was in Dubai and the other in the emirate of Ras al Khaimah with about 1,000 students at each school. 

 This trip was a Management Retreat and included the spouses.  Yay for me!  

  

Iconic Grand Mosque in the Distance

    Our departure was also quite interesting as we flew out of Abu Dhabi’s private Al Bateen Executive Airport to the island.  We were driven in a private coach bus from Dubai to this airport in Abu Dhabi.  

On a 'Wing and a Prayer'

    Very tight security!  No cameras or photographs allowed at the airport, on the runway or on the plane.  But, I did surreptitiously take a few photos.    

   

    1st Question:

    When was the last time your pilots invited you into the cockpit to see the incredible views of the Arabian Gulf through their windows?  

    And, because we were cruising at a very low altitude, there were even better views through the side windows up there.  

    Look at all of the windows in the cockpit!  Some are really close to the floor!  

Lots of Windows for Viewing

    

    However, there were no windows in the cargo section which was where our primitive, yet temporary seats were.

    Should I have packed my own parachute?

    Crazy, right?    

   

First Class Seats?  The Only Seats!  

Interior Decor!  No Windows!

No Luxury Interior!!

    There was also no door to the cockpit.  So, I walked up three steps into the cockpit and stood directly behind one of the pilots.  

    We all just talked about how awesome it was to be this close to the water and how stunning it was!  The crew also answered our questions. 

   

    I felt like I could reach out to touch the clouds and the whitecaps below.  

    Looking at the blue water from the pilot's perspective through the rectangular windows which encircled the plane’s nose was almost like flying the plane myself. 

Barb at Al Bateen Airport

    2nd Question:

    When was the last time the pilot opened the back of your airplane as you taxied to a stop on the runway?  

Back of Plane Opened on Landing!

Turn Around and Look at This!

Crew with Headset - Runway All Clear 

    Felt like a blast from a giant furnace when the back cargo door opened.  And, the noise was deafening.   

Beautiful Scenery!

    

    A bus met us on the tiny island airport runway to take us to the one hotel.  

    Also, only hotel vehicles are allowed on the island.    

 

Desert Islands Resort & Spa

    Cool moist towels, ice water, coffee, tea and an assortment of fruit and dates welcomed us upon our arrival at the Desert Islands Resort and Spa.  

   

    A long, winding sandy road from the tiny airport landing strip on the north side of the property snaked around to the desert hotel which was the only structure on the southern coast of the island. 

    While Bill attended meetings, my early Saturday morning activity was a guided kayaking trip.

    We paddled through the quiet, peaceful mangroves, gliding across the calm water, looking at unusual birds and fish.  I paddled a long, blue kayak with three other guests and our guide.  

    No sounds out here at all...  None.  No cars, no honking horns, no airplanes and no talking.  

    Silence...  Total silence, except for the birds flying overhead.  What a difference that short flight had made from the Abu Dhabi chaos, traffic and noise vs. the solitude of this private island in the Arabian Gulf. 

    After lunch, I indulged with a massage and facial at the Spa.   

Sir Bani Yas Island Safari

   

    Bill and I enjoyed an early evening Desert Safari with his cohorts and wives.  

    The landscape changed dramatically when we hopped into the safari Range Rover with the pop-up roof along with several others to enjoy the Wildlife Park Drive.

    What a scenic outing we had traversing the hills and sandy terrain on the island. 

Barb and Ali (he worked with Bill)

    So incredible seeing all of the exotic animals up close and personal!  Not like a zoo!  

    An ostrich came right up to the jeep, stuck her head through the window and tried to snatch someone's Rolex watch because she likes shiny objects!  

Very Bold Ostrich!

    A leopard prowled about 50 feet from the jeep and that was really frightening!  He was searching for his dinner.  Fortunately, we weren't on the menu.  

  

Curious Ostrich

    The native Arabian Oryxes and Sand Gazelles were hauntingly beautiful, standing tall and proud with long horns jutting from their heads.  Sharp, piercing eyes watched as we drove past.

     However, they did not appear to be afraid.  They blended into the desert landscape with their soft tan, beige, and dark caramel coloring. 

Arabian Oryx

    

    The island is now a breeding reserve for some of the rarest gazelle and antelope species.  

   

    It’s a natural habitat for both indigenous and introduced wildlife with several thousand free-roaming animals native to the Arabian Peninsula on the island. 

Arabian Oryz
(Antelope Family)

    Why is this island private?

    Sir Bani Yas Island was originally the private island of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, for nearly 30 years.

    He was the founder of the UAE dating from December 1971. 

    This island only became public after Sheikh Zayed's death in 2004.  We visited in 2010, only two years after the resort opened.  The protected Arabian Wildlife Park now dominates the island.

    Sir Bani Yas belongs to the animals.  The humans are an addendum, allowed to observe respectfully. 

    The Anantara Resort first opened in 2008.   It was originally Sheikh Zayed's guesthouse, then converted into the luxury hotel. 

    A few years later came the Al Sahel Resort in the inner grasslands, followed by the Al Yamm Resort which is beachside.  But, that is where it ends.  

    There will be no additional hotels on this island because of the Wildlife Park.    

    So the story goes, the Sheikh was a very accomplished and avid hunter.  In the 1960s, as he was hunting, he discovered that there were almost no Arabian oryx left.  That's how his plan for the island was sparked.

    He earmarked Sir Bani Yas as an island retreat and began sending nearly extinct Arabian oryx there and other animals to the abandoned island. 

    He sent gazelles, deer, antelope, etc.  He had over three million trees planted by hand including the resilient mangroves who sprout out of salty water.  Then the world began gifting him animals for this island.

    The island is now home to 15,000 animals from 30 different species, most of whom are indigenous to the Arabian Peninsula.  There are golden jackals, emus, three Sudan cheetahs, spotted deer, and hyenas.

    The Arabian oryx now number at more than 400 which is a preservation victory.  

    But the most significant discovery on the island was a 1,400 year old pre-Islamic Christian monastery whose ruins were uncovered in 1992.  It is the UAE's only discovered monastery and the Pope actually went to this church with the ruling sheikhs to pray.  

    The monks are predicted to have lived here for about 200 years, from the 6th to 8th century, at which point they moved on. 

    The monastery was established by pilgrims travelling from India.  The remains include a church, chapel and tower.            

    There are three private palaces on the island:  One for the Sheikh, one for the Sheikh’s wives and visiting women, and the third palace to entertain guests.  However, the palaces were not open to the public.   

    The island is the largest in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and only recently, the first island to welcome tourists.  Desert Islands Resort and Spa was originally the only hotel on the property with just 64 luxurious rooms.  

    Reservations continue to be nearly impossible to obtain because it is booked over a year in advance and access to the island is strictly limited to hotel guests.  

    Transportation to the island is, of course, only by boat or plane.

    I walked on the soft, white beach with crashing waves, hiked through a solitary desert, and enjoyed a private island in the Arabian Gulf.  

    What a privilege and rare treat!  

    

    Unfortunately, even this far from the coast of Abu Dhabi, there was trash on the beaches.  

    But, I continue to be amazed at the incredible natural landscapes that the UAE has to offer – tall, red sand dunes, brilliant beaches and an occasional green oasis.  

    The Middle East that I know is not just fancy, sleek high-rise buildings or  shopping for glitz and glamour, but so much more.