If you are looking for something to do with the family and haven’t made a trip out to Khao Kheow Open Zoo, make it. After having been to hundreds of zoos around the world from the San Francisco Zoo to the Dubai Zoo, Khao Kheow is on a whole new level.

Zoo Transportation:

Upon arrival at the zoo, you have the option to rent either a 4-person or 6-person golf cart. This is highly advisable (you will need some sort of valid driver’s license) as the zoo covers a large area. Golf carts are 500 baht for a 2-hour rental (4-person) or 700 baht for a 2-hour rental (6-person). Visitors who have their own vehicle also have the option to drive through the zoo at their own leisure.

The Venue

One of the first things you notice is how close Khao Kheow Zoo lets you get to the animals. Most animals are in outdoor pens with a limited enclosure. It is a unique aspect that many zoos simply don’t have, the ability to actually see the animals without a full-on cage. This makes for some pretty awesome photos of the trip.

There is a whole slew of animals that you will be allowed to feed along your tour through the zoo. If it is an animal that is okay to feed, there will be a vendor there selling the type of food appropriate for that specific animal. Food bundles can be purchased for a small fee.

It is important to note, the zoo is in an area that has an abundance of wild monkeys as well. The zoo asks that patrons do NOT feed the monkeys as they can become quite violent with tourists when they become too comfortable around them. Let the wild animals remain wild. There are plenty of other animals that you are allowed to feed within the venue.

Being able to get close and interact with these animals is a great learning experience for the kids. Khao Kheow has information placards about all of their animals as well to expand the learning experience. As you can see from the map below, there is something for everyone along the journey as far as awesome animals go (also shows why you may need a vehicle for this excursion):

Get Close With The Animals:

The zoo has 2 highly interactive animal zones. One of these zones is “Eld’s Deer Park”. In this area of the zoo, they have a large number of deer that are free-roaming. You can walk among the deer as well as pet and feed them. Some may be a little shy of you at first, but once they see that you are friendly they tend to gather around you in droves.

The second of the areas is the walk-in aviary. If you are a bird fan, this section of the park is definitely where you will want to head. The aviary is gigantic and is home to more than 80 different species of birds that flutter around as you wander around.

Big Cats, They Got Em:

Finally, if big cats are your thing, the Khao Kheow “Tiger Valley” exhibit has exactly what you are looking for. Don’t worry, the predators aren’t free-roaming like the rest of the exhibit. The zoo does have them set up to where they are easy to photograph, however. Thankfully that was the case because the tiger seemed a bit “crabby” when we went.

If you love animals but you avoid zoos because you don’t like to see them mistreated, you should take a chance with Khao Kheow Open Zoo. They do an amazing job taking care of their animals and they do their best to ensure that each animal is in a habitat that is as close to the comfort of their habitat in the wild.

Ticket pricing and information can be found on the Khao Kheow Open Zoo website at www.KhaoKeow.zoothailand.org. Tickets are 250 baht for adults and 100 baht for children. There is no extra fee for using your own vehicle to traverse the zoo.

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Adam Judd
Mr. Adam Judd is the Co-owner of TPN media since December 2017. He is originally from Washington D.C., America, but has also lived in Dallas, Sarasota, and Portsmouth. His background is in retail sales, HR, and operations management, and has written about news and Thailand for many years. He has lived in Pattaya for over nine years as a full-time resident, is well known locally and been visiting the country as a regular visitor for over a decade. His full contact information, including office contact information, can be found on our Contact Us page below. Stories please e-mail Editor@ThePattayanews.com About Us: https://thepattayanews.com/about-us/ Contact Us: https://thepattayanews.com/contact-us/