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A hidden gem of an incentive experience is on offer to adventurous event organisers keen to look beyond the city limits of the emirate's capital city. Just a short flight Ð or 250 kilometres Ð from Abu Dhabi is the remote desert island of Sir Bani Yas. Populated by a handful of wildlife experts, staff from the island's hotel and thousands of free to roam wild animals, the island is the ideal venue for a unique nature-based incentive trip for up to 50 people. With a conference centre under development at the Desert Island Hotel, Sir Bani Yas will also offer a unique setting for meetings and events. The venue will have a main hall that can handle 350 people, a boardroom and eight breakout rooms. The former royal nature reserve of the late HH Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, founder of the UAE, the island was a low-key tourist destina- tion for several years before being upgraded and re-launched to the public as the emirate's first eco-tourism destination in late 2008.
Guests can enjoy a range of activities on the island including mountain biking, kayaking, hiking and game drives, or they can simply unwind on a sun lounger and gaze out over crystal-clear seas. There will also be several other leisure activities to indulge in, such as admiring Arabian thorough- breds at the equestrian centre and splashing around at the watersports and dive centre. As the plane begins its descent, visitors can catch a glimpse of Sir Bani Yas: a round-shaped island covered in patches of greenery and fringed by sandy beaches. From the air it looks tiny, but Sir Bani Yas actually measures 87 square kilometres and is the largest natural island in the UAE. Sir Bani Yas has been developed by TDIC (Tourism Development & Investment Company) and is the first of eight islands to open to the public. The others include Dalma Island, to the north-west of Sir Bani Yas, and the small group of Discovery Islands to the east, all of which make up the Desert Islands collection.
After disembarking, guests can board a mini- bus and are driven slowly (the island imposes a 50 kmph speed limit on all vehicles) to the nearby Sir Bani Yas Harbour, where sea planes land and take off, transporting visitors between the island and the city of Abu Dhabi. È
Need to know
¥ Sir Bani Yas is part of Desert Islands, a group of eight natural islands that also includes the historical Dalma Island and the previously unexplored Discovery Islands
¥ Sir Bani Yas is located in the Arabian Gulf, approximately eight kilometres from Abu Dhabi's western coastline (in the Al Gharbia region), and a 250 kilometre drive from Abu Dhabi city
¥ Marsa Jebel Dhanna is the mainland gateway to Desert Islands and features a two-kilometre jetty with boat transport to the islands, including Sir Bani Yas
¥ A seaplane service from Abu Dhabi International Airport takes about 50 minutes to reach Sir Bani Yas.
abudhabi 2011
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