The delightfully strange Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital is an underrated UAE attraction. The two hour tours are well worth taking.
Inside the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital
The doctor picks up his patient, puts a conical chamber over its head and releases the gas until it goes to sleep. Better this way than dealing with the flapping and squawking that would ensue with the talon-clipping and filing otherwise.
This happens every day at the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital, a delightfully bizarre place that gives an insight into the Emirati love of falconry. In the United Arab Emirates, falcons are treated as family members rather than pets – they have their own passports and are often flown in their own first class plane seats. But the hospital is where they all come to for their annual check up.
The waiting room is full of men in traditional dress stroking the wings of their loved ones and scooping up droppings that will be analysed as part of the examination. And inside the operating theatre, dozens of the birds are perched on little green benches with hoods over their eyes to keep them calm.
The doctor runs us through some of the procedures. Fixing a broken wing is usually a case of taking a wooden stick bought from a supermarket and gluing replacement feathers to it.
But for most, it’s a case of a quick once over and a trim of the sharp bits. Post-snip, the groggy falcon wakes up and begins to stomp around with possibly justifiable grumpiness. But she’s passed the check, and can go off hunting with her doting owner soon…
How much do Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital tour tickets cost?
The Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital is open to visitors on two hour tours. Tour tickets cost AED178.50 at the time of writing, and can be booked via the hospital website. However, there is the issue of getting there in the first place – it is not conveniently located.
Where is the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital?
The Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital lies to the south-east of Abu Dhabi International Airport. In fine Emirati tradition, the hospital doesn’t give an exact address – just that it’s to the right on the Abu Dhabi-Sweihan Road, 3km after the Sweihan Bridge.
This is a 46km drive from the Corniche, and should take around 35 minutes in a taxi.
Booking an Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital tour
Unless you’ve got your own car, the cheapest way of visiting the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital is on an organised tour. There are several Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital tours available, with pick-up and drop-off at your hotel.
Prices for these Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital tours cost from around $US75. Take a look around the options here.
More Abu Dhabi travel
Other Abu Dhabi stories on Planet Whitley include a guide to tackling Abu Dhabi in February with children.
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