Anantara Al Yamm Villa Resort is the beach-and-mangrove side of Sir Bani Yas Island and the best of its three resorts for a honeymoon that is mostly about privacy. It has just 30 villas on white sand facing the Arabian Gulf, many with their own plunge pool, built to echo the palm-frond houses of old Emirati fishing and pearl-diving villages. Behind them, a quiet saltwater lagoon full of mangroves is the place to paddle at high tide.
The island is the twist. Roughly half of Sir Bani Yas is the Arabian Wildlife Park, where oryx, gazelles, giraffes and cheetahs roam free. You can be on a game drive at sunrise and floating in your own pool by lunch. Guests can also eat at the island's other two Anantara resorts, with complimentary 4x4 shuttles between them.
Al Yamm suits couples who want a beach villa with a safari twist and very few other people around. It works best between October and April, when the weather is warm rather than scorching. It is less suited to couples who want nightlife or a big choice of restaurants every night. Combine it with Abu Dhabi and a desert stay in Liwa for a varied UAE honeymoon.
Highlights at a glance
- Just 30 villas on a white-sand beach
- Many villas with private plunge pools
- Game drives among oryx, giraffes and gazelles
- Mangrove kayaking from the doorstep
- Dining at all three island resorts with free 4x4 shuttles
Why Couples Love Al Yamm
It feels like a private island without the private island price. With 30 villas and a handful of other guests on the beach, there is space everywhere. The villas look onto the Gulf or the mangrove lagoon. The design is low, light and sandy, built to blend into the shoreline rather than tower over it.
The contrasts make the stay. Mornings start with a ranger-led drive among giraffes and oryx on the plains. Afternoons are beach time, a nap or a kayak through the mangroves watching for herons and crabs. In the evening you can have an aperitif overlooking the lagoon as the light turns gold.
Couples also love how quiet the island is. There are no day-trip crowds, no traffic and no city glow at night. The island began as a conservation project of Sheikh Zayed in the 1970s. It still feels more like a reserve than a resort destination.
Villas to Book
All accommodation at Al Yamm is in villas of one or two bedrooms. They take their shape from barasti, the traditional palm-frond houses of the Gulf coast, with modern bathrooms, a sundeck and outdoor seating. Some face the beach and open almost directly onto the sand. Others overlook the mangrove lagoon.
For a honeymoon, book a one-bedroom beach villa with a private plunge pool. The pool matters more than you might think: summer and shoulder-season afternoons are hot. Having your own water a few steps from the bed makes midday far more pleasant. Beachfront villas also give you the sunrise over the Gulf from your deck.
Two-bedroom villas are designed for families or friends traveling together and are not worth the extra cost for a couple. When you book, confirm that your specific category includes a private pool, since not every villa type does.
Food, Drink and the Spa
Dining at Al Yamm leans toward Italian dishes and fresh seafood, with breakfast served by the beach and a lobby bar for drinks before dinner or a nightcap. The bigger advantage is the island-wide setup. Guests can eat at the restaurants of the other two Anantara resorts, Desert Islands Resort and Spa and Al Sahel Villa Resort, with free 4x4 transfers between them. That gives you real variety over three or four nights.
The resort can also arrange private dining, including lantern-lit dinners on the beach or in the dunes of the wildlife park. These are worth booking once for the setting and the stars.
The Anantara Spa draws on the brand's Thai wellness traditions and uses local ingredients. Treatments take place in rooms overlooking the Gulf or in private beachfront cabanas, which is the more romantic option for a couples massage.
Why guests fall for it
Wildlife Drives and Other Things to Do
The Arabian Wildlife Park is the reason to choose Sir Bani Yas over a regular beach resort. Rangers lead game drives through the park, where you can see Arabian oryx, sand gazelles, giraffes and, with some luck, cheetahs. Walking safaris let you learn to read tracks and get closer to the plains game on foot.
From Al Yamm, mangrove kayaking is right on the doorstep. Go at high tide, when the channels are deep enough to paddle quietly among the roots. Horseback riding, mountain biking and snorkeling over the island's protected reefs are also available.
Do not miss the remains of a 7th-century Christian monastery and church, a rare pre-Islamic site in the Gulf. For one partner who loves wildlife and another who would rather read by the pool, split the day: game drive at dawn, spa and beach in the afternoon and dinner together at the island's safari-side resort.
Getting There
Fly into Zayed International (AUH) in Abu Dhabi, which has had nonstop service from a few US cities, or into Dubai International (DXB). From Abu Dhabi, a car transfer to the Jebel Dhanna jetty in the Al Dhafra region takes about three hours. From Dubai, allow around four. A water taxi then crosses to the island in roughly 20 to 30 minutes at scheduled times through the day.
The resort arranges transfers from Abu Dhabi or Dubai, which is the simplest option. Ask for the current boat schedule before you set off so you reach the jetty in time. On the island you will not need a car, since resort shuttles link the three properties and all activities are organized for you.
Most couples combine Sir Bani Yas with a few nights in Abu Dhabi and a desert stay at Liwa, then fly home from AUH. Plan three or four nights on the island to fit in two game drives, a kayak and a lazy beach day.
Is It Worth It?
In the cooler months, yes. Rates for a one-bedroom villa typically start somewhere around $500 to $800 a night with breakfast, depending on season and category, so treat that as a rough guide. For a beachfront villa with a pool and access to a wildlife park, that compares well with safari lodges in Africa and with top beach resorts in Dubai.
The main drawback is the long transfer. Three hours by road plus a boat ride is a lot for a short stay, so do not book fewer than three nights. Summer, from June to August, is extremely hot and humid. Game drives shift to dawn and dusk and the beach is too hot at midday, so lower rates are not always a bargain.
Couples who want more of a safari feel should consider Al Sahel Villa Resort, closer to the plains. Couples who want lively dining every night may prefer the larger Desert Islands Resort. Al Yamm is for couples who want quiet, a beach and a pool to themselves.
Insider tips
- Confirm that your villa category includes a private plunge pool before you pay.
- Book the mangrove kayak for high tide and the game drive for first light.
- Have at least one dinner at the safari-side Al Sahel resort to see animals near the property at dusk.
- Check the jetty boat schedule a day before arrival so your transfer does not leave you waiting.
