went to manila zoo last thursday with my daughter and ...
By allen0187
@allen0187 (58444)
Philippines
June 8, 2012 5:09am CST
we genuinely enjoyed the experience.
admittedly, there are better zoos around (avalon zoo, malabon zoo, zoofari in subic to name a few) but nothing beats the old-school charm of manila zoo. i must admit that when i was younger i went to manila zoo but i don't recall the trip. i had to ask my folks what and when it exactly transpired. learned that i celebrated my third birthday at manila zoo and it was the three of us,myself and my mom and dad, that went to the zoo.
manila zoo is one of the cheapest if not the cheapest zoo in town. the entrance fee is only Php40 for adults and Php20 for kids. if a kid is below four feet, the kid gets in for free. the manila zoo needs a major renovation and i can see that they are working on it. there are empty cages and some of the animals seem to need more attention and care. my favorite part of the zoo was the 'cave' that housed the reptiles and snakes. my daughter's favorite animals were elephant and zebra. she so much wanted to see a giraffe but sadly there was none. she also liked the playgrounds in the zoo. a couple more comments, the lagoon where they charge a fee to go boating needs to be cleaned. plus, they need to get more concessionaires for food and such. there were a couple of stalls selling toys and shirts and a stall where you can pose with a python.
over-all, i think the manila zoo is still a good place to go and spend time with the family. yes,the place needs a major renovation and i'm down in supporting whatever endeavor is undertaken to generate and procure funds for its rehabilitation. i will go as far as saying to let private companies and entities to start managing the zoo so it can improve its facilities not just for its customers but more importantly for animals that the zoo houses.
anyway, my fellow mylotters, what sort of experiences have you had with your zoo visits? would love to hear all of them.
cheers and happy mylotting!!!
1 person likes this
17 responses
@lynboobsy11 (11343)
• Philippines
14 Jun 12
I can't still remember the days when was the last time we visited the Manila Zoo. We once lived near the Manila Zoo before I still don't kids that time. My kids now are all grown up I even have a grandson. We have famous Zoobic Safari here in my area now and it is much beautiful and lots of big animals. It is very fun to have a picnic and riding a boat.
@lynboobsy11 (11343)
• Philippines
22 Jun 12
Yep we lived in manila then when my kids are all grown up I decided to go back here in my little town. Hope your plans going to Zoobic Safari came true.
@allen0187 (58444)
• Philippines
28 Jun 12
hi lyn.
yeah, tentative plan is to go to zoobic safari by last quarter of the year. if that doesn't push through, it'll be next summer. i'm taking my daughter to zoobic safari as i want her to experience being up close with animals.
anyway, i went to zambales with friends last march and on the way back to manila we had a stopover at olongapo. we went bar hopping and visited the clubs in the city.
1 person likes this
@allen0187 (58444)
• Philippines
22 Jun 12
hi lynboobsy11.
so you lived in manila before and now you live at olongapo. that's good to know. anyway, saw a couple doing the boat thing when me and my daughter visited the zoo. the boat activity didn't appeal to both of us so we passed on that one.
planning to go to zoobic safari as well. if my budget and schedule permits it, i'd like to go there at the latter part of the year with my daughter. should be lots of fun.
thanks for participating and happy mylotting lyn!!!
1 person likes this
@toniganzon (72285)
• Philippines
13 Jun 12
I'm glad you had a great time with your daughter there.
The last time i went to Manila zoo was about 7 years ago with my son and husband. My son was just a little over a year old and he was so scared of the elephant but loved the pythons!
I went to Manila Zoo only twice. Once when I was a kid myself and the second one was when I was already a mother. It's a great place to have fun and enjoy with the family.
