A destination unlike any other is the tagline you read when you visit the Yas Island website.

It is a claim, I would image, made by many leisure attractions around the world. However, with only a few years’ experience visiting the United Arab Emirates under my belt, I feel I have watched this island evolve into a destination unto itself.

Located in Abu Dhabi, Yas Island is home to the Yas Marina Circuit, which has hosted the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix since 2009. In 2010, Ferrari World arrived on the scene and established itself as the world’s largest indoor amusement park. So expansive and unique, this structure manages to stand out among the other jaw-dropping architecture in the region.    

Then there is the new Yas Links golf course, reviewed by our publisher Fran Gallagher in the May 2013 issue of Global Traveler (see the article here). There is also Yas Waterworld, recently opened this year and taking water parks to the next level. The second phase of expansion is meant to make it the largest park of its kind in the world.

I was fortunate enough to meet with the Yas Marina Circuit and the Waterworld teams during my last visit. The experiences Yas Island offers are perfect for a business traveler with an extra day who wants to experience something “unlike any other.” Spend a day on the island, and I guarantee next time you will extend your stay longer and maybe invite the family to join you. That is certainly what I am considering. 

— Danielle Hudena, executive vice president