I spent my birthday last month at Anantara Desert Islands. a new luxury resort on Sir Bani Yas Island, off the coast of Abu Dhabi.  It was truly a unique, memorable and recommended experience.  Much in the way that Dubai is a city built from seemingly nothing, Sir Bani Yas island is a wildlife sanctuary, also built from seemingly nothing: the island, rich in minerals and and some of the world's largest salt domes was a stark, rocky landscape.  But His Highness Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan developed a wildlife sanctuary to preserve the Arabian Oryx, and it
is now home to the world's second-largest population of these beautiful animals, which no longer inhabit the wild.  Until last fall, the Sheikh and his family used the island as a private royal retreat, but that all changed when Anantara Desert Islands opened to the public.  Nowhere else in the world can you stay in
a luxurious island resort, set amidst a man-made nature reserve alongside a royal palace.  For visitors, Desert Islands offers a unique combination of attractions: A luxury resort and spa, mountain biking, hiking and kayaking amid striking rocky landscapes, and a glimpse into how 60 million daily liters of desalinated irrigation water can turn a moonscape into a verdant wildlife reserve. The conservation project is very much a work in progress, with plans to release animals from separate enclosures and introduce predators into a single functioning ecosystem.  It was fascinating to witness a moment in this evolution — as seeing the Burj Dubai (world's tallest building) being built was fascinating.  And while the current game drives felt more like visiting the zoo than going on Safari, there's no disputing the beauty of the creatures we got to see, or the thrill of
feeding a giraffe.  Or the pleasure of scheduling the game drive as one activity in a day that also included lunch poolside, an afternoon biking excursion, an authentic Thai massage, and a lavish international dinner buffet (which, given that the hotel has diners captive, was remarkably affordable.) Regular rates start about $500/nt, but special deals of $345 are currently available – a great value given the luxurious rooms and service.  Desert Islands is accessed by private launch, from a dock that is about 1.5 hrs drive from Abu Dhabi or 3.5 hours from Dubai, or by air from Abu Dhabi's International airport in 8-passenger Cessna Caravan aircraft.