@allen0187 (58444)
• Philippines
4 Jul 12
hi toni!
nice new avy!
still pretty but i like the previous one better...just saying.
a firing range in a zoo? that's funny!
one would think that people who frequent that zoo would be big game hunters and track down the animals.
cheers and happy mylotting!!!
still pretty but i like the previous one better...just saying.
a firing range in a zoo? that's funny! one would think that people who frequent that zoo would be big game hunters and track down the animals.
cheers and happy mylotting!!!@allen0187 (58444)
• Philippines
22 Jun 12
hi toni.
yeah, me and my daughter had a blast. it was a different experience cause we weren't in a mall. lol!
my daughter loved the elephant!!!we had to go back to the elephant pen and have more pictures taken. she loved the pythons and iguanas but didn't like the idea of getting a picture with the albino python or any other animal for that matter. so i ended up posing for pictures with the animals instead. got a picture with the python, the parrots, and even the butterflies in the kinder zoo. my daughter took the pictures using the camera in my mobile phone. the girl has talent for taking good pictures. took it from me. lol!!!
anyway, do you have zoos there in ilo-ilo?
anyway, the manila zoo is indeed a great place to have fun with the family.
thanks for participating and happy mylotting!!!
anyway, do you have zoos there in ilo-ilo?
anyway, the manila zoo is indeed a great place to have fun with the family.
thanks for participating and happy mylotting!!!
@toniganzon (72285)
• Philippines
4 Jul 12
We have two i think but not as big as the Manila zoo and they're out of town. About two years ago we went to one of them and it's not as big as the Manila zoo and there weren't many animals there to see. However they have a firing range, so me and a friend went target shooting instead while my son was playing pool.
@GreenMoo (11834)
•
8 Jun 12
I love watching the water animals. Aquariums actually suit me better than zoos, but you get them inside some zoos. there was one I went to where you walked through a glass tune inside the shark enclose. Incredible animals! I also like to watch the animals who are not entirely in or out of the water, like the penguins. Some zoos have glass so that you can see underwater as well as above.
@verolop29 (1096)
• United States
8 Jun 12
mm i have yet to visit an aquarium with sea creatures. i had a chance to see it in sea world but it was too late.
@allen0187 (58444)
• Philippines
28 Jun 12
hi greenmoo and verolop29.
@greenmoo, the zoo that we went to did have an aquarium. it mostly had different species of fishes. on more than one occasion, my daughter and i visited an oceanarium here in the country.it featured different fishes and sea animals. it had really big aquariums plus a glass tunnel wherein you'd see the fishes swim by. it had dolphins and sharks as well. my daughter loved the dolphins but was really afraid of the sharks. we're planning to visit the oceanarium again one of these weekends as they have penguins now and a new mermaid show.
@verolop29, sea world is a nice place to visit for sea animals. too bad we don't have a sea world here in my country.
cheers and happy mylotting.
@Sanitary (3968)
• Singapore
12 Jun 12
HOw many zoos are there in philippines? Do you mean there's one in every state? That would be a nice experience as you are able to explore different ones and i'm sure there are quite a few surprises in wait too. In singapore, we've just one, or actually two since there's day and night. Our zoo is simple, with some animal shows during certain time of the day. I prefer our night safari because that's where i can take the tram around the safari, looking at nocturnal animals.
@allen0187 (58444)
• Philippines
22 Jun 12
hi sanitary.
not sure about the answer to your question, there's one zoo in manila which is the capital of the country and another one (the avilon zoo) in montalban, rizal which is maybe an hour drive from manila. a check with our good friend wikipedia shows a list of about 20 zoos across the whole country. here is the link, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_zoos. scroll down to 'asia' and then to 'philippines'. not sure when the list was last updated though. i'm not going to all the zoos in the list but i'll be definitely visiting the more famous ones like the malabon zoo, the avilon zoo in montalban, rizal, the ark avilon zoo in ortigas (its the smaller version of avilon zoo. both are being handled by the same management team and owners), and the zoobic safari in subic. i've been to the philippine eagle center in davao when i was in the province during a convention and i visited the crocodile park when they had a branch here in manila (they have since gone back to davao).
going to all these zoos would definitely be a good experience but i doubt if i'll do that as it'll be really expensive as well. not very practical too.
heard a lot of good things about your night safari. got cousins living in singapore now and they went one time. they showed the pictures and video they took and it was really awesome. the zoobic safari is similar to your night safari.
thanks for participating and happy mylotting!!!
