Outside of the sanctuary on this Abu Dhabi island, we can swim, snorkel, bike, hike, dive and kayak. But within the borders of the Arabian Wildlife Park, which takes up about half of Sir Bani Yas Island, we are still. The sanctuary belongs to the animals, about 12,000 of them from 30 mostly endangered species, mostly indigenous to the Arabian Peninsula. Here, they are the ones who roam freely while we, as guests, are enclosed, on a safari drive.

And there they are, the sand gazelle, mountain gazelle, the Arabian oryx, the Arabian hare, a black-shouldered peacock, antelopes, an ostrich, flamingos, sheep. We see a few non-indigenous animals such as the emu. Over there, a lone giraffe. On a rock formation, two cheetahs. A hyena in the distance. Overhead, a sky of soaring birds. And all around us, desert with a few gigantic rocky outcroppings and a spot where more than 2 million hardy trees have been planted. The setting may look harsh, but it is a sanctuary, a safe haven for wildlife, bringing them back to what they knew and where they belong.

Sir Bani Yas Island is in the Arabian Gulf and belongs to Abu Dhabi. It is 155 miles from the city plus a 20-minute boat ride from the mainland.