At Yas Island, ride in a Ferrari, click selfies with flamingos, freefall into a gravity defying tunnel, feed a cute harbour seal, or say hello to a superhero! Built as one of Abu Dhabi’s largest tourism projects in 2009, the island houses some of the world’s most opulent entertainment arenas, an F1 racetrack, a golf course, and luxury hotels. Everything on Yas Island looks shiny new; the island itself is built like a giant amusement park; with dramatic buildings set against exceptionally bright skies. 

It is situated 10 minutes from the Abu Dhabi International Airport, and 40 minutes from Dubai.

Here’s how to spend three days on Yas Island, a quick trip to adjacent Saadiyat Island included.

Yas Island
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Speed thrills 

If you are an adrenaline junkie, try Turbo Race at Ferrari World. In 30 seconds, it takes you up through the roof only to descend in a heart-stopping vertical drop. If you do not have the heart or the stomach for it, like this writer, choose a quaint ride — such as The Magic of Italy — where you can steer a 1958 Ferrari California 250 miniature through a track built to resemble an Italian landscape, complete with every landmark such as the Colosseum di Roma, Venice and Maranello. It is delightful, calming, and surely memorable.  

One of the earliest theme parks to open here (in 2010), Ferrari World is also for those who love the brand and its iconic cars. You can delve into the history as well, tracing it from the first car built by Enzo Ferrarri in 1940 to being a public company in 1960.

 Walk on air 

Clymb at Yas Island
| Photo Credit:
Naim chidiac

How does it feel to be suspended mid air? Find out at Clymb, Abu Dhabi’s first indoor skydiving centre. All you need to do is wear a flight suit and helmet and step into a bottomless chamber only 104-feet deep and 32-feet wide. Worry not, for you are instantly pulled into the chamber and propped up by a gust of wind and you find yourself bobbing up and down like a weightless being.

The vertical tunnel is fitted with high speed fans that create a strong airflow and this simulates the experience of a freefall. The instructors, who are also in the chamber with you, guide you if you want to change position or even do some mid-air flips. Suitable for both novices and expert flyers, even children as young as three years of age. If you prefer climbing, walls of different heights offer a range of climbing experiences. The tallest is 138-feet. 

Yas Island
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Selfie with a flamingo

I got a selfie with a flamingo! A particularly curious one wandered close enough to the fence and decided to pose for as long as I wanted her to. She shifted from one pink slender leg to another and easily posed with her fans for a number of photos that day. At Sea World, the region’s first marine life theme park, which takes visitors across eight immersive ocean realms, watch marine creatures, feed some of them and click endless selfies with sea lions and puffins. Divided into regions between the poles to the tropics, visitors can spend an entire day here; the larger idea is to inspire people to protect oceans. The Advanced Animal Lighting System used across the ocean realms simulates the natural environment by recreating daily and seasonal light cycles while providing the benefits of full-spectrum light. 

This also maintains the natural circadian rhythm of marine animals, allowing them to thrive in this new habitat.  

Warner Bros.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Warner Bros
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

One with the superheroes

You are catapulted into space and are flying through interstellar landscapes all in a fraction of a second. Just as you are about to encounter pure evil, Green Lantern appears to save you. Green Lantern: Galactic Odyssey, a 360-degree 4D theatre experience, is one of the many rides at Warner Bros. that could leave you spell-bound. Just when you are settling down from the excitement of it, come Scooby Doo posing for pictures near his Mystery Machine. You are very likely to bump into Superman, Batman or Wonder Woman or the entire Justice League. Imagine all those selfies! Warner Bros. is where every childhood fantasy comes alive. You could go for endless rounds on carousels or get on an adventurous ride through Gotham City or just stroll around the plaza, under an LED sky that turns blue, lilac and pink.

Saadiyat Island, the cultural hub

Saadiyat beach
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

If Yas is all about adventure and entertainment, Saadiyat Island, about 20 minutes from Yas, is for art, culture, and unhurried lunches beside the beach.  Spanning 27 square kilometres, the natural island attracts tourists with its iconic Louvre Abu Dhabi. The Guggenheim Abu Dhabi and the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi are also set to open here soon. Saadiyat Island also boasts fine dining and luxury hotels, wellness and lifestyle in addition to its cultural experiences.