@jeth88 (68)
• Manila, Philippines
10 Jun 12
I visited Manila Zoo twice. First is when I was a child together with my siblings and parent. The second is I think last 2010. I enjoyed visiting our zoo in the Philippines but I noticed that it needs a lot of renovation and animals need big attention esp. the place where they housed. Anyway, thanks for sharing your experiences and opinions to us. :)
@allen0187 (58444)
• Philippines
22 Jun 12
hi jeth88.
first off, welcome to mylot. i'm sure you'll enjoy your stay here. just stick by the rules and regulations of the site and you'll be fine. if you have any questions, feel free to ask the more tenured members of mylot or you can even ask the administrator for clarifications.
going back to the discussion, it seems a good majority of responders haven't been to manila zoo recently and they've been to the zoo twice. once when they were kids themselves and a second time, when they brought their own kids to the zoo.
anyway, you are correct that the zoo needs a lot of rehabilitation. some of the cages were empty and not all animals can be seen in the manila zoo. would really like to see improvements in manila zoo. the place can use a major renovation.
cheers and happy mylotting!!!
@mikyung (2232)
• Philippines
10 Jun 12
It's been years I havent have the chance to have a quality time in the Manila zoo. I had been there with my former girlfriend and now, my wife maybe 3 or more years ago. And that makes this zoo a part of my life. I heard Mali, the old elephant who has been there for 2 or 3 decades. They are looking for a santuary for this aged elephant. I'm looking forward to see a lot more of animals in that zoo provided they are safe there. Still, I have so many reasons to pay visit to Manila zoo.
@allen0187 (58444)
• Philippines
22 Jun 12
hi mikyung.
i would definitely agree that manila zoo has been part and parcel of our city's history and more importantly, it has been part of our lives. i can only imagine the joys the zoo has seen from its countless of visitors. from a family sharing a day together to lovers who walked hand in hand and children visiting the zoo as part of their school's educational trip, manila zoo has been a part of our lives.
its great to revisit the zoo and the good memories with it which makes it more important for us to keep the zoo and improve its facilities. not just for the visitors but more importantly for the animals living in the zoo.
thanks for participating and happy mylotting mikyung!!!
@kykidd (6812)
• United States
10 Jun 12
I have only been to four zoos, that I recall. The best, by far, was the Cincinnati Zoo, in Cincinnati, Ohio. However, they charge quite a chunk of change to visit.
My next favorite zoo is the St. Louis Zoo. That is the zoo in St. Louis, Missouri. The admission is free, but if you park in their parking area they charge $5.00, that is five US dollars for parking. Still, very much worth it. It really comes pretty close to comparing to the Cincinnati Zoo, and for the price you can't beat it. Plus, no matter how many people are in the vehicle, it is still only $5. Also, there are some on street parking areas close by that are free to park if you can be early enough.
The other two zoos, which I have visited, are the Chicago Zoo...I think it was called Lincoln Park and the Indianapolis Zoo. The zoo in Chicago was free and very limited, however very clean. The one in Indy had a decent variety of animals, the fee was reasonable, however for the better shows, they charged an additional charge.
I would have to say, for the money, the St. Louis Zoo would definitely be my highest recommendation. I have been there twice and it took the whole day both times just to see all there was to see!
May all your travels be....lots of fun, and mostly free!
@allen0187 (58444)
• Philippines
4 Jul 12
hi kykidd.
that's a lot of zoos kykidd. glad you enjoyed all of them. thanks for sharing your experiences in all four zoos.
cheers and happy mylotting!!!
@choybel (5042)
• Philippines
8 Jun 12
I don't remember exactly when my parents brought me there, but I remember getting lost inside that zoo. Whenever I see our pictures of that day, that event always comes back into my mind. I think that was more than 20years ago. I remember seeing elephants and I think there were giraffes as well. It's too bad that your daughter didn't get to see one though. It's sad to hear that this is the case of the zoo today. I really hope the government would put more funding into this and non-government organizations as well.
@allen0187 (58444)
• Philippines
29 Jun 12
hello choybel.
we are in the same boat, i couldn't remember my trip to the zoo when i was younger. in fact when my daughter and i got home,i had to ask my parents about our trip to the zoo. they said it was my first birthday (no wonder, i couldn't remember it!!!lol!) when we went too the zoo. we went to the zoo again when i was three years old (we have pictures of that trip that's why i remember).
yeah, she was bummed that there were no giraffes. over-all, she did enjoy the experience. she saw other animals like the tigers, hippos, elephants, and monkeys, and that was enough for her.
the local government really needs to step in and pour more funds into the rehabilitation of manila zoo. the private sector should contribute as well. i would definitely be an active supporter of the renovation and improvement of manila zoo!
cheers and happy mylotting!!!
) when we went too the zoo. we went to the zoo again when i was three years old (we have pictures of that trip that's why i remember).
yeah, she was bummed that there were no giraffes. over-all, she did enjoy the experience. she saw other animals like the tigers, hippos, elephants, and monkeys, and that was enough for her.
the local government really needs to step in and pour more funds into the rehabilitation of manila zoo. the private sector should contribute as well. i would definitely be an active supporter of the renovation and improvement of manila zoo!
cheers and happy mylotting!!!
@allen0187 (58444)
• Philippines
4 Jul 12
hi indahfth.
good to know that you were able to bring your son to the zoo and he enjoyed his experience in the trip. i hardly remember my visit to the zoo when i was a child. i had to ask my parents when and what happened during my visit there.
thanks for participating and happy mylotting!!!
@jaiho2009 (39142)
• Philippines
8 Jun 12
I can still recall how memorable this place for us (me and my girlfriends)
It's been 2 years since we visited the zoo after joining a Fun Run in 2010.
After the Fun Run, we go directly to Manila Zoo and had our lunch there.
After that, some girls go boating- I stayed out of the water and took pictures of my friends who are having fun with boat race.
I think we will pay another visit and relive those moments :)
I am sure your daughter had a great time with you
@allen0187 (58444)
• Philippines
29 Jun 12
hi jaiho2009.
yeah, we had a great time. she really loved going to the zoo. we haven't left yet and she was talking about returning to the zoo and visiting it again. i said it won't be a problem but i'd prefer that we visit a different zoo instead. my daughter was cool with the idea. we're planning to visit avalon and avalon ark zoo within the next few months. we're also looking at going to zoobic safari in december. might spend a good chunk of christmas vacation there.
yes, definitely visit the place as it is a good place to just relax and unwind. plus, it is a good alternative from the shopping malls that we always go to.
cheers and happy mylotting!!!
yes, definitely visit the place as it is a good place to just relax and unwind. plus, it is a good alternative from the shopping malls that we always go to.
cheers and happy mylotting!!!
@damned_dle (3942)
• Philippines
8 Jun 12
Its been around 5 years last time I went to Manila Zoo. I still enjoyed it with my family. I don't think Malabon Zoo is better though.
@allen0187 (58444)
• Philippines
22 Jun 12
hi damne_idle.
well, five years is a long time damned_idle. if you're looking for an alternate place to go for a family trip within the city then i highly suggest you visit manila zoo.i haven't been to malabon zoo recently so really can't compare the two at this time.
anyway, thanks for participating and happy mylotting!!!
@ardoy0731 (7308)
• Philippines
8 Jun 12
It is really nice to go to the zoo with family and kids will surely enjoy seeing those animals tht they don't used to see. Its been a long time since I go to a zoo. I think the lat time was during shool days. Our educational tour went to Manila zoo for u to know and learn those animals that we dont used the see. Great experienced and at the same time learn something about the animals.
