By: Jeanette Teh
Island Resort in the Desert
A weekend island getaway is not exactly what comes to mind when thinking of the desert, which is precisely what makes the Desert Islands of Abu Dhabi so intriguing and us so eager to see it. Often overshadowed by Dubai, its glitzy neighbour, Abu Dhabi is not as well-known even though it is the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and despite the fact that its land mass comprises 80% of the UAE.
What is most astonishing about Abu Dhabi is that apart from sprawling deserts, its topography also includes mountains, natural lakes, forests, oases, caves, mangrove lagoons, rivers (during the wet season), and approximately 200 islands. Of these islands, eight are known as the “Desert Islands” which will together make up an exotic tourist destination by 2015.
In a quest to celebrate my husband’s birthday last summer in a unique way and to find out for ourselves that desert islands were not an oxymoron, we set off to Sir Bani Yas Island, the first of the Desert Islands to be open to the public. Formed as a salt dome island by natural geological forces five to ten million years ago, the island’s 36 archaeological sites tell the story of one of the earliest human settlements. The archaeological sites are not yet on display except for a Christian church and monastery from 600 A.D. that just opened to the public last month.
A Royal Reserve
For three decades until October 2008, Sir Bani Yas Island was a Royal Reserve to Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the late founder and president of the UAE who was also affectionately known as “Father Zayed”. Espousing his belief that man should live in harmony with nature, Father Zayed, a descendant of the tribe of Bani Yas for whom the island is named, incorporated the conservation of wildlife and the environment into his government policy, and one such project is the wildlife resort at Sir Bani Yas Island.
Getting From the Desert to the Sea
Those in a hurry for some island R&R may choose a 25-
minute flight on a Dash-8 aircraft or a 50-minute
seaplane ride on a Cessna Caravan from Abu Dhabi International Airport. Others with less spare change will have to endure the 250-kilometre drive from Abu Dhabi city or the 400-kilometre drive, unsurprisingly extended due to construction detours, for Dubai residents like ourselves.
From the jetty, after a nice cup of tea and a quick shoulder
massage, we caught an enclosed speedboat for the 20 minute ride to the island which does not permit private vehicles. Approaching the island, the Sheikh’s magnificent vacation palace comes into view. Close by, the region’s first wind turbine spins slowly with the sea breeze to supply a small portion of the island’s electricity. Upon our arrival at the dock, we board a bus which takes us to the boutique resort managed by Anantara which, although modest in its sand-coloured exterior, boasts 64 luxurious rooms with pool and sea views and several private villas.
Zayed’s Ark in the Desert
We started our first morning there with a hearty and delicious buffet breakfast before heading off on a nature and wildlife drive. The Arabian Wildlife Park on the island was established by Sheikh Zayed, a modern-day Noah, who wanted to prevent the extinction of endangered or vulnerable species by building his Ark in the Desert. Through years of conservation and ecological efforts, including planting 2.5 million trees (an additional tree is also planted for each visitor to the island), the Park comprises about half the 87-square kilometre island and hosts several thousand (mostly) Arabian animals. A four-phase conservation program has been implemented where animals are captured, relocated to the island, and then carefully re-introduced and released back into the wild.
Along our two-hour game drive, we saw Arabian Oryxes (extinct in the wild since the 1960’s), Beisa Oryx, Sand Gazelles, Spotted Deer, Black Buck (which has interesting squiggly horns), giraffes, peacocks, ostriches, elands, and a cheetah. Although the Park was designed to create an authentic environment for the animals to roam freely and graze on the grass, some of the animals we saw that were more critically endangered were bred and fed within large fenced areas. Our drive also took us through sandy desert patches littered with grassy spots and irrigation pipes used to water the trees. We also passed by a sand-dome hill topped with mossy bright green grass, looking oddly out of place like a solitary golf course hole amidst a desert landscape.
Spotting Sea Turtles and Swimming with Stingrays
Eager to get out onto the water after our desert ride, we set off to kayak around the bay area of the Arabian Sea. Unfortunately, due to unpredictable tides, we were unable to kayak through the mangroves, promised by the brochures to be a serene tropical green oasis populated with flamingoes.
We nevertheless had a fun workout kayaking and we did spot a few sea turtles (or, more accurately, the heads of sea turtles as they were terribly shy and would dash away quickly), although we were not lucky enough to see any dolphins that day. That night, we enjoyed a fantastic seafood dinner of lobster and local fish hammour under the stars by the pool.
To cool off from the warm desert sun the next afternoon, we went snorkeling, swimming right off the beach. The coral was dully-coloured and seemingly dead due to the increase in water temperature, although we did see quite a bit of marine life — angel fish, jelly fish, and other nameless (well, at least to us) fish. We also spotted a massive stingray, and before we could decide whether to chase after it or to flee in fear just as we remembered Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin’s unfortunate death, it flapped rapidly away.
Lounging on Land
As it was May and too hot to bother with exerting energy, we did not engage in the other activities offered at the resort, such as mountain biking (the island is surprisingly hilly), hiking, archery, bird watching (for flightless African ostrich, emu, Egyptian goose, crane, and pink flamingoes), and tennis. The resort now provides sailing and cruises, and as soon as later this year, there will be a dive centre and stables for horseback-riding lessons and tours.
Instead, we indulged in massages at the lovely beachfront spa, lazed by the sprawling infinity pool that overlooked the beach and the Arabian Sea, and gorged on all manner of food, particularly those of the sea variety.
During our lounging endeavours by the pool-side, I tried not to be too self-conscious as I observed the stark contrast of my wearing a bikini amidst a number of Emirati women and men who were fully covered up in their abaya (black veiled gowns) and dishdasha (traditional white gowns of Emirati men). As such, I chose to relish in the cultural mosaic of my host country, where sunbathers could forego differences in their religious beliefs, practices, and attire to unite instead in their pursuit of laziness.
An Oasis in the Desert
Our long weekend at Sir Bani Yas Island was a refreshing and relaxing getaway from the bright city lights and the hustle and bustle of Dubai. It was such a treat to indulge in the beauty that nature (with human-assisted conservation efforts) has to offer. Father Zayed’s wildlife resort where animals on the brink of extinction frolick together on a desert island is not a mirage, but a jewel of an oasis bourne out of one man’s extraordinary dream.
This article was originally published in 2011 in bazaar.
Jeanette Teh is a legal and corporate trainer, adjunct (assistant) professor, non-practicing lawyer, writer, coach, and founder of Kaleidoscopic Sky. You can find more about her at http://linkedin.com/in/jeanette-teh-601115.