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Louvre Abu Dhabi
| Photo Credit:
KARIM SAHIB

Set against the backdrop of a dazzling aquamarine sea, the Louvre Abu Dhabi is a work of art by itself. Inspired by Arabian architecture, the roof is shaped as a dome and built with steel and aluminium interlocking arcs. At the end of the covered gallery is an open space where sunlight rains down in speckles. French architect Jean Nouvel, who built it, is believed to have drawn inspiration from the play of light and shadow under the palm trees when light filters in through the leaves. From Monet to modern art, across 23 permanent gallery spaces, the Louvre offers everything for the art enthusiast. The gallery is a sanctuary of calm where you can steal a few meditative moments with iconic works of art. It is also a journey through the history of mankind’s preoccupation with art.  

The Abrahamic Family House
| Photo Credit:
DROR BALDINGER

A house of faith

A fairly recent addition to Abu Dhabi’s fast growing cultural scene, the Abrahamic Family House, is a place of interest. It pays tribute to the communities and cultures that have settled in the United Arab Emirates as early as the seventh and eighth centuries. Consisting of a mosque, a church and a synagogue, the complex stands for the larger goal of peaceful coexistence. Designed by Ghanaian-British architect David Adjaye, the tall structures in the colour of desert sand let in plenty of air and natural light through their latticed walls and clean geometrical plan. The centre offers workshops and lectures too on subjects related to faith and peace building. 

The writer was at Yas Island and Saadiyat Island on invitation by Miral Destinations, the creators of immersive experiences in Abu Dhabi. 

Crispy hot dosas on your plate are always a delight. Pair it with a breath taking view of the sunrise and that would be bliss. That plateful after an early morning trek is reward in itself and if that is your idea of a fun activity, Bettadmele Breakfast is a half-day trek experience that unfolds at Hulukudibetta, Doddaballapur.

Organised by Suyana, a travel group in the city, trekkers are served hot, crispy dosas with chutney, fruit, jaggery rasayana, and millet malt after the one-hour climb. Suyana was founded in 2019 by Sushma BV, an HR professional, and her husband Sunil S, an UPSC aspirant. In 2022, Sushma quit her job and now curates travel experiences with Sunil. 

The couple organises a trek every weekend throughout the year in two batches — an early morning batch at 5.30, followed by a morning group at 6.30. Those who opt for the early morning trek are instructed to reach the base at Doddaballapur by 5am using their own transport, while those who opt for the morning trek are provided with transport facilities from various points in the city such as JP Nagar, Koramangala, Richmond Circle, Majestic, Mekhri Bus stop, Hebbal and Yelahanka to reach the base by 6.30am.  

View from the hill
| Photo Credit:
Srihari Raman

After a quick briefing session at the base, trek leaders guide the group to the top. Sushma says, “Our trek leaders not only ensure that participants follow the designated trail, but also keep the group engaged with fun activities.” 

Sushma and Sunil do not sleep the night before a trek. “We make all the food at home using fresh organic ingredients. We begin making the chutney, palya and rasayana around eleven, and complete it around two in the morning. Batter is made in the morning after the rice is soaked the previous night.”

Sushma elaborates on their operations. “Our team departs at around three in the morning with these items with traditional cast iron tawas, portable stoves and cans. We do not use non-stick pans and these tawas are quite heavy, so we have a team of about 15 people who work every weekend, carry this up the hill. They include a research scientist from IIST, lawyers, doctors and IT professionals with a common interest in travelling and curating experiences with us.” 

The team dishes out as many as 200-250 dosas atop the hill for breakfast. 

Families, friends and marathon runners as well as fitness and yoga groups are regular participants of this trek experience. “The trek is both age and pet friendly,” adds Sushma. “Anyone from 7 to 70 can join in as it is an easy trek of about 1,000 steps.” 

Dosa being made
| Photo Credit:
Srihari Raman

The initiative is also sustainable. “We ask our participants to carry their own steel or reusable plates and glasses for the trek. A trash bag is also be placed on site to discard waste. We then carry this bag back to Bengaluru and dispose it at the nearest BBMP disposal unit,” says Sushma. 

“As of now, we organise Bettadmele Breakfast only at Hulukudibetta in Doddaballapur, and we chose this specific peak as it’s a lesser-known hill, that is not crowded with tourists. Moreover, the historic Veerabhadra Swamy and Bhadrakali temples are located at the top of the hill, which is an added incentive,” she says.

