EXOTIC ISLAND OF SURPRISES

Island of surprises
By Emma Procter, Features Editor

Travel just 250km west of Abu Dhabi or 400km from Dubai, along highway E11 and you begin to see signs for the Sir Bani Yas jetty, the departure point for the newly opened Desert Islands Resort & Spa.

The property is located on the once-private royal nature reserve established by the late ruler and founder of the UAE, His Highness Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

Tip: the signs en route are small and quite sparse, so if travelling by car keep your eyes peeled or you’ll find yourself near the border of Saudi Arabia before you know it (yes, we got lost).

Once you’re on the right track to the jetty the landscape begins to change, particularly the coastline.

Here, as the taxi curved gently around the long beach my three travel companions and I marvelled at the beautiful soft white sand and the eerily green crystal clear sea.

The jetty itself has a pleasant cabin-like area where cool drinks are served as you wait for one of the frequent yachts to take you over to the island.

It takes around 25 minutes of pleasantly bouncing on the waves to reach the island and another ten minutes or so in a small coach to reach the resort itself.

And as you move seamlessly from one mode of transport to the next, you begin to feel more and more that you’re reaching the middle of nowhere.

The hotel itself is surrounded by the wild vastness of the island, transformed into an eco-friendly wildlife rich scenic retreat.

The design of the Anantara Desert Island resort hotel pairs restrained style matched with genuine elegance.

The interiors have a unique colonial Africa-cum-Arabian feel — lots of oversized ornaments and objects of interest like telescopes and chunks of beautiful local rock embedded with crystal.

The service at Desert Island is as impeccable as you would expect from one of this region’s high-end resorts and the suites are pleasingly light and spacious with sea-facing views — and gigantic beds!

Since we had arrived late we decided to spend the rest of our day by the swimming pool soaking in the ambience. The hotel itself isn’t huge and the building is low-rise — which definitely works in its favour.

There is no nearby traffic, no drone of jet skis or the like — just clear, fresh air and the sound of the sea.

In the evening we ate at Samak, the hotel’s signature seafood restaurant, where ultra-fresh lobster, shellfish and salads are the order of the day.

General manager Andre Erasmus told us that despite only just opening, business was looking really good and they were anticipating a busy 2009.

He put this down to the range of activities offered on site and the overall tranquillity of the spot.

The following day we hopped aboard a private jeep for a safari-style tour of the reserve.

Hurtling along the sandy tracks and negotiating scrubland as gazelles dart in front of you is about as exhilarating as it gets.

Feeding time

We stopped at a llama sanctuary to feed the furry inhabitants. Up close they’re bigger than you expect but very gentle.

Again we were all struck by the quiet and the slight unreality of it all: Where were we again?

Off again to see more beautiful wildlife including oryx, sand gazelles, various antelope, giraffes and flamingos.

There are a range of activities to choose from including snorkelling, mountain biking — the terrain is stunning, with almost neon-coloured rock formations all around you — and hiking.

However, we opted for kayaking as we’d heard much about the island’s mangroves.

Our instructor was relaxed and full of local knowledge.

She soon had us negotiating the lake and the dense reeds like pros (sort of), before allowing us to chill out on a gorgeous strip of soft white beach.

Refreshed spirits

Back at the hotel we decided to ease our aching paddling arms at the Safaa Spa.

The menu offers a varied range of treatments and the property features a serene zen-style garden out front where you can relax and listen to the sound of the tinkling water fountains in your robe.

And so with heavy hearts we packed our cases. On the boat back to the mainland, ours was sadly a one-day stay, I noticed our fellow passengers all had the same blissed-out look.

It seems for those who are wedged into an office chair for around a thousand hours per week, Yas Island is the ideal tonic.

Preservation

To ensure the safety of animals, private vehicle are prohibited on Sir Bani Yas. Safe parking is available at Marsa Jabel Dhanna and resort staff will then take you to the island by boat