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Sunday Rest Day: Chiang Mai Zoo
https://www.johnnyfd.com/2014/12/sunday-rest-day-chiang-mai-zoo.html
I can't believe I've been living in Chiang Mai for almost two years and had never been to the zoo until now. I wasn't expecting much, but it was REALLY GOOD. At only 150 baht ($4.60US) for entrance and 10 baht for parking it was an incredibly cheap day out. I've already decided that I'm going to to go the zoo every other Sunday when I have nothing better to do, just to walk around, be surrounded by nature, and get away from the city.
First off, the Chiang Mai Zoo is huge. Larissa had been there three times in the past and still hadn't seen all of the areas. Secondly, the animals are in good sized enclosures and are treated well. Plenty of natural water features, shade, and places to hide if they get tired of being in the tourist spotlight. I'd say, the zoo was just as good as the one in San Francisco, but 10x the size.
First off, the Chiang Mai Zoo is huge. Larissa had been there three times in the past and still hadn't seen all of the areas. Secondly, the animals are in good sized enclosures and are treated well. Plenty of natural water features, shade, and places to hide if they get tired of being in the tourist spotlight. I'd say, the zoo was just as good as the one in San Francisco, but 10x the size.
We saw tortoises mating, some really cool Asian cats, walked around an awesome bird sanctuary, got some fresh air and relaxed in the nature that the zoo is built in. I had no idea until I got there but the entire zoo in built into the mountain size and jungle of Chiang Mai, which means, tons of trees, wild birds, and clean fresh air.
One of the reasons why the entrance in so cheap is because everything is ala carte. But the nice thing is, you don't feel the need to do everything in one day. One thing that I paid for every chance I got was feeding the animals. Which back in the US would be a $20+ ordeal, but here you literally spend 10 baht (30 cents) and get to feed sheep inside the pen.
Or for only 20 baht (66cents) you can feed raw meat to a full sized Jaguar. which is ridiculous.
You can also feed yourself lunch for normal Thai prices, so instead of spending $4.50 for a bottle of water back in the states, here water is 30 cents, and lunch was less than $2.
Overall, if you're only in Chiang Mai for a few days, don't bother going to the zoo. It's nice, but there are many more amazing places to see while you're here. But if you're a digital nomad living in Thailand for a few months, definitely check it out. This place is just a reminder of how livable Chiang Mai.
Overall, if you're only in Chiang Mai for a few days, don't bother going to the zoo. It's nice, but there are many more amazing places to see while you're here. But if you're a digital nomad living in Thailand for a few months, definitely check it out. This place is just a reminder of how livable Chiang Mai.
Warm Regards,
Johnny
