HOUSING the region’s most diverse and active display of falcons, hawks, kestrels, owls and eagles, Banyan Tree Al Wadi offers an opportunity for guests to partake in the 2000-year-old tradition of falconry – the challenging art form of hunting with a trained bird of prey. “This ancient art is a very demanding endeavor, requiring dedication of time and energy from the falconer,” says Banyan Tree Al Wadi’s professional falconer, Mitchell Olivier, who has been practicing falconry for 10 years.
Banyan Tree Al Wadi currently houses a professionally-trained falcon team of two Harris Hawks, four Peregrine Falcons, two Desert Eagle Owls and a Steppe Eagle at its in-house falconry mews. Guests at the hotel can learn more about these majestic birds with a walk through the resort’s nature reserve. To get up close and personal with these regal birds, guests can try a two-hour interactive experience at the falconry mews, including a live demonstration of falcon training with detailed explanations for Dh900 ($245) per adult or Dh750 ($204) per child. Guests can also sign up for an intensive two-day introductory falconry course , the first and only in the Middle East, for Dh3,400 ($925) for in-house guests.