The only travel to foreign shores that I did in these two years of the pandemic were the scenic cities on web shows that I binge watched every night on OTTs.
It was in April, that I finally stepped out and spent some days in Yas Island Abu Dhabi, UAE. A short flight of four hours, and I was set to explore this island in the Middle East. It was post-midnight that we landed at Abu Dhabi International Airport and the smooth immigration was such a pleasant surprise.
A 15-minute drive brought me to Hilton Abu Dhabi Yas Island, my stay for the trip. The panaromic view of Yas Island from the private balcony of my room, overlooking the Yas Bay waterfront, a glittering skyline of the city and a boardwalk dotted with palm trees decked up with fairy lights, was as dreamy as it gets.
Theme Park thrills
Yas Island Abu Dhabi boasts of three theme parks— Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi and Yas Waterworld Abu Dhabi. We had three days to explore these, with Warner Bros.
World being the first stop of my trip. You’re in for a treat at Warner Bros. World if you’re a fan of Warner Bros and DC Comics characters . We entered through the Plaza and were transported to an animated world with the sky in vivid shades of purple and art deco style architecture.
Think cities from Hollywood movies in the 1930s. Saunter around this plaza and check out the architecture, eateries and shops selling merchandise and get clicked with Batman, Superman or any of your favourite character as you explore.
The park has been divided into immersive themed lands such as Bedrock, Dynamite Gulch, Cartoon Junction, Gotham City and Metropolis. Our day started with scary thrill, as we got on to the Scarecrow Scare Raid ride, near Gotham City.
A chills-inducing voice, played over the loudspeaker, asked the riders to, “face your deepest fear”, as the ride began with upside -down inversions. It took me a while after the ride ended for my heart rate become normal. From The Flintstones Bedrock River Adventure to Scooby-Doo:
The Museum of Mysteries, there are plenty of rides for all the age groups to take their pick. My absolute favourite was the Batman: Knight Flight and Green Lantern: Galactic Odyssey. The Batman: Knight Flight gave an immersive experience, flying over the Gotham City, jumping from the skyscrapers and dodging the dreaded villains.
Green Lantern, on the other hand, took us on a thrilling 4D flying theatre experience across stunning landscapes and the universe. It was as real as it gets, as we fell into the waterfall and flew across valley of flowers.