Myself and my boyfriend visited Bangkok Zoo in October 2007.
Getting there Bangkok Zoo is easily accessible by public transport. There are bus routes that run directly there or you can get a tuk tuk which is the option we chose. We paid £4 for a return journey to the zoo from our hotel.
Admission Prices We paid £3.50 each for admission to the zoo which we thought was very reasonable as the zoo is quite large.
Bangkok Zoo Bangkok Zoo covers 35.2 acres of land and 12 acres of water. It holds nearly 300 mammals, over a thousand birds and nearly 300 reptiles.
We found the zoo to be spacious and relaxing. There is a large lake in the middle of the zoo, and several picnic areas dotted around. Sections of the zoo are joined by bridges which lead you over the lake.
The zoo is split up into sections such as the African Savanah where you can see gifarres, zebras, hippos and ostriches just to name a few. The animals all had decent sized enclosures and looked to be clean.
There is a Reptile House which is very hot and humid. Inside, there are vivariums holding various types of reptiles including a selection of snakes and lizards. Through the far end of the Reptile House there are larger open enclosure which house a variety of Tourtoises. As you head towards the exit of the Reptile House, you will see a large enclosure which holds crocodiles and alligators. Again, the enclosure was large and had rock areas for the reptiles to bathe in the sun on, and water for them to lay in.
There is an Elephant House which was of decent size. They had a sheltered area, where they could hide away from the bright sunshine which I thought was a nice touch. They also had a small water area.
There were several bird section within the Zoo including an Avairy of pheasants from all over the world and a Birds of Prey section which included birds such as owls, hawks and eagles. The aviaries were large and had been well thought out so that each aviary simulated the birds natural environments.
The Monkey Section obviously houses all the monkeys. The enclosures were large with plenty of branches, ropes and other items for them to climb on. Parts of the enclosures were totally covered by vegetation to allow the moneys a cool area, and it also allowed them some privacy away from visitors. Finally there is the Nocturnal Section which houses animals such as rats and mice to name a few. Obviously this section is dark with special night lights which light up the enclosures. Again, each enclosure is decorated to simulate the animals natural environments, for example, the bats had high hanging branches for them to hang on.
Other places of interest inside the zoo include an animal museum and an education centre which is aimed at younger children, with the intention of educating them about animals. The zoo also has its own animal hospital with in house vets to treat any of the animals., although this section is not open to the public.
Facilities There is a tram which takes visitors around the zoo. The entire jourey takes around 20 minutes and there is a small charge for this. I am unable to comment further on this, as we did not use it.
There is a large childens play area consisting of climbing frames, slides and swings. Around the play area, there are picnic areas and visitors are welcome to bring their own food to eat here.
There is a Food Centre inside the zoo where visitors can get food and drink. There is a main café which serves local dishes and deserts, a KFC, a Pasta Place and various other outlets which sell items such as ice creams and drinks.
Summary I would recommend a visit to this zoo. The animals all looked happy and healthy and the enclosures were spacious and clean. The zoo itself is clean and well laid out and its obvious that some work has been put into decorating the zoo to make it welcoming to visitors. There are lots of resting areas where you can sit on benches or on open grass which turns the visit into more of a relaxing one.
