Al Wathba Wetland Reserve
Al Wathba Wetland Reserve
Al Wathba Wetland Reserve
4
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Duration: 2-3 hours
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
4.0
36 reviews
Excellent
11
Very good
14
Average
6
Poor
3
Terrible
2
Rachel H
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates9 contributions
Jun 2021
Thousands of dead fish floating in the water, dead wild birds, dead and dying ducks. Litter all around including in the water which is full of green algae and has inadequate aeration. Truly disgusting that so many animals are suffering there.
Written 9 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Amitabh Varma
New Delhi, India185 contributions
Feb 2024 • Friends
The Al Wathba Lake is refreshingly away from the hustle-bustle of the city of Abu Dhabi. Be prepared for a longish drive on good road, the last few kilometres of which may be on a private road, to reach it. Bring enough supplies—there are no restaurants there! You can see birds diving in water and picking fish in their beak, though the water surface is not too clean to allow a clear view. It is a good site to camp overnight. Children can find swings to keep themselves engaged. Parking and toilet use is free, but the capacity appears a little inadequate. Nature lovers will not return disappointed from the area.
Written 28 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Maria Samaniego
2 contributions
Mar 2024 • Family
THE GOOD: This place is awesome for picnics and barbecues on the weekend.
Easy to get to, even in a small car - the roads are paved.
Clean bathrooms - a big plus for anyone who needs them.
Plenty of space to camp, and finding a spot by the lake is easy.
THE BAD: Some campers were REALLY loud and inconsiderate at night. One group had a loud outdoor theater, another played loud music, and another had a party - all past 2:30 AM! The park should have rules to keep things quiet at night.
OVERALL: This park is great for a daytime picnic or barbecue, but not so good for overnight camping because of the noise.
Easy to get to, even in a small car - the roads are paved.
Clean bathrooms - a big plus for anyone who needs them.
Plenty of space to camp, and finding a spot by the lake is easy.
THE BAD: Some campers were REALLY loud and inconsiderate at night. One group had a loud outdoor theater, another played loud music, and another had a party - all past 2:30 AM! The park should have rules to keep things quiet at night.
OVERALL: This park is great for a daytime picnic or barbecue, but not so good for overnight camping because of the noise.
Written 3 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Elin L
3 contributions
Jan 2020
Search Google Maps for "Al Wathba Wetland reserve MAIN ENTRANCE" and you will find the way.
The 3 km track was a nice walk with a few stops along the way. We saw flamingos, stilts, green bee eaters, plovers etc. Bring water and binoculars.
The 3 km track was a nice walk with a few stops along the way. We saw flamingos, stilts, green bee eaters, plovers etc. Bring water and binoculars.
Written 11 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
OliverPerth_WA
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates188 contributions
Apr 2017 • Solo
Firstly to get there ... after you've got to the end of the Musaffah highway carry straight on - on to the Al Ain truck road. After a few kilometres you will pass a (brown - I think) sign on the right with "Al Wathba Wetland Reserve" and indicating the need to do a U turn. This is because the reserve is on your left - on the other side of the carriageway. Unless I somehow fell asleep I couldn't see any gap in the central reservation at all. As a result I continued up to the next junction with a bridge over the carriageway. Taking that exit I continued up to a roundabout and turned back the way I came, crossed over the bridge and up to a second roundabout where I again returned back the way I'd come before entering the Al Ain truck road in the direction of Musaffah. OK. Got that?
The entrance is signed on the right after about 1 km and you immediately enter a dirt track at right angles to the highway. The signage thereafter is pretty clear but you go through an open gate and shortly afterwards bear to the right and follow the track until you reach the reserve entrance on your right - it has a small building, a few covered car park spaces and some bathrooms.
As others have mentioned there are two trails - green, with a lizard logo and red, with a flamingo logo. Take the longer one if you can - the scenery is quite varied on this route - and you potentially (they do move around!) get to see the flamingos a bit closer from a covered hide provided for the purpose. It took me about 3 hours including frequent stops for photography - you could comfortably do it in 2.
Take plenty of water - although there are two or three shelters most of your time will be in the direct sun. Also make sure you put on sun lotion on exposed areas (especially the shoulders and neck!).
What of the place itself? It really is an escape from the city - you do hear the distant rumble on the truck road but it doesn't really distract from the peace and tranquility of the reserve. I'm sure all the 'birders' are already regulars but even if you're not there are a number of interesting species - flamingos (of course), plovers, stilts, a crested lark and the ubiquitous white cheeked bulbul. Other birds hide but twitter (not a mobile phone in sight) away in the tall grass and the reeds.
You receive a short introduction after you arrive as well as a pretty good and free guidebook that lists the most common birds, reptiles (mainly lizards but a few snakes), insects and vegetation.
Opening times are normally Thursdays and Saturdays from 8am until 2pm - try to go early to avoid the midday heat. Also worth double checking in advance that they're open - just in case.
It may not be entirely suitable for young children unless they love nature walks.
I will surely return at regular intervals as you can temporarily forget the urban metropolis and enjoy a return to nature. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
The entrance is signed on the right after about 1 km and you immediately enter a dirt track at right angles to the highway. The signage thereafter is pretty clear but you go through an open gate and shortly afterwards bear to the right and follow the track until you reach the reserve entrance on your right - it has a small building, a few covered car park spaces and some bathrooms.
