Deluxe Travel
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A thatched-roof villa has a private terrace with a pool, loungers and a seating area, surrounded by trees under a blue sky

Sir Bani Yas Island, Abu Dhabi

Anantara Sir Bani Yas Island

  • Island Safari
  • Beach Bungalow
  • Falconry
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Our Assessment

Why we recommend Anantara Sir Bani Yas Island.

Sir Bani Yas is the most coherent way to experience wildlife in the Arabian Peninsula: an island established as a nature reserve in the 1970s, home to giraffes, gazelles and Arabian oryx, minutes from the water.

Al Sahel and Al Yamm have genuinely different characters. Guests coming primarily to lie by a pool and watch the sea choose Al Yamm. Guests coming for the wildlife choose Al Sahel. We usually suggest splitting at least two nights between both; it is easy to arrange, and we handle the logistics.

Ulrike & Christian Göbel Deluxe Travel

Fit & Season

When this property truly shines.

Best season
October to April. The Arabian summer (May to September) is climatically demanding; the cooler months offer comfortable temperatures for outdoor activities and beach time.
Ideal for
Families combining safari and beach without two separate flights. Couples looking for a natural Emirates experience away from the urban skyline.
What stays with you
Morning safari by jeep among giraffes and oryx, evening on the open terrace of the Savannah Grill overlooking the bush: an experience no other property in the Emirates offers in quite this way.
Climate on siteDaytime 20 to 35 °C, 30 mm of rain a year

Top to bottom: daily high, night temperature, rainfall in millimetres.

  1. January20°18°5 mm
  2. February20°18°6 mm
  3. March23°21°6 mm
  4. April26°24°3 mm
  5. May30°28°2 mm
  6. June33°31°0 mm
  7. July35°33°0 mm
  8. August35°33°0 mm
  9. September34°32°0 mm
  10. October31°29°1 mm
  11. November27°26°3 mm
  12. December23°21°4 mm

Averaged over 2016 to 2025. This is not a forecast. Data: ERA5 (Copernicus) via Open-Meteo Opens in a new tab., CC BY 4.0.

  • Two clearly distinct characters under one name: Al Sahel in the savannah for a safari feel, Al Yamm directly on the beach with private pools for a classic island stay, both on the same island.
  • A genuine wildlife reserve with guided safari drives: giraffes, Arabian oryx, gazelles and deer on an island established for them, not imported for a photograph.
  • Falconry as a living tradition: sessions with certified falconers are part of the activities programme, not decorative.
  • Ferry arrival from the Abu Dhabi coast: the crossing from the mainland is already part of the experience.
A man and a woman in white bathrobes on rattan loungers among green coastal shrubs, with the sea and a blue sky with thin clouds behind

Climate & best time to travel

When it rewards you most.

Best time to travel October to April

Abu Dhabi is at its best from October to April, when days sit around 24 to 30 degrees and beach, desert and island safari are comfortable. From June to August temperatures regularly pass 40 degrees, with high humidity along the coast. Outdoor activity is then only sensible early in the morning, if at all.

  • October to April Comfortable 24 to 30 degrees, cool desert nights. The window for Sir Bani Yas safari, Liwa dune drives and beach days.
  • June to September High summer above 40 degrees with humid coastal air. Outdoor plans shift to early morning or to air-conditioned spaces.

Gallery

Images for orientation.

