Falconry and Wildlife Safari Tour through the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve is an experience of a lifetime! You will learn about the art of falconry and get a chance to fly birds of prey, such as falcons, hawks, and desert eagle owls. You will also get to see an amazing landscape of sand dunes and witness the wildlife, such as gazelles and the Arabian oryx.
One of the most mesmerizing and memorable experiences I had in Dubai was a guided tour through the Dubai desert (the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve) that included desert safari, watching wildlife, learning about falconry, and interactive bird of prey demonstrations.
The tour also included the breakfast in a Bedouin setting, as well as a camel ride. The whole experience takes about 5 hours, but in the end, it feels like you've spent days in the desert - that's how many things you get to experience!
The tour was organized by Platinum Heritage - an Ecotourism Desert Safari company in Dubai. To say that I was impressed with this experience is an understatement. Desert safari and falconry in the Dubai desert was an experience of a lifetime that I wholeheartedly recommend to everyone!
Platinum Heritage allowed me to experience the desert the way I never imagined before! I got to see beautiful sand dunes, watch wildlife during our wildlife drive in a vintage Land Rover through the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve. And, finally, I got to have an absolutely fantastic interactive experience with birds of prey (falcons, hawks, and desert eagle owls) guided by experienced trainers.
Falconry and Wildlife Safari
Platinum Heritage offers several types of tours - all of the highest quality. We booked one of their less expensive tour options, but it felt like a luxurious tour. We booked the Heritage Falconry and Wildlife Safari - and the photos you see in this article are from this tour. The tour takes about 5 hours. It cost only about $130 per person - a price well worth the experience!
Even though the tour takes about 5 hours, it feels like a lifetime. That's how many activities are included within 5 hours and how rich the experience is!
Interactive Demonstrations of Birds of Prey
The highlight of this experience was the interactive demonstrations of birds of prey, which included falcons, hawks, and owls. We had the chance to fly all three types of birds ourselves while guided by an experienced trainer.
1. Falconry
The tour includes learning about falconry (a process of hunting of wild animals in their natural habitat by means of a trained bird of prey - falcon).
Falconry dates back more than 2,00 years and is an important part of the heritage of Dubai. I learned so much about the falconry techniques and traditions through, literally, hands-on experience. Since this was not a private tour (we booked a tour in a shared car), we did all the activities with a group of people. However, the group was small, and every single person got many, many chances to interact with each bird of prey.
2. Hawks
We also got to fly hawks and observe these beautiful birds up close.
3. Desert eagle owls
Interaction with desert eagle owls was one of the most memorable experiences. This stunning bird of prey has orange eyes and its beautiful face is defined by a dark rim.
Breakfast in a Bedouin camp
The interaction with the birds of prey was followed by an amazing breakfast in a Bedouin-style camp.
Camels
Afterward, you can have a camel ride or just enjoy watching these beautiful creatures in their natural habitat, the desert.
Wildlife drive
The final highlight of the tour is a wildlife drive in vintage Land Rovers through the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve. This was an amazing opportunity to experience the beauty of the desert and view the landscape of sand dunes.
We got to spot native wildlife like Arabian gazelles or the Arabian oryx, a species of antelope.
Desert safari and falconry in the Dubai desert was an experience of a lifetime that I wholeheartedly recommend to everyone!
The tour we booked was called the Heritage Falconry and Wildlife Safari, and it costs only $130 per person. I used Platinum Heritage - an Ecotourism Desert Safari company in Dubai.
It's one of their less expensive tours (Platinum Heritage has many more options on their site). Even though it was one of their less expensive tours, as you can see in the photos it is quite an impressive experience to have for $130 per person! I highly recommend it! They also offer overnight tours that I would love to try next time!
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