MIDDLE EAST ABU DHABI DESTINATIONS 16.00: Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital 20.00: Sim Sim


14.00: Louvre Abu Dhabi


08.00: Al Ain Oasis


exhibits are housed in a low- slung metal dome – a sharp contrast to the white, cubic buildings surrounding the main exhibition halls. Its 20 galleries are divided into 12 chapters of human civilisation, with an amazingly wide range of exhibits, from African tribal masks to Iraqi stone statues dating back to 2120 BCE. One of the most stunning exhibits is Ai WeiWei’s spectacular chandelier-like sculpture. The museum is part of a plan to turn Saadiyat Island into Abu Dhabi’s cultural heart; the island’s offshoot of New York University already has its own gallery and there are plans for a branch of the Guggenheim. louvreabudhabi.ae


16.00: Visit the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital to learn how wealthy Emiratis care for their priceless feathered friends. Falcons, which have been used as hunting aids for thousands of years in this part of the world, are brought here by their owners for a wide range of procedures, whether it’s feather replacement (a snip at £20 a feather), heart surgery or


Procedures at the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital range from feather replacement to heart surgery


talon sharpening. There are daily tours of the hospital, and the most fascinating area is the main operating room, where visitors can watch minor procedures being carried out. falconhospital.com


20.00: Abu Dhabi might be a dry country, but its sprawling resorts have some fantastic bars. Head for a pre-dinner drink at the Nasma Beachfront Bar at Saadiyat Rotana Resort & Villas to sip cocktails while dipping your toes in the sand. Afterwards, enjoy some traditional cuisine at Sim Sim, where the menu features mouth-watering mezze selections and crusted lamb chops served with cucumber


yoghurt. Don’t forget to check out the spectacular lobby before you leave, including the small glass-covered sections of flooring dotted throughout, which contain sand from each of the seven emirates. rotana.com


 DAY TWO 08.00: Head to the Al Ain Oasis, a Unesco World Heritage Site and agritourism project that allows visitors to learn about traditional practices unique to Abu Dhabi. It takes about two hours to get to the city of Al Ain, though it’s worth adding time for a quick stop at the camel market just outside Abu Dhabi. This is where locals come to trade camels, and with thousands of the creatures, it’s sandy, noisy and chaotic, but a great way to get under the skin of the destination. If you’re lucky, you’ll see a local hoisting his purchase into the back of his pick-up truck with the help of a crane – a rather surreal sight, to say the least.


10.00: The sprawling Al Ain Oasis site is home to a family-friendly


eco centre and a landscaped area filled with 147,000 date palms. You’ll discover how a network of channels (known as falaj) once carried water to Abu Dhabi’s palm groves, and learn about the region’s different types of vegetation with visits to the site’s working farms. The Sheikh Zayed Palace Museum (otherwise known as Al Ain Palace Museum) and the Sheikh Sultan Fort are next door, so it’s easy to combine visits to all three sites.


12.00: The enormous Al Ain Palace Museum is the former home of Sheikh Zayed. He’s regarded as the founding father of the UAE, and lived here until 1966. A visit to the museum is a fantastic way to learn about traditional architecture – roofs (da’aoon) are made from palm leaves and many of the rooms have their own tranquil courtyard. The property is also packed with fantastically ornate furniture typical of the fort’s heyday.


13.00: Enjoy a delicious lunch with a serious side order of kitsch at Polynesian-themed


14 February 2019travelweekly.co.uk59


PICTURES: SHUTTERSTOCK; ROLAND HALBE; VICTOR ROMERO


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