There are many interesting places to visit in Phuket and one of them is the Phuket Zoo.

Phuket Zoo

The Phuket Zoo is located near the north end of Chalong Bay (some of the Phuket hotels are located there too),  and although it is quite small (it occupies the area of about 5 hectares), it is very interesting and nice place to spend some time, especially for families. The zoo was opened in 1997 and it is a private zoo, not supported by the government of Thailand.

It is a place full of beautiful tropical gardens and giant tropical trees. It is a different type of a zoo that you might be used to. It is fun to just stroll there, moving from one island to another over the bridges and under beautiful trees and watching all kinds of interesting animals.

Animal Shows

There are also exciting animal shows, like monkey, crocodile and elephant shows. The crocodile show is especially exciting, but it might be too nervous for you. The crocodiles are animals that can never be one hundred percent tamed, and every crocodile performance always carries some risks for a crocodile trainer.

The shows are performed every day, a few times a day, and below is the shows schedule copied from the Phuket Zoo’s web site:

Monkey Shows:     09.00, 12.00, 14.30 and 16.45 hrs.
Crocodile Shows:   09.45, 12.45, 15.15 and 17.30 hrs.
Elephant Shows:    10.30, 13.30 and 16.00 hrs.

The Aquarium

There is also an amazing aquarium at the zoo, with a very amazing entrance that is made like a huge crocodile’s mouth. So actually when you walk into the aquarium, you’re actually walking through the crocodile’s throat. There are a lot of fish in the aquarium inside beautifully decorated fish tanks. Apart from fish, there are also turtles, frogs, crabs, lizards, giant snakes, nocturnal birds and animals. You can also see the displays of seashells and fishing equipment showing local and imported fish catching techniques.

The Bird Park

Another place that you should not miss in the Phuket Zoo is the Bird Park full of local species and species of birds from all over the world. The wonderful thing about the Bird Park is that the animals are not in cages, but they are let free in the aviary. The birds are free to flight in the aviary and because of that they also breed naturally there.

The Orchid Garden

Another beautiful and relaxing place in the Phuket Zoo is the Orchid Garden. Thousands of Dendrobium and Vanda hybrid orchids in many different colors can be seen there. There are also many other beautiful plants there, like thousands of Bromeliad plants of over one hundred species and hybrids.

If you are hungry or thirsty, there are plenty of stands in the zoo that sell water, soft drinks, beer and ice cream.

If you plan to go to the Phuket Zoo, don’t forget to take a camera with you. One of the attractions of the zoo is a rare opportunity to take some photos with the zoo’s animals.

The zoo is only 20 minutes away from Avista Phuket Resort & Spa. Perfect for families, this is a place that can challenge your perception of life on earth.