As others have mentioned there are two trails - green, with a lizard logo and red, with a flamingo logo. Take the longer one if you can - the scenery is quite varied on this route - and you potentially (they do move around!) get to see the flamingos a bit closer from a covered hide provided for the purpose. It took me about 3 hours including frequent stops for photography - you could comfortably do it in 2.
Take plenty of water - although there are two or three shelters most of your time will be in the direct sun. Also make sure you put on sun lotion on exposed areas (especially the shoulders and neck!).
What of the place itself? It really is an escape from the city - you do hear the distant rumble on the truck road but it doesn't really distract from the peace and tranquility of the reserve. I'm sure all the 'birders' are already regulars but even if you're not there are a number of interesting species - flamingos (of course), plovers, stilts, a crested lark and the ubiquitous white cheeked bulbul. Other birds hide but twitter (not a mobile phone in sight) away in the tall grass and the reeds.
You receive a short introduction after you arrive as well as a pretty good and free guidebook that lists the most common birds, reptiles (mainly lizards but a few snakes), insects and vegetation.
Opening times are normally Thursdays and Saturdays from 8am until 2pm - try to go early to avoid the midday heat. Also worth double checking in advance that they're open - just in case.
It may not be entirely suitable for young children unless they love nature walks.
I will surely return at regular intervals as you can temporarily forget the urban metropolis and enjoy a return to nature. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
Written 2 May 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MalteseStu
Colombo, Sri Lanka27 contributions
Mar 2016 • Couples
We drove to Al Wathba after being recommended to visit during the Mother of the Nation event on the corniche. After buying food so we could enjoy a picnic, we got there at 1200 on a Saturday because the website says it is only open on Thursdays and Saturdays from 8am to 2pm. It was closed with the gate locked. After getting the attention of a worker he said it's only open to VIPs. When I pointed out it was being advertised at the mother of the nation event he didn't care. When I asked if we could at least go into the car park to eat the food before it got cold he didn't care.
if you want to experience it, make sure you're important enoughto be let in!
if you want to experience it, make sure you're important enoughto be let in!
Written 27 March 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello, we apologize for the delay in responding to your review as we are currently reviewing visitor experience at the Reserve. The Al Wathba Wetland Reserve was closed from March 16 – April 1, 2016 for maintenance. We had announced that on the Instagram account of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi but, unfortunately, you must have missed it. We are not sure whom you asked regarding entry, but the reserve is certainly open to all members of the public – and not just VIPs. We are sorry for any inconvenience it may have caused you.
Written 18 October 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
thedanishnomads
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates245 contributions
May 2019 • Couples
So much trash everywhere... really disappointing to walk around in the desert area. The desert is some of the best nature the uae has.
Written 1 May 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Katrina C
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates94 contributions
Jan 2019 • Couples
After some odd directions by google maps, we arrived to the entrance. We were asked to sign in but not offered any additional information by the people working there. This was fine enough with us, as we already knew we would walk the 3km trail. As it was mid-day, there wasn’t much activity other than some birds here and there. The highlight was definitely seeing all the greater flamingos. They are absolute stunning creatures, and quite chatty too. Along the walk, it was nice walking through the tall grasses and feeling the temperature drop as you walk farther in. There were also many smells along the trail- some decent from the vegetation and others bad from the stagnant water in different places. All in all, a very nice visit and I’m glad to finally have made it there. One odd mention, as we were leaving we heard loud grumbling from the land across the road and apparently there are lions over there. They are well housed behind several tall fences so nothing to be worried about, but it was definitely an unexpected sound at the end of our peaceful nature walk.
Written 3 January 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
John J
North Yorkshire, UK669 contributions
Jan 2016 • Couples
Al Wathba Wetland Reserve is a complex of surface water bodies, both natural and man made, around 40km southeast of downtown Abu Dhabi, just past Mussfah. Head on the truck road E30 towards Mafraq to get there. It is accessible in a car or a Taxi too. There are toilets but no refreshments so please remember to take your own water. Oh and a camera of course. This attraction is FREE.
There are large colonies of Flamingo's and other waders to be found there. There are two short walks, both accessible for wheelchair/pushchairs if just a little sandy at times. It is peaceful and tranquil and an excellent way to get out of the hustle and bustle of a town- Enjoy!
There are large colonies of Flamingo's and other waders to be found there. There are two short walks, both accessible for wheelchair/pushchairs if just a little sandy at times. It is peaceful and tranquil and an excellent way to get out of the hustle and bustle of a town- Enjoy!
Written 1 February 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sharyn
18 contributions
Oct 2021
We visited the site to see and photo the flamingos. The area was closed and nothing was visible but lots of construction machinery. Waste of time.
Written 21 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Do we need a PCR test to enter the park although we are Abu Dhabi resident?
Written 22 January 2021
For us they did not check although we already had our tests. Currently I'm not aware of it. You can call before going.
Written 22 January 2021
Is that track suitable for pushchairs?
Written 31 January 2020
If you have a pushchair with big wheels I would say yes, but those with the smaller wheels would be very difficult.
Written 6 February 2020
Hi, is there any public bus going to this place? Any idea? Thanks
Written 30 January 2018
Not that I know of. It's quite off the beaten track. You have to go through an industrial area, then a plant nursery to get there.
Written 31 January 2018
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