Luxury Travel - Zaya Nurai Island Highlights - Abu Dhabi
- Aliya Thobani
- May 11, 2020
- 3 min read
In the lap of luxury I lay, basking in the sun all day!
Let me take you on a journey with me to paradise.
Now, I had always seen pictures of people traveling to luxurious islands and vacation spots. Little did I know that there was a similar invitation waiting for me when I flew into the UAE.
Let the Journey begin...
Welcome to Zaya Nurai Island - an exclusive community of limited edition beachfront estates, water villas and the premier location of Zaya Nurai Island's boutique resort.
As the saying goes - "Land was created to provide a place for boats to visit", we head to this magical retreat by boat.
My journey began from where I was staying in Dubai with my bff. We had to leave early to get to Abu Dhabi and to the location where a private boat was ready to jet us to this exotic private island.
We had our bags prepared - a change of clothes, bathing suits and sun block!
The excitement built up when we approached the main door where the doorman assisted with our bags and we were served with complimentary drinks while we waited to board the boat. Well, here's the mind boggling part: I was in the Middle East (a land of deserts), yet I felt that I was on some tropical vacation.
So, fast forward to us boarding our boat where we were given life jackets to wear (Yes! Safety first) and were asked to hold on as we sped through the multitude of little islands for 15 minutes before getting to our destination.
Amenities:
We were greeted at the entrance and were told about all the amenities in the island. To name a few:
Beach, water, estate villas and houses;
Fine dining in restaurants featuring Middle Eastern, Asian, Mexican, Western cuisines to fresh seafood fare and Italian food;
Beach activities like scuba diving, snorkeling, jet and water skiing - all in the Arabian Gulf; OK, let's not forget fly fishing, wakeboarding, wind surfing and one of the fan favorites which is fishing and bringing back your catch for the Chef to prepare it for you;
Land activities like biking, beach volleyball, badminton, basketball, football and even private tennis lessons on an outdoor court;
Kids activities including a water park with splash pools;
My favorite - undeniably the best relaxation pass time of all - spa with ocean views.
For more information go to Zaya Nurai Island website
At Destination:
With so many features and so little time we really had to pick and choose, so we opted to go to the pool section and walked through the luscious tropical gardens and the frangipani trees (these totally remind me of my hometown - Mombasa, Kenya).
No time was wasted as we changed into our bathing suits and dove into the pool. (OK fine - we had a mini selfie session first).
There were villas around with pool parties and live DJs so that kept us entertained.
Paradise:
I was headed back to Canada the next day, so was disheartened that I couldn't spend the night there. However, I wanted to get as much time on the beach and in the sun as I could, so next we ended up going to the beach with white sands and turquoise water where there was a beach bar and more parties!
The whole experience was so calming - just listening to the waves, walking along the shores and allowing the waves to kiss my feet. It was so surreal and I savored every moment of it before heading back to Dubai and then to the winters of Canada.
All in all, it was a wonderful way to end my trip and am hoping to come back to this hidden gem once again for a few nights this time. Whether it's a girl's weekend away or a romantic gateway with a loved one, I am sure Zaya Nurai Island will not disappoint!
Awards:
Zaya Nurai Island has won numerous awards and in 2019, it won:
- Best Villa-Global | Haute Grandeur Global Awards
- Best Island Resort - Middle East | Haute Grandeur Global Awards
- Best Resort Spa - Middle East | Haute Grandeur Global Awards
- Best Spa Design - Middle East | Haute Grandeur Global Awards
- Best Luxury Spa - Middle East | Haute Grandeur Global Awards
- Best Wedding Venue | thebrideshow.com
- World's Best Private Island Spa | World Spa Awards
- Best Luxury Spa in Abu-Dhabi, UAE | Luxury Lifestyle Awards
- Abu Dhabi's Leading Villa Resort | World Travel Awards
- Middle East's Leading Luxury Villa Resort | World Travel AwardsTags: #love #beach #lluxurylifestyle #waves#pool #luxuryspa #resort #privateisland #villas #finedining #date #dating #romantic #fun #getaway #tuae #dubai #abudhabi #boat #frangipani #tropical #relaxation #luxury #lifestyle #travel #dinner #activities #surprise #land #sea #bike #fishing #skiing #middleeast #marriage #worldawards #traveling #luxurytravel #worldtravel #worldtravelawards
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