Anantara Sir Bani Yas Island Al Sahel Villa Resort

We stayed three nights at Al Sahel Resort, and it was a truly unforgettable getaway from the rush of Dubai. The Villa are very clean, spacious, and come with a lovely private pool. Housekeeping visits twice a day, which really adds to the overall comfort. Having animals roaming freely right in front of your balcony is a unique and beautiful experience. We pre-booked the safari and the nature walk and highly recommend both. I’m not sure why some guests are disappointed with the safari due to “not enough animals” or try to compare it to African safaris—information about the local wildlife is easily accessible online (even on Wikipedia). The safari and nature walk guides were excellent: friendly, knowledgeable, and clearly passionate about the island’s flora and fauna. Transportation to the island is fine—it’s a public ferry, so expectations should be realistic. There is also an option for a private boat at an extra charge. The staff at Al Sahel and the other hotels were extremely helpful, even when we changed our plans multiple times. They always tried their best to accommodate us. We were pleasantly surprised by how seamlessly transportation between hotels was arranged. A big thank you to Elly (our Ugandan butler), David (the manager), and the Kenyan waitress at Savannah Restaurant (sorry I didn’t catch your name). All of them were incredibly attentive and made our stay even more special. We had problem with safari timing mismatch done by someone who is handling excursions but David storted this out for us and managed to come up with solution. We would highly recommend Al Sahel for a 3–4 night stay if you’re looking for peace, nature, and a complete escape from city traffic.

Hello,||We stayed at Al Sahel for three nights from 8–11 November, and I would like to say what an amazing and unforgettable experience we had.||The villas are absolutely gorgeous, and all of the staff were friendly, welcoming, and incredibly helpful. They truly played a huge part in making our stay as special as it was.||A special mention to Elly for being so friendly — it was always a pleasure seeing him around the resort. Our Anantara Villa Host via WhatsApp was also amazing. She was a petite woman from Sri Lanka (I’m so sorry I’ve forgotten her name), and we loved the villa host service and how quickly and efficiently they responded to any requests.||Naan Chit was our server in the restaurant on both evenings and was very chatty and friendly. Another special mention to the chefs — both breakfast and dinner were delicious, and the BBQ chicken wings were absolutely amazing, genuinely some of the best I’ve ever had!||We also ordered room service for lunch on two occasions, and both times the service was great and the food was fresh and delicious. Breakfast served in our villa on the last morning was such a special experience and a real highlight of our stay.||We also had lovely interactions with the lifeguards, Janaka and Daniel, who were both very friendly and happy to chat with us. We loved relaxing by the main pool — it’s such a special place.||We also took part in the jeep safari, and our guide Navas was extremely knowledgeable. Seeing a giraffe right at sunset was a total highlight and a truly unforgettable moment.||Overall, it was a very special stay at Al Saheel Resort, and we only wish we could have stayed longer. The combination of the stunning villa, exceptional staff, and delicious food made for a truly relaxing and memorable experience.

very nice trip, surrounded by peacocks, antelops, angola chickens; we also spent some time around the other 2 Anantara hotels on the island

Anantara Al Sahel exceeded every expectation and delivered one of the most unique hospitality experiences I’ve had. Staying in a villa with Arabian oryx roaming freely right in the backyard forest felt surreal — waking up to wildlife just outside the villa is truly special. The property is beautifully designed to blend into nature while still offering complete luxury and privacy. The villas are spacious, thoughtfully laid out, and positioned to feel fully immersed in the savannah-like landscape. You genuinely feel part of the reserve rather than just visiting it. The staff is exceptional and truly elevates the experience. The restaurant staff were extremely courteous and attentive, and the restaurant manager was constantly present, personally supervising service and ensuring everything ran flawlessly. The front desk- Ethan and David was outstanding — warm, efficient, and always helpful. The concierge was super prompt and proactive with every request. A special mention to Jafer, who took us on the nature drive. His knowledge and enthusiasm made it unforgettable. Thanks to him, we saw zebras, giraffes, cheetahs, along with many other animals, up close. Anantara Al Sahel is not just a resort — it’s a once-in-a-lifetime wildlife and luxury experience. Perfect for anyone looking to disconnect, reconnect with nature, and experience truly world-class hospitality. Highly recommended.