Meghana Suresh from Hennur, who went on the Bettadmele Breakfast experience in March 2025 with her family that includes her eight-and 12-year-old children, says, “We used our own transport and reached the base at five in the morning after which there was a warmup session. Though we missed the sunrise view since it was cloudy, there were other points to explore once we reached the peak. The highlight of the experience was definitely the breakfast. The ragi malt shake and dosa were excellent.”

Sushma says, “My husband Sunil and I started Suyana in 2019 because we wanted to curate unique travel experiences outside the routine of work. After the pandemic, we initiated more interactive experiences such as the Bettadmele Breakfast to connect people with nature and others.”  

The Suyana group also organises trips to Agumbe, Hampi Kallu and Kumpa Vistara as well as ones to experience the Siddhi tribe culture. While the Agumbe Vismaya package includes both exploring the rainforest, waterfalls, mud caves and local culture as well as learning about the staple food, vegetation, biodiversity, conservation of endangered flora and fauna, a trip to Hampi focuses on a historical view of the place, its architecture, culture, innovation and literature.

The cost for the Bettadmele Breakfast Experience starts at ₹1,101. For more details, contact 7406648322

The winding highway to Rishikesh’s Neelkanth Temple Road leads to Camp Brook, a luxury camping stay with cottages and tents, where a gamut of spiritual adventures awaits a crowd of 158 people. This is the venue for this year’s Shoonya – The Festival of Nothingness. Tracy Chapman’s tune ‘Fast Car’ stops midway when the destination arrives, just in time for the drumming session.

Anuj Aggarwal (right), one of the founding members of Shoonya Festival, poses with facilitators and guests at the festival
| Photo Credit:
Manish Suryavanshi/Shoonya

“The idea of Shoonya came out of a discussion on life between a group of friends and me. Everyone was feeling some discontentment. We wanted to create a space where people could escape into nothing and meet other people without any purpose — thus the name shoonya (which means zero). There’s no apparent narrative of wellness or healing associated with the festival. The first edition of Shoonya was held in Jibhi in 2018,” says Anuj Aggarwal, one of the founding members of Shoonya Festival. Other members include Manu, Saksham Ghiya, Rachna Ghiya, Aayush Sharma and Sagar Agrawal.

Guests at the activity groud of Camp Brook
| Photo Credit:
Manish Suryavanshi/Shoonya

This year marks the ninth edition of the three-day festival that features many activities or sessions, from art therapy to breath work meditation and sound bath healing to mindful journaling. Previously, Shoonya had been held in Jibhi, Bir, Pushkar, Kunkhet, Jaipur, Goa and Chamba. It is organised by Jaipur-based company called Shoonya Experiences, which is founded by Anuj, Manu and Saksham. “It’s a for-profit company, but till now we have not made any profit. We do not have sponsors, but we do have in-kind partners,” Anuj explains.

Starts with something

The drumming session, conducted as a drum circle, invites you to beat the drum. Seated on chairs arranged in three concentric circles, everyone picks a djembe each and begins drumming. Facilitator Shreya Thakur orchestrates the jam, assigning rhythmic patterns to participants by splitting the circles in quarters and halves. Everyone blends in. The drumming intensifies. It is tea time. Some leave their instruments and head to the stall near the property’s kitchen which dishes out vegetarian meals.

For the evening, there are pakodas, tea and coffee. Others keep the tempo going and continue beating the drums. They are joined by dancers and a couple of flow artistes who spin the dapostar (an eight-sided spinning cloth with a large range of moves). In conversations spilled over tea, the complaints of numb hands are uttered in the same breath as the sighs of relief.

Drum circle
| Photo Credit:
Manish Suryavanshi/Shoonya

“We just want people to take a pause from their busy lives and connect with their inner selves, other people, without any judgements and in a safe place. We want them to explore many activities and take with them a thought that they could ponder on,” Anuj shares. Somewhere between existential and experiential, this non-judgemental, safe space comes at a price that starts at ₹5,999 per person. There is a full-bearded, long-haired Indian man with the sartorial sensibilities of a westernised hippie, a Netherland-born, Jaipur-based, clean-shaved blonde man in Indian clothes, and a grey-haired aged man who most people are addressing as ‘uncle’ — all in one frame.

