Why Yas Island should be on your travel bucket-list

Welcome to Abu Dhabi – capital of the United Arab Emirates. Here you can scale the world’s tallest sand dune on a jeep safari, marvel at the minarets of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, snoop through souks and shopping malls and enjoy traditional high tea in futuristic skyscrapers. But if we could think of just one reason why you should put Abu Dhabi on your travel bucket list – it’s Yas Island. For couples or families, Yas Island is an action-packed destination, a supercharged stopover to add spice to your holidays en route to the Indian Ocean. Here’s why:

You can get close to the action

Yas Marina Formula 1 Circuit

A firm favourite on the F1 calendar, Yas Marina Circuit is one of the most recognisable race tracks in the world. Beautiful to look at and brilliant to drive, visiting this circuit is a must for all motorsports fans. So suit up and prepare for the ride of your life when you hire a prestigious sports car for a day’s racing.

It has the world’s fastest rollercoaster

Formula Rossa

The premise here is simple – bragging rights for experiencing the fastest rollercoaster in the world (from 0 to 240 kilometres/hour in just 4.9 seconds) at speeds comparable to an F1 car. Eat your heart out Lewis Hamilton.

It’s a shopper’s paradise

Yas Mall

An urban oasis located right at the heart of Yas Island, Yas Mall is the ultimate destination for shopaholics and the largest of its kind in the UAE. Yas Mall features designer and luxury brands, multiple entertainment zones for all the family, including a 20 screen cinema complex, over 60 indoor and outdoor restaurants, plus direct links to Ferrari World.

It’s the ultimate children’s playground

Yas Waterworld

Try launching yourself headfirst down a 2oo metre waterslide. Or navigating your raft around a 20 metre high funnel whirlpool ride. Surf a three metre wave on a ‘flowboard’ or board the Bandit Bomber rollercoaster and you’ll see why Yas Island Waterworld, with 43 rides, slides and attractions makes perfect sense.

There are stunning hotels

The Yas Viceroy

Get a grandstand view of the marina and the Formula 1 Circuit from one of the most iconic buildings in Abu Dhabi. State of the art design encased in an LED canopy creates a dazzling lightshow at night. Featuring chic restaurants and bars plus indulgent spas for pampering and plenty of glamour and sophistication.

It has the world’s largest indoor amusement park

Ferrari World

Holding the world record for the largest space-frame structure ever built, Ferrari World offers over twenty thrilling rides and interactive play areas, memorabilia for fans of the Italian motorsport, a fantastic karting academy for kids including a racing school with a scaled down version of the F1 circuit, while adults can drive the real track behind the wheel of a Ferrari California.

It’s the perfect stopover

Next stop – the Indian Ocean

After all the excitement of Yas Island you’ll need a contrasting destination to complement your adventure in the Middle East. A stylish multi centre option is to combine Yas Island with the Maldives for that classic overwater villa and white sand experience.

For more culture throughout your holiday Sri Lanka offers amazing beaches, wildlife, history and delicious cuisine. The Seychelles is a dream escape for nature lovers with luxury resorts perched over hidden coves; perfect for barefoot luxury.

If you like what you see, visit our hotel pages to start planning your holiday on Yas Island and the Indian Ocean.