My stay at Anantara was absolutely amazing from start to finish. From the very first moment, we were warmly welcomed by the front desk, and a special thank you to Mr. Elly Kelly, who drove us to our villa and made the arrival experience so pleasant and smooth. The villa was spotless, beautifully decorated, and incredibly comfortable. The attention to cleanliness and detail truly stood out. Every staff member we encountered was kind, professional, and genuinely welcoming. Dining at Havana’s Restaurant was a highlight. We had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Tee, the manager, and Jackline, our sweet and attentive waitress. The food was exceptional, and the service made the experience even more memorable. The next day, we enjoyed activities including the safari and archery (bow and arrow). We had the same guide for both activities—he was informative, funny, and extremely professional, which made the experience even more enjoyable. The property itself is stunning—perfect for a romantic getaway or a family vacation. Animals are all around, and I even got the chance to feed a deer, which was such a magical and unforgettable experience. I truly loved everything about my stay and cannot wait to visit again. Highly recommended!

We moved from Al Yamm to Al Sahel and were warmly welcomed upon arrival. The villa was spacious, beautifully designed and very clean. As the resort is located a nature set up, the outdoor area sometimes got a bit messy due to the wildlife roaming around but it was cleaned daily and always kept in good condition. The sofa outside had quite a few stains but this didn’t really bother us.||As hotel guests, we could visit the other Anantara resorts on the island for meals or activities, and this always worked smoothly without any issues. When returning to Al Sahel, we occasionally had to wait around 20 minutes for a shuttle, but this was perfectly fine.||Breakfast was excellent, offering a wide variety of delicious options. Depending on occupancy, breakfast was offered either as a mix of buffet and à-la-carte or as à-la-carte only, which worked perfectly for us.||The bar at the resort also has a happy hour, which we unfortunately didn’t know about at the beginning - but once we found out, we made good use of it. A big thank you to Soudip, who always served us with great friendliness.||We would also like to express a special and separate thank-you to Michelle. She went above and beyond to ensure that our stay was as comfortable and enjoyable as possible. Her attention to detail and genuinely caring attitude made a big difference for us and we appreciated her support immensely.||During our stay, we also booked a safari, which took us on a 1.5-hour drive across the island. We were able to see many animals. However, if you specifically want to see giraffes, we would recommend the nature walk instead - during the safari we saw 3 but during the nature walk we saw around 40.||All in all, a beautiful, quiet and peaceful experience that we would happily repeat.

Our stay at Anantara Sir Bani Yas Island Al Sahel Villa Resort was nothing short of magical! The entire ambience felt like we were transported to a Kenyan savanna. The moment we arrived, we were surrounded by nature, peacocks, deer, and many beautiful birds wandering freely around our villa. It was such a peaceful and unique experience. Mornings were my favourite! Waking up to the soothing sound of birds chirping everywhere felt heavenly. Breakfast was equally amazing, we sat outside, and so many peacocks and birds came near our table as if they were joining us. My daughter had the best time feeding the deer and birds; it truly felt like a dream for her. Our villa itself was stunning and gave us real savanna vibes, beautifully designed and very private. The staff were incredibly kind, polite, and helpful, making us feel comfortable throughout our stay. One of the highlights was getting a chance to see giraffes up close and taking a full guided tour of the island. The hotel team arranged everything perfectly and made sure we enjoyed every moment. Overall, this resort offers an unforgettable experience filled with nature, wildlife, luxury, and warm hospitality. I would absolutely recommend it to anyone looking for a peaceful getaway that feels like a little piece of Africa in the UAE. 💛🌿🦚🦌

Our stay at Anantara Sir Bani Yas Island was honestly one of the worst experiences we’ve had, especially compared to our previous visits. The service quality has dropped badly, and the whole experience felt stressful instead of relaxing. Olio Restaurant was a huge disappointment. The new system forces guests to choose full board or half board just to order food, which is unreasonable. On top of that, the prices were extremely high and absolutely not worth the food we received. The quality did not match the cost at all. When we called the reception to inform them that we were going to move to the other hotel, the staff’s reaction was uncomfortable and unprofessional. Instead of handling it smoothly, they kept asking why we were leaving and what we planned to do there. This was unnecessary and felt intrusive. In the past, everything was organized and staff were polite and efficient — now everything feels complicated for no reason. Overall, this stay was not worth the money at all. The service, food, and experience were extremely disappointing. We did not enjoy our stay and will not be coming back again. This was honestly a terrible experience and far from what we expected from Anantara.