desert island

It's logical that any island here would be a desert island...and we were not disappointed. Sheikh Zayed (the revered father of the UAE) stumbled upon Sir Bani Yas and decided to use it for two projects...the 'greening of the desert' with mangroves, succulent grasses and massive amounts of irrigation to make the desert more hospitable and a nature preserve. Sheikh Zayed was a huge fan of animals. He brought in giraffes (one of his faves), arabian oryx (endangered and now extinct in the wild), all types of indigenous gazelle and antelopes. After Sheikh Zayed died the island was closed completely to tourists. About 18 months ago it reopened with a resort run by Anantara. At the resort they offer game walks and drives, kayaking, snorkeling, archery etc. They've added cheetah, hyena (striped) and ostriches among others to the games preserve. Some of the animals are currently in enclosures (one cheetah is injured and a pair of hyena are awaiting DNA tests to be sure they're not related to the other hyena in the park) but otherwise the animals roam. The island is just off the coast (about a 20 minute boat ride) from Ruwais which apparently is where a good part of Abu Dhabi's oil hides. The island is incredibly rich in minerals. Almost every rock you see is laden with copper or gypsum and fossils abound. The beach is unspoiled and the water crystaline despite the off-shore lights of oil tankers at night. The guides (hired by the government tourist authority -- TDIC --- not Anantara) were mostly English speakers, South Africans and Brits, until recent complaints by locals pushed them to hire a Jordanian and some north Africans. The only other buildings on the island are employee housing and Zayed's palace buildings (the resort, in fact, was a guest house). The old palace is still used occasionally by the royals although we're told the younger generation enjoys the relative modern comfort of the resort.

There are big plans for Sir Bani Yas (two other eco-friendly lodges and more activities) so the time to visit may be now.