On April 29, 2010, we went to “Bali Zoo” on the way to Ubud!
The most popular place to touch animals in Bali is “Safari & Marine Park,” however, Bali Zoo has different strength. It differs from Safari Park as the complete theme park, but Bali Zoo surrounded by local slow life has many kinds of activities. Feeding for orangutan and carnivorous animals, free photo taking with baby crocodile and lion, the athletics on the tree “Tree Walk,” and trekking; actively enjoy the eco and healthy zoo park! Aiko and T-Manager, “Team Lack of Exercise” visited there!
Pick-up by Showy Shuttle Car♪
Check-in at this counter. For payment, you can use $, \, RP, and they also accept Master Card and Visa Card. Beside the counter, there are many plates with carrot and fruit. These are feed for grass-eating animals! All packages include this feeding plate. Also, you can buy one plate for Rp.15,000.
Colorful tropical birds welcome us! We can take pictures with birds on hands. With three birds, they were heavy and I was little bit scared their beaks, but they were nice to me.
I didn’t realize when the staff came, but he is Trekking Guide, Wayan, who loves nature and birds! Nice to meet you.
Reviving by Lunch Choice! Restaurant version
Finish Trekking and almost used up energy, and we are back to the restaurant after 12:00 pm! I was thinking that it might be easy trekking for 1 hour because a zoo coordinated a trekking… I despised it, but actually, it was really hard. The staff asked us, “Do you want to play Tree Walk first or have lunch first?” then, of course, we requested “LUNCH!!”
The restaurant is Balinese architecture with big one roof. There is no wall, and it’s windy open-air space. Many table seats are lined there, and we get the seats near the stage where the show will be held later! Fresh fruit juice and cold wet towel are served.
Juice choose from 【Orange/ Pineapple/ Watermelon】. I need water, so I order Watermelon. I requested “less sugar,” then it is good sweetness to recover my energy!!
Lunch including package can be chosen from 7 kinds. This time, we tried 3 menus in the choice, and they are delicious! Especially, I recommend this Grill Chicken. It is taste great that burned crispy skin and soft meat with rich sweet sauce! They serve such a delicious dish, I’m impressed!!
T-Manager really liked the taste. On the picture, it’s just a black chunk of meat… but, it’s soft and sweet sauce soaks well into meat.
Grilled white meat fish, snapper which is often eaten in Bali. Put lots of chopped garlic sauce.
I’m really happy to have delicious lunch! My forelock is wet because of my sweat. It has strong taste sauce and big portion of meat, so I became full for one plate. If you want to eat more, it’s possible to order extra menus.
With Crocodile, Snake, and Lion! Animal Touch version
Then, around the time passed 1:00 pm, drum sound comes from somewhere…?? When dancing Animal Lady (?) comes out, it’s time of Animal Touch! She sings, “Bali zoo～ Bali zoo～♪” so it must be the theme song of Bali Zoo. It’s leisurely countryside atmosphere; I like it.
The length of Animal Touch is about 30～40 min. 5～6 species of animals come out one by one, and we can touch kindly, put them on the body, and freely take pictures. You can purchase the picture that Bali Zoo staff takes for Rp.40,000 （with flame）, however, I recommend taking picture by your own camera as many as you want!!
First one is a big python. His tail winds around my tight… Wear the globe and put aｎ eagle on my arm. Nails and beak is too sharp, so I cannot get closer!
It’s my first time to touch a crocodile! Wet and cool touch is particular for reptiles. It must be a good memory if you take picture with your lover!
Do we have to put him also!? It’s a big American Bear Cat. It’s hairy and cute, but heavy! But, here is the only place where you can put an American Bear Cat on your shoulder.
Of course, the last one is the king of beasts, lion!! She was born in Bali Zoo, Africa Lion named Sosia (age 2). Because it’s daytime, she looks sleepy. It’s cute hands, like yarn touching.
While 3 staffs support and keep watching, I sit down behind the lion and slowly touch to her back… The hair is rough touching, but warm!!
I had fun Animal Touch about 40 min. with other visitors, and I could take lots of pictures♪ To be honest, you don’t want to pay for one shot with animal, do you!!
Emergency! Tree Walk version
My energy is getting recovered while I played with animals, so now, I try Tree Walk. The end of the restaurant has space for preparing, and out all belongings into this locker.
I concern about the locker key. I put mine in my jeans pocket, but I’m little bit worried if I drop it somewhere on the tree… I didn’t drop it, though.
I tried “Tree Top” last year at Bali Botanical Gardens and I reached the high level, so I have confidence to try Tree Walk!
The safety equipments for Tree Walk are made in France. Comparing with Tree Top’s, they are little bit old, however the equipments are same as Tree Top’s. Staff helps to wear 2 hanging hooks and pulley.
Tie my hair, wear helmet and globe, I’m ready to go! Staff tells me how to use the hanging hook. She can speak good English. If you want to check the guidance beforehand, please read this report carefully!
Hanging hooks are right side orange rope and left side yellow rope. While playing Tree Walk, you always have to hang one of the ropes on the stated places. When you climb up ladder, hang on orange one and climb up one step, then, hang on yellow and hang off orange, and climb up one step… It’s easy. You can bet used to it when you try.
Move the back of the restaurant to Tree Walk playground. Now, I can see many playground equipments!! As on the picture, Tree Walk is the challenging adventure to try the log bridge hanging on the tree by wires.
As I get closer, I remember the scared experience last time, and I’m getting nervous.
Adventure starts from here! This time, we could have one instructor each. T-Manager starts first, and Aiko also follows after leaving my camera to the staff. I didn’t exercise for long time. I’m nervous… Use orange and yellow hanging hooks one by one, and I climb up very slow to the starting point.
