Finally, I got to one of the most interesting and long-awaited places! Khao Kheow open Zoo is the coolest zoo I've visited. The territory is so huge that you need to drive an electric car around it for an additional fee. It is impossible to cover everything on foot in one day.
Previous photo story about the Sriracha Tiger Zoo. Read other parts of our journey, all links to them are contained in the initial post.
I advise you to book a tour to the Khao Kaew Zoo online for only $20 for any day. Very convenient, without any agencies directly from the carrier.
How to get to Khao Kheow Open Zoo
It is easier to get to the zoo with your own transport: for example, on a rented bike. Or by taxi. Or take an excursion, for example, Discovery Tour.
Address: 235 Moo 7, Tambon Bang-Pra, Amphur Sriracha, Chonburi 20110
Entrance fees: 300 baht for adults, 150 baht for children
Cost of renting an electric car for 1 hour: 350 baht for four people, 500 baht for six people, you need a passport for registration.
I highly recommend taking an electric car: this way you will cover a larger area than on foot. You will ride with the breeze and stop wherever you want. But on foot it will be hot and you will get tired quickly - the distances there are considerable. Be sure to take a document with you - they won’t rent an electric car without a passport.
You will receive a huge amount of positive emotions, and you should definitely visit Khao Kheow, with or without children - everyone will be interested. Even those who don’t like zoos will be completely delighted. The animals here are kept completely different from what we are used to - many are kept without cages, practically in the wild. They are separated from visitors by wooden fences or even ditches filled with water! Most animals can be fed and petted.
The zoo is divided into continental zones. There is also a pavilion with cats and an aviary with birds, where hundreds of birds fly and walk on the ground next to you!
Let me return to the very beginning of the story. So, we are standing not far from the entrance to the zoo. It rained not long ago, everything was wet. The foliage has turned a bright green color. In general, I really love tropical forests, and I’m just beside myself with happiness when I see this. There is also a good road among all this beauty. Even with markings!
The rain drew bizarre patterns on the asphalt:
I understand perfectly why “sanuk”, “sabai” and “may pen rai”... It is impossible to live differently in a wonderful climate and among such nature.
Since we were visiting the Khao Kaew Zoo on a tour, they first wanted to send us to the show. But it didn’t take place due to rain, and we happily went to look at the big cats. They live behind glass, in spacious enclosures. And sooo beautiful.
What a kitty! I photographed through glass, so don’t be afraid of the ghostly outlines of someone’s faces.
The tiger is resting.
The enclosure with the tigers is large, and everyone lives here together. The white tiger looked extremely worried and walked back and forth all the time.
While we were walking under the roof and watching the cats, the rain stopped completely and the sun appeared.
We continue to examine the cats. Leopard is grace itself! Unrealistically beautiful. After all, nature created animals ideal.
My head itched for some reason.. :)
Flamingos look like toys:
Finally you can feed someone! Deer are very friendly and harmless. It’s so cool to walk like this next to animals, communicate with them and even pet them.
Got wet in the rain, poor thing! So beautiful.
They walk quietly along the road, nibbling grass.
Almost all of the monkeys are in cages. But they are not offended, because they love to climb on the net and demand treats. Capuchins:
Silly thin-bodied. Just a cutie:
Pig-tailed macaques:
The gibbon turned out to be so cute and fluffy with a pleasant white edging on his face:
But this black representative of the monkey family has his own island! Unlike his brothers in enclosures, he frolics on the grass in the sun and enjoys life in the open in every possible way. His island is separated from the mainland by a moat with water, so the monkey cannot escape. And he’s not even going to: while we were watching this animal’s entertainment, it managed to go crazy, run around, lie down, get tired and fall to rest on the grass. The spectacle was memorable: consider a monkey in the wild to see how it behaves when not constrained by a cage.
And these beