"It is the last of its kind," says Mariam Al Hosani, a 24-year-old Emirati from Dalma Island, whose family moved here from Sharjah in the 1980s. It is only recently we are getting tourists from different backgrounds coming to visit the island," says the 42-year-old Emirati, who was born on Dalma and has lived there ever since. Everyone on the island knows Abdullah and welcomes whoever he brings as "new friends". One for history enthusiasts, this little island 210km from the city is said to have at one time been central to the UAE’s celebrated pearl trade.

Visitors can meet and interact with the fishermen who are found at their boats at the main dock or selling fish at the Dalma souq. There are 18 rooms and four chalets - or rather, four tiny houses along the beach. The island is modernised, with paved roads and new houses being built next to traditional homes - it is like a typical neighbourhood in places such as Bani Yas, Al Rahba and new Shahamah.

Upon arrival, I was surprised. "We are revamping the motel to bring it up to standards - like we are adding cameras, fire exits and bringing in new furniture and repainting the whole place," says Ahmed Malallah, who has been the motel manager for the past nine years. Yameela, along with another ferry called Al Gharbia, were introduced in 2010 and each can carry more than 25 cars and 200 passengers for the price of Dh20 per person and Dh100 per car. One theory goes that it was traditionally popular with sailors, who stopped at the island for its plentiful supplies of fresh water - "dalu ma", roughly translates to buckets or carriers of water. Last Update on: 14/08/2020 @ 21:00PM

A ferry can get cancelled on short notice, much to the dismay of those who decide to use the seaway to get to the island. It takes between two-and-a-half to three hours on the E11 to drive along mainly two-lane roads from Abu Dhabi to the ferry site. Historically known for its pearl trading and diving, there is a legend of a buried treasure somewhere on the island, where sacks of pearls were hidden away by a "pearl pirate". There are plenty of people at the ferry port, a few Emiratis but mostly Indians and we congregate together in the … There is internet and mobile services all across Dalma (with the exception of 3G service) although the mobile phone network regularly switches to Qatar's as you walk around the edges of the island. It is unlikely they would be fully booked before you go, but if you call the NBAD on Delma and ask, I bet someone could give you the number for the hotel. "As the time for the ferry looms closer, you watch the port official from your car, praying for his thumbs to be directed upwards," says Al Hosani. There is also the option of flying out of Abu Dhabi airport with small charter planes but those, too, have limited timings and, if there are not enough passengers, the flights get cancelled - again, on short notice. I also would like to stay there. Around 210 kilometers from Abu Dhabi is Dalma Island, a quiet, historic spot that was once at the heart of the UAE's pearl trade. Before these boats came into service, there were smaller ferries and private boats. 3 Day 2 Night Redang Island Snorkeling Package . The weather has just gotten cool enough to start doing out door thing againI used to work for National Marine Dredging Company in Hi .........I stay here in ruwais near housing................can i get the exact time.......i mean what is the exact time for ferry service from jebal dhanna jetty to both island & what will be the fare for ferry service.........and is it better to go on day time?. You can chat to the locals and sip coffee against the backdrop of the sea," he says. - The Museum of Dalma, which includes ancient artefacts such as a collection of charred date stones dating from the late 6th to early 5th millennium BC representing some of the earliest evidence of the consumption of dates in Arabia - Three old mosques, all about a 100 years old, belonging to renowned figures of the island.

Abdullah works as a tour guide with Mishka Tourism and likes to take visitors around to his "geological museum" along one shore of the island. The best parts about Dalma Island are its residents. "Look at these beautiful rocks," he says, pointing out various sized and coloured quartz, iron oxide and haematite rocks.