Again, climb up net and go to one step higher. It looks easy, but it’s very high from the ground, and it’s really scared to stay in the air only on one layer of net!!
The first try is Frying Fox!
Usually, this is one of the main athletics, so often try the end of course… By the way, I fried from the beginning!
Hold the rope of pulley, fry from the tree!!! Before falling down, I’m very very scared as I can hear my heart pumping, but once frying, it’s really feeling fresh. I fry across the parking lot and reach to the other side in a second!
The net is prepared on the other side, so hit the net lightly and grab it on hand. It’s difficult to climb up on the vertical net, but the instructor offers great support to help hanging hooks and pulling up.
When I tried Tree Walk, I tried alone through the courses, so Tree Walk is better for who doesn’t have confidence of strength.
Because of the tiredness from Trekking, T- Manager and Aiko felt the limit of strength. We asked, “Well, now, we want to finish.” but, “Oh, no, you cannot climb down from here. You should go forward!” We were rejected and we had to try Frying Fox twice.
We finish the third time Frying Fox, almost fell down from the net (never fallen down with wearing the safety rope), and climb up to the tree by the last strength of brachial muscles…
However, customers who drop off must be not only us!! There are rope & ladder for rescue, and instructors set them on near the tree in 10 min. I climb down the ladder slowly and land on ground safely. I feel ease on ground!
More attractions! Tree Walk challenges
We couldn’t try this time, but there are more attractions in Tree Walk! Time length is 45 min. to 1 hour. If you have confidence of strength, challenge it with aim to clear all attractions!!
Used up last energy… Zoo Walking version
Over 2:30 pm, finally, I entered in the zoo where animals are living!! The restaurant and Tree Walk are outside of the zoo, so it’s possible to use them only without entering to the zoo.
Inside of the zoo is full of green! It’s gentle sunlight coming through the green and nice to walk around.
Throughout the area where lion, hippopotamus, crocodile, etc. are popular animals living, I’m ahead to the Animal Show stage that is the end of the Zoo.
There are many kinds of trees and plants which have colorful fruit, etc. as a botanical garden with full of tropical plants. It’s really refreshed just walking, but be careful for mosquitoes!
I arrive at the outside stage of the zoo. In here, Animal Show is held twice in everyday from 11:00 am and 3:00 pm. (If it’s rain, the show is held at Zoo Café next to stage.)
There are not many visitors and there are many empty seats, so I get the front seat. Start Bird Show by big birds!
Several species of birds come out, and they fly by the order and come to say hi to our seats.
They are not fly to escape without any rope.
By the way, the bird handler on the left picture was the snake handler in the last restaurant!
Then, the last tern is a lion! She is not Sosia that was in the restaurant. She is grabbed her tail because it is her weak point? While 4 staffs keep watching her, visitors can sit down beside and take picture.
Actually, this time, one of the visitors spoke big voice beside the lion, and she turns around and threatened!
4 staffs held the lion and the stage was really tense… The lion is not good mood and shakes whiskers after that. Staff said, “Do not speak big voice, quiet please!” so I was scared but touched her. Right now, this lion already becomes adult, so she retired Animal Show at the outside stage; instead of her, visitors can take pictures with a beaver. For Animal Touch at the restaurant, Sosia is there, so try touching a lion♪
Animals in Zoo Park!
The show was finished around 3:30 pm, and I went covering in the park with recovered T-Manager! Comparing with Safari Park, it is cozy site, but we enjoyed watching, touching, and feeding for animals♪
It’s rare white tiger! It’s Safari Park’s star animal, but there is White Tiger in Bali Zoo also. Sumatra Tiger is taking a nap in the gage.
Orangutan named Jockey! He is little bit shy. Deer is eating.
Couple birds. There is no gage. Cute Malay Bear! This is the model of “Winnie-the-Pooh.”
Bring the feeding plate including the package, go to feeing for animals! Besides packages, you can buy one plate for Rp.15,000 （for grass-eating animals）. They also have raw meat for carnivorous animals, one plate for Rp.25,000.
Pony, Camel, Deer, Wallaby, etc., I cannot choose animal for feeding! Deer aggressively comes closer to me.
You can hold Fruit Bat!
Only one camel in the zoo. There are many big and small colorful birds.
Postscript…
It took one whole day for Bali Zoo covering.
It was the hardest covering than I ever had!!
This time, we tried the package that is named “King of Beasts Package” by HIRO-chan including “Bali Zoo + Trekking + Tree Walk.”
First one was Trekking. I thought that because it’s including in the package, it was the easy trekking that just walking around the zoo for 1 hour… but this was the mistake. The trekking was as active course as other trekking tours that HIRO-chan offers! I cannot forget that the lunch and watermelon juice was so delicious after the trekking. I had fun until Animal Touch, but I cannot laugh about the emergency at Tree Walk next…
I was seriously worried about T-Manager who was almost dying and I wondered if I should bring him to the hospital. This package might be too hard for small children, aged people, and people who don’t have confidence of strength… As my strength, maybe, it’s better to choose “Bali Zoo + Trekking.”
Comparing with Safari Park, Bali Zoo is not broad site or not complete theme park. However, it has slow and calm local atmosphere as I visit a zoo in my hometown, and I like it. There is no charge for taking picture with animals, and you can touch all animals on the show. Of course, you can take as many pictures as you want! You must bring your camera!
In addition, they offer reasonable price, plus, HIRO-chan offers discount price, so it’s good deal to enjoy many kinds of activities. This is the only package in Bali Zoo that you can touch with animals, exercise, and feel nature of Bali in whole day!! I recommend this package for who want to try many activities and strong athletes to challenge.
※This report was written based on the information when the time of visiting. Course menu and schedule might be changed without notice. In addition, the report contains individual opinion and impression, however, these are not applied for all people. Please read it just for your reference. Thank you.