@allen0187 (58444)
• Philippines
28 Jun 12
hello ardoy0731.
yeah, going to the zoo is really a good alternative to spend quality time with the family and kids. its something that my daughter wanted to do in a long time so i'm glad we were able to do it before her school started this year. she was really happy going to the zoo and seeing the different animals.she was particularly happy seeing the elephant and ostrich up close.
i do remember manila zoo being part of the educational field trips of schools. anyway, with other educational-themed places being available, i think manila zoo isn't a priority now. i just hope that the local government undertakes a project to rehabilitate and renovate the manila zoo because it is in dire need of a major face lift. not just the facilities for visitors but more importantly the amenities given to the animals in the zoo.
thanks for participating and happy mylotting!!!
@factorial (977)
• Philippines
8 Jun 12
My last visit to Manila zoo was in 1995... Yes, it really needs a major renovation. I will try again to visit Manila zoo this December.
I will try again to visit Manila zoo this December.@allen0187 (58444)
• Philippines
29 Jun 12
hello factorial.
wow! 1995 is a looooonnnnnggggggg time ago my friend. i'm sure there have been improvements already since that time. although, the zoo can still use some major improvements as it is still a far cry from the other zoos here in the country.
anyway, do visit the zoo again i'm sure you wouldn't regret it. december is a good time to visit it since the zoo will have lots of visitors and kids and for sure the atmosphere there will be very happy and merry.
thanks for participating and happy mylotting!!!
@ARIES1973 (11426)
• Legaspi, Philippines
9 Jun 12
My family also visited Manila Zoo last year. The children enjoyed watching animals especially the elephant. I hope to find another promo fare so that we could visit some other place also.
@allen0187 (58444)
• Philippines
4 Jul 12
hi there aries1973.
glad that you and your family got a chance to bond together at the zoo. it is indeed a good place to spend quality time with the children. since you brought up mali the elephant, mali has been in the news these past few months.
first was when morissey (the front man of uk 80's band sensation 'the smiths') was here for hsi concert. he gave a letter on behalf of peta to the government asking the government to bring mali to another country so mali can spend his remaining years in an elephant sanctuary. nothing happened to that request though. then just last week, mail was again in the news because he had some sort of bacterial growth in his toes. the veterinarian in manila zoo was keeping a close eye on this and was corresponding with animal experts in the states to get recommendations on how to treat mali.
that's a lot of news surrounding just one elephant. anyway, mali is the only living elephant here in the whole country so i guess he deserves the exposure and credit. i just hope that mali gets the needed attention and care he rightfully so deserves.
thanks and happy mylotting!!!
@annavi23 (6522)
• Philippines
8 Jun 12
Hello allen! :)
I heard manila zoo has its kiddie zoo now inside of it where you can have wall climbings and close encounters to animals and snakes...have you tried that? oh, and the zipline, the news said there was zipline and wall climbing. I just don't know if it is just for kids only.
I have searched some before which says that enetering the kiddie zoo will have a different fee for it. Is it true? HAven't been there but planning to go to since we have seen on the news that there are such activities...
@allen0187 (58444)
• Philippines
28 Jun 12
hi annavi23.
yes, you are correct, there is a kiddie zoo inside manila zoo. the name of the place is 'kinder zoo' and that is the main reason why my daughter and i went to manila zoo in the first place. i found a discount voucher for 'kinder zoo' in one of the online shopping sites that i'm a member of and when i saw that they offer a zipline for kids, i immediately bought a voucher. my daughter has been very eager to try a zipline. however, most of the ziplines that i've seen are really for adults so she couldn't try any of those. the zipline in 'kinder zoo' is really made for kids. same thing with the wall climbing.
to answer your other queries, yes, the entrance fee for 'kinder zoo' is different from that of manila zoo. they offer activity bundles wherein you pay a certain amount for aset of activities that you want to do. activities include zipline, wall climbing, horse riding, swimming in the kiddie pool, feeding of fishes, feeding of other animals, going in the butterfly garden, and riding their wooden bicycles. the activities that my daughter and i availed of (she made the decision on this) were going in the butterfly garden, feeding the birds, and two turns at the zipline (she loved it sooooo much that she had to take the zipline twice). taking pictures with the animals are free. you can take a picture with the python, a baby crocodile, and the number of birds in 'kinder zoo'.
over-all, i think it was a good experience and a definite 'must-go' if you're looking for activities that are different but affordable.
thanks for participating and happy mylotting!
