Banya Forrest

Banya Forrest is a Russian bathhouse on Bluewaters Island, built around the classic hot-cold-connect cycle. The public banya is heated by a 20-ton stove burning fine timber, producing the wet steam at the center of the ritual; a private banya version, finished in ceramic tile, is available for smaller groups wanting their own space.

Cooling down happens in a 6°C plunge pool or the communal snow room, and on the open-air terrace, which has ocean views, sunbeds and room to sit between rounds. A licensed restaurant serves homemade Slavic dishes and warming drinks, meant for the long pauses that are as much a part of the visit as the steam and cold itself.

A single entry costs AED 300 and covers three hours of access to the sauna, cold plunge and snow room, a stocked locker, a restaurant table and the communal fresh steam ceremony. Packages with added treatments start at AED 600, and gift vouchers are sold digitally or physically. The venue is adults-only, welcomes groups and walk-ins, and runs a day-pass system rather than requiring hotel-guest status.

Staff and signage operate in English, Russian and Arabic. Banya Forrest is open daily from 10:00 to 23:00, and the general approach is cycling between the heat of the banya, a cold plunge or snow reset, and unhurried time in the restaurant or on the terrace, repeated as many times as a guest likes within the session.