Covered restaurant terrace with dark wicker chairs at laid tables and clay urns, with lawn, tall grass and bushland under a pale sky beyond
The tables are laid beneath the reed roof, and beyond them the lawn gives way to bushland
A man and a woman in white bathrobes on rattan loungers among green coastal shrubs, with the sea and a blue sky with thin clouds behind
Lying back in a bathrobe between the coastal shrubs and the calm sea
Two therapists massage a man and a woman on tables in an open pavilion with a carved lattice screen, oil, a shell and herbal compresses beside them, shrubs and sea beyond
From the open treatment pavilion the view reaches over the shrubs to the sea
Living room with rattan armchairs and red patterned cushions opening onto a covered veranda with a round table, trees and a low sun beyond
Beyond the veranda the sun sits low above the trees
Bedroom with a white draped canopy bed under a thatched ceiling with a fan, an open wooden deck with a shade sail, folding chairs and a peacock to the right
A peacock struts across the deck outside the canopy bed
Bedroom with a ceiling fan and a large mirror, open glass doors leading to a wooden terrace with an armchair, white sand and turquoise sea beyond
From the bed the beach lies just beyond the open glass doors
Sand coloured building with a thatched entrance, a row of blue loungers under white parasols in front and a large pool reflecting the building
The sand coloured walls are mirrored in the pool, with blue loungers under white parasols along its edge
Villa with a double thatched roof and a veranda with pale sofas, a pool with steps and two loungers in front, framed by trees and a reed fence
Between the trees a private pool waits in front of the thatched house
Restaurant with rattan chairs at laid tables and chandeliers of curved wire, glass doors open to the terrace and the sea at dusk beyond
The sea turns deep blue while the tables are laid beneath the woven chandeliers
Bedroom with a white draped canopy bed, an arched doorway and a seating corner beneath a window with a blind, a strip of sunlight on the floor
A strip of sunlight falls across the rug beneath the window
Pale rendered villa with a wooden pergola and glazed double doors, a pool in front, a lounger to the right and wooden and reed screens at the sides under a blue sky
Beneath the wooden pergola the glass doors open straight onto the pool
Pool on a pale stone terrace with a corner sofa under a parasol and a wooden fence, the sandy beach with parasols and the sea to the left
Beyond the pool the sandy beach runs down to the blue water
Thatched villa with a terrace, pool, loungers and sofas, surrounded by dense treetops, seen from directly above
Between the treetops the terrace opens up around the pool
Small thatched house with a shade sail over a terrace with loungers, tall green grass in the foreground and umbrella shaped trees at the sides under a pale blue sky
Tall grass sways in front of the thatched house, a shade sail stretched over the terrace
A man in white clothing and a white headscarf raises his arm in a falconry glove, a falcon with outstretched wings above it against a cloudy sky
Wings spread wide, the falcon lifts off above the glove
A family looks out of an open safari vehicle with a sun roof, with giraffes and long horned antelope beside it on a hazy sandy plain
Giraffes and antelope stand close beside the open safari vehicle
Camp on a sandy flat by the water, with dome tents in a half circle around a larger tent, rugs and folding chairs around a campfire under a pink and violet sky
Beneath a pink and violet sky the fire burns in front of a half circle of tents
Wooden deck with a rattan lounger and a side table with a water bottle, a glass, fruit and a shell, a narrow pool with lanterns in front and white beach and turquoise sea beyond
From the deck the view runs over the pool to the white beach and turquoise sea
Rectangular pool with steps, a sofa with blue patterned cushions and loungers on a pale terrace, a wooden lattice fence, the beach with parasols and the sea behind
The sea glimmers above the fence, the pool lying in the sun in front of it
Two riders in helmets on white horses on a sandy beach, the sea with small waves to the left and a blue sky above
Two grey horses walk along the water's edge
Pale rendered villa with a wooden pergola and open doors revealing a bed, a pool in front, a sofa to the left, loungers to the right and hills behind
Beyond the pool the doors to the bedroom stand open
Two storey sand coloured villa with wooden pergolas along its front and a roof terrace, a wide expanse of sand in front under a clear sky
The villa stands alone on the sand with its pergolas and roof terrace

Experiences

What you come here for.

  1. Game drive through the Arabian Wildlife Park

    Ride through the reserve that Abu Dhabi created under Sheikh Zayed in the 1970s in an open vehicle. Arabian oryx, gazelles and giraffes move freely across the savannah, accompanied by an island ranger.

  2. Falconry with a certified falconer

    A session with trained falconers in which the bird launches from the hand and returns. Falconry here is a living Emirati tradition, not decoration.

  3. Mountain bike or hike to the salt dome

    Along the island trails to the exposed salt formations and the seventh-century Christian monastery that archaeologists uncovered on Sir Bani Yas.

  4. Kayak through the island mangroves

    Paddle from the Al Yamm beach through the sheltered coastal mangroves. Calm water, herons and flamingos in the shallow lagoons.

Local Experiences

What shapes the stay.

  • Louvre Abu Dhabi: approximately 45 minutes by ferry and road from the island harbour, one of the architecturally most remarkable museums in the region.
  • Empty Quarter day tour: guided excursions into the Rub al-Khali dunes depart from Abu Dhabi city.
  • Mangrove kayaking in Abu Dhabi: the coastal mangroves of the Emirates are navigable by kayak, quiet, cool and rich in birdlife.

Location

Sir Bani Yas Island, Abu Dhabi

Inquiry

Inquire about Anantara Sir Bani Yas Island with us.

We review travel dates, room logic, arrival, and alternatives before shaping a specific proposal.

+49 6251 1797-0 WhatsApp Opens in a new tab. Send inquiry

Mon-Fri, 9 am-1 pm and 2.30-6 pm · Response within one business day

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