@pahak627 (4558)
• Philippines
8 Jun 12
I agree with you, Manila Zoo is cheap and I enjoyed it when we last went there about 3 or 4 years ago with my son and daughter. Though there is a need for renovation but still I like the place as it is peaceful there. It's a quiet place at the center of a noisy city. We can not hear the sound of vehicles though it is surrounded by noisy and busy surrounding.
@allen0187 (58444)
• Philippines
28 Jun 12
hello there pahak67.
yes, manila zoo is indeed a very affordable place to go to have some fun. the entrance fee isn't steep and one can just go around the place and not spend anymore. manila zoo definitely needs to be rehabilitated. there was news back then to have it privatized but there were concerns that the entrance fee might increase. i think with the support of the private sector plus with the attention of the local government and the help of the paying public, manila zoo can be improved upon.
it is a great place to just relax and enjoy as it is a place of peace and quiet amid the bustling streets of the city.
thanks for participating and happy mylotting!!!
@bluespygirl (2112)
• Philippines
8 Jun 12
Hello allen0187!
My father loves to bring us in zoos and parks when we were kids. It was one of my most memorable childhood experience with my family. I like Manila zoo too than the other zoos. I won't go for the privatization of its management because for one, the entrance fee will for sure be high. It will not be affordable for everyone. Let just hope that there will be more volunteers there. They have an adopt a pet program there where you have a chance to "pet" an animal there. That means you have a chance to have ab close encounter to your chosen animal and pay for its months bills like food, caretaker fee, etc. Ofcourse you can't bring your chosen animal home.
@allen0187 (58444)
• Philippines
28 Jun 12
hi bluespygirl.
that is the reason why i want to bring my daughter to zoos, parks, museums, carnivals, and other places aside from malls, malls, and more malls. lol!
i very much want to build memorable and positive childhood experiences for her. we have a park nearby our house and during my days-off, we always go there in the afternoon. i let her play in the slides, swings,and balance beam. we get a chance to talk as well about everything and anything that comes to mind. 5 year olds can be very inquisitive and exposing her to the right environment can lead her to the correct path. aside from bringing her to zoos, i would very much want to bring her to museums like 'museo pambata' in manila and 'the mind museum' at the fort. actual museums like the metropolitan museum and the yuchengco museum are also in my list. anyway, the earlier she experiences these stuff, the better for her.
during our visit to the zoo,she wasn't keen on petting any of the animals. she was keen on taking pictures of the animals with me as able model. i ended up posing with the python and the parrots while my daughter took the photos.
i'm all for supporting and 'adopting' animals in the zoo. i wasn't aware of this but i'll definitely look it up. setting aside a small amount to support manila zoo is definitely a worthy endeavor in my book.
thanks for participating and happy mylotting!!!
i very much want to build memorable and positive childhood experiences for her. we have a park nearby our house and during my days-off, we always go there in the afternoon. i let her play in the slides, swings,and balance beam. we get a chance to talk as well about everything and anything that comes to mind. 5 year olds can be very inquisitive and exposing her to the right environment can lead her to the correct path. aside from bringing her to zoos, i would very much want to bring her to museums like 'museo pambata' in manila and 'the mind museum' at the fort. actual museums like the metropolitan museum and the yuchengco museum are also in my list. anyway, the earlier she experiences these stuff, the better for her.
during our visit to the zoo,she wasn't keen on petting any of the animals. she was keen on taking pictures of the animals with me as able model. i ended up posing with the python and the parrots while my daughter took the photos.
i'm all for supporting and 'adopting' animals in the zoo. i wasn't aware of this but i'll definitely look it up. setting aside a small amount to support manila zoo is definitely a worthy endeavor in my book.
thanks for participating and happy mylotting!!!