Shahd Alhamdan
Saudi Gazette
When it comes to vacations, the first destination for many Gulf citizens would be a luxurious island.
But with many island nations with at least half a day’s travel, many end up travelling to local costal cities in the region.
These days, people in the Gulf can enjoy an island holiday without the long travel time. At Zaya Nurai Island, one of Abu Dhabi’s islands, travellers keen on beach holidays can see their beach holiday wishes come true.
The island is around 20 minutes boat ride from Sadiyat island, and it is a great choice for those looking to spend some time on the beach. Boats are available every hour to transport guests to the island, and private boats can also be arranged.
According to the group marketing director at Zaya Hospitality, Elodie Patel, Zaya Nurai Island is the Maldives of Abu Dhabi, as it provides a similar experience to the Maldives.
There are around 32 ultra-luxury, boutique beach villas, as well as units for families, including beach retreats, 12 water villas, and beach houses. All of the villas have a private swimming pool.
“Come and do nothing, or you can come for a week, there are a lot of things to do. We keep changing our activities and the island keep changing on, bringing more and more activities to our guests. Recently we started to have bicycles on the island. There is also a golf club,” Patel said.
Sea sports are available for the island’s guests, including jet skis, snorkeling, volley ball, and banana rides. Sea cruises are available during the day and guests can enjoy the movie nights held three times a week.
It is a great destination for families with kids as there is a kids club with a range of activities for children.
“We have summer camp for children, so you can either book for the full week or just for one day depends on what you want. There are a lot of activities for kids outdoors which will be linked to the water activities and there are indoors activities,” Patel said.
The guests can also take advantage of the resort’s massage treatments, and have a spa session in their villa with the sea view or outside the villa next to the pool. People can also practice yoga at a group session at sunrise.
Several restaurants serve a range of dishes, with Frangipani restaurant offering organic food during through the day.
