Find Hotels in Sir Baniyas Island, United Arab Emirates

We booked 2 rooms with this hotel. Our in-laws were in town and we wanted to take them somewhere special and different, so we decided to try the Desert Islands in Sir Baniyas. First of all, if you're not 'flying' there (Rotana Jet or seaplane), it is a long boring 2-3 hours drive, depending on where you're coming from. Also make sure you know the schedule of the Ferry, so you don't miss it. The ferry ride took about less than 30 minutes, then another bus ride of 15 minutes to get to the hotel, so its quite a process getting there. The island itself is quite vast and barren, with wildlife wandering around (mostly gazelles). Nothing else in the island, except for 3 hotels and some restaurants. The hotel itself is well-maintained and clean. Some funny smell in the bathroom, but it was Ok. The bed is HUGE and super comfortable. The pool, I think, is small, and there's only 1 pool. So if the hotel is fully booked, it could feel 'packed' in the pool area. The beach was low-tide most of the time. No one swam on the beach, and during that day, there were no water activities available. Overall, it was relaxing...and for that, it served its purpose, but I wouldn't go back again. Too much effort and time going there, and I personally wasn't too impressed by it. The FOOD IS HORRIBLE in AMWAJ Restaurant. Their green curry was powder curry and the Thai Beef Salad was extremely TOUGH to chew, like rubber. We had to return it. Breakfast was OK. Nothing to brag about. The only activity that made it unique was the Safari tour, which was 240 dirhams per person. It was a great experience.

Two nights here is a great way to wind down from everything. We love staying in a villa on the beach with private pool as if it's too windy to be in the sea, the kids can just jump in the pool (which is heated). Amazing to be able to sit and soak up the views whilst sand gazelles play on the beach in front of you! Our kids are 5 & 6 years old and love going on the safari to see all the animals. Only issue we had was with the ferry times. Getting to the island means catching a ferry at either 3,6 or 11pm (massive time differences) and leaving means catching a ferry at 9am or 1pm. Neither set of timings are quite right in our experience as we drive there from Saudi so border crossings and roadworks can be unpredictable. Might not be an issue if you don't have young children or a long drive ahead.

The environment was kids friendly, so was the food ( depending on the restaurant u chose, we chose African restaurant for a change). The main attraction was the peacocks and peahens that were very friendly and pecked food right from our hands. Rooms , pools surrounding were extremely safe , clean and also gave privacy in the savana. The wildlife safari is a must see and the best time is 7 am where u get to see all wild life up close. A must go island. Experience the wild in a desert.