Anuj Aggarwal at Shoonya Festival
| Photo Credit:
Manish Suryavanshi/Shoonya

The music flows to Camp Brook’s rear ground that faces river Heval. A fusion of sarod, hand pan and electric guitar, a trio named Sarod Mysticstakes inspiration from Indian classical ragas and regales the crowd through the evening.

A bit of everything

With rain, clouds and sun playing hide and seek the second day begins on a pensive note at the 7.30am breath-work session. The big circle breaks into tinier circles where participants share their main takeaways from the session. Some break down, others smile. The session is followed by ice bath. Rhythm Malhotra, a Gurugram-based business and embodiment coach, who mediates both the sessions says, “For the ice bath, we keep the water’s temperature between five and seven degrees. The natural response to ice bath is fight or flight, so when one is connected to his/her body through breath work, it prepares one’s mind and body. ”

Bhushan regales the audience with a fire juggling show
| Photo Credit:
Manish Suryavanshi/Shoonya

She also talks about the mandatory precautions one must exercise before taking an ice bath, which is not recommended for people with heart conditions, pregnancy or epilepsy. “We get a waiver signed by the festival organisers before conducting ice bath sessions,” she adds. Another reason to excuse yourself from the icy dip near river Heval is hygiene, especially if you do not like the idea of dipping into the same foldable bathtub that has been used by over 10 people. However, Tushti Thakur from Delhi enjoyed the session and calls it “exhilarating”. “I could feel the negative emotions and tension wash away,” she says.

The rain pushes the martial arts session to a hall where a nunchaku (a widely used martial arts weapon in Southern Chinese Kung fu, Okinawan Kobudo and karate) practitioner, called Grey, takes the participants through the practice. Those who prefer subtle movements take to Bhushan’s poi-juggling session, where he enunciates the nuances of body movement through juggling. Those at the dance session stand acquainted with movements that define flow, chaos, staccato, lyrical and stillness. For the ones who like practicing mindfulness, there are sessions on journaling, creative writing and communication.

Anything but nothing

“We choose facilitators who fit into the concept of Shoonya and who wish to experience the festival while conducting their sessions too. We do sound bath, Chinese whisper, breathwork and blindfold often, but our list of sessions change with every edition,” says Anuj, who curates the sessions with Manu. “The sessions are designed in a specific flow with activities that complement each other,” he adds. He stresses on other points that are crucial to the festival’s curation — location and people. “We like to host the festival at a place that is close to Nature,” he says. He tells us that this edition took nearly seven months to curate and has witnessed maximum participation. “This is the first time we had over 100 participants. Nearly 30% are regular guests who have been associated with us since 2010.”

Ankit, a festival-goer, poses with his daughter Anayaa
| Photo Credit:
Manish Suryavanshi/Shoonya

One such person is Mukta Basandani, a Jaipur-based mindset coach, who says that she has been associated with the festival for seven years. “But this was my first time as a facilitator. In my session, I guided participants to write with intention, starting with gratitude and scripting their dreams as if they had already come true. My husband and I brought our kids (aged 11 and six years) along and they thoroughly enjoyed every activity, from nunchaku to art sessions. In today’s stressful times, I feel such experiences are essential,” she says.

Another guest travelled all the way from Dubai. Kanchan Gurbux, a business development manager with Ernest & Young, says, “This is my second time at Shoonya. I got to know about it through my cousins. This festival allows me to cut off from my daily routine and allows me to be with myself while meeting new people and learning new experiences. I particularly loved the blindfold activity where I shared my personal feelings with an absolute stranger and that person gave me a new perspective on my feelings.”

The blindfold session at Shoonya
| Photo Credit:
Manish Suryavanshi/Shoonya

At Shoonya, with sights and sounds galore, amidst people known unknown, lies a blank canvas of time and space that only you can paint with your thoughts, experiences, emotions, consciousness and perhaps by your very being. In times of trouble, you can always fall on Sartre and Martin Heidegger’s musings on nothingness, delve into quantum field theory that suggests vacuum is filled with virtual particles, or reflect on Indian philosophical traditions, like Sunyata, linked to Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism. Enter the void!

The writer was in Rishikesh on the invitation of Shoonya – The Festival of Nothingness .

Published – February 21, 2025 05:43 pm IST