2023 has been a year of catching up on visiting "places in the region." So, we went to Sir Bani Yas Island for Ashley's birthday. It was the middle of the summer, so rates were cheap and not many other souls braved the heat. The island exists naturally, as a salt dome has created it over time. Sheikh Zayed made it an animal reserve in 1977, which started with a program for repopulating the Arabian oryx. Since then, several new animals have been introduced, offering a really unique experience to see these creatures in the quasi-wild. There are also a few lovely resorts, making this a great weekend getaway from city life.
What We Did
Accommodations: Anantara Al Yamm Villa Resort - It isn't our favorite Anantara, but it was still a really nice stay! The best part was the daily visits from the local peacocks.
Nature and Wildlife Drive: This was the main reason we visited Sir Bani Yas Island. We especially wanted to see the Arabian oryx, as they were originally hunted to extinction in the wild. But, because of American zoos, they were able to be reintroduced to Arabia. It was too hot to see the Arabian variety (they hung in the shade away from the visiting areas), but we at least saw their much larger cousin, the African oryx. We had completely forgotten that there are giraffes on the island, so they were super exciting to see. We also saw: gazelles, deer, ostriches, a grey crowned crane, and cheetahs (these were kept in cages, as they're still quite young, in order to get them to learn to properly hunt before being released into the park).
Boat Snorkeling: From Al Yamm, we were boated to a particular spot to do some snorkeling. It was shallow most of the time (mere inches, at times, between us the kelp/sea grass below), so were weren't expecting to see much. But then, we saw our first sea turtle! And, only a few minutes later, we saw about six of them in a small area. It was incredible! While Nick was getting footage (video below), a small turtle swam within inches underneath him!
The Church and Monastery: It was about a 30-minute walk from Al Yamm, and it honestly wasn't too bad in the heat. It was a pretty cool stop to learn about some of the early religious buildings of the island!
Food
Anantara Al Yamm Villa Resort
Olio: Really nice Italian food. They even obliged to delivering pizza to our villa!
Al Shams Restaurant and Bar: Quick poolside lunch. The food was decent, and the portions were large!
