Hey guys! Some of you might have already read part one of this review (if not you can check it out here)
I will admit it has taken me little longer than I would have liked to get round to writing part 2. Since our trip to Sir Bani Yas I have been to both the UK & the Seychelles so finding time to actually sit down & enjoy writing has been difficult but here you go!
Ok so the morning after the amazing vegan Italian food at Olio, we woke up pretty early (when I say pretty early it is normal for me but perhaps crazy o’clock for most people – around 5.30 am) as we were getting picked up at 6.30 am for a sunrise safari drive which I was really excited about.
& without sharing too many soppy or overly personal details, it was within this time frame that my boyfriend (now fiancé) got down on one knee & asked me to marry him – good start to the day right!? Sitting outside at sunrise on our secluded veranda, it really was the most perfect & exciting moment of my life. But before all the excitement got a chance to sink in properly the buggy was here & we were off on our morning safari drive lol.
We transferred into a cool safari jeep & off we went. Again, it felt like we were miles away somewhere in Africa as we drove through the open land learning about all the amazing wildlife & conservation efforts that take part on the island. We were introduced to cheetahs, giraffes, Arabian oryx, gazelles, antelopes, deer & mountain sheep. The reserve has a number of successful breeding & relocation programmes, providing a haven for Arabia’s endangered wildlife. The tour guide was really knowledgable & answer all my questions (I’m sure you can imagine there were quite a few) – making the morning the most special morning of my life!
‘The breeding programmes that were put in place have successfully increased the populations of many of the endangered animals that were originally brought to the island, with some, including the Arabian Oryx, being nurtured back from the verge of extinction. They are now sufficient in numbers and are released onto the mainland on a regular basis.’ – Sir Bani Yas Island
After some celebrating in the pool with a bottle of bubbly, we got picked up for our second activity of the day. We decided to do a Culture & History tour (we are both a little bit geeky when it comes to this stuff) which was really fascinating. Again with another really knowledgeable guide we learned all about the history of the island (did you know it used to all be under water!?) as we stopped at various points of interest such as salt mountains & even a Christian Monastery.
For dinner that evening we went back to the Savannah Grill & I had the most amazing vegan food! The chef was kind enough to prepare me a vegan tomato soup & a fab vegan African curry – I really cannot fault this resort when it comes to vegan food, they really went out of their way.
On Saturday morning we were up at sunrise again for more wildlife, a Conservation Tour this time. It was a great opportunity to see even more wildlife & learn even more about the conversation efforts on the island. Hyenas, llamas & emus were just a few of the animals we were introduced to, as well as learning about the protection of plants & greenery on island.
We finished our amazing stay with a trip to the spa & if you have been to any Anantara spa before, you already know the deal – THEY ARE GOOD. The spa is beautiful, the service is amazing & the treatments are just out of this world. We had a couples spa package which included 30 minutes in a hot tub before an hour-long massage… bliss!
I recommend Anantara at Sir Bani Yas Island as a get away from the bottom of my heart. Amazing vegan good, great commitments to sustainability & protecting wildlife & gorgeous rooms, it is really not a trip to be missed! Thank you so much Anantara Sir Bani Yas Island for giving us memories that will last a life time & for helping protect our wildlife! Want to find out more? Check out the website by clicking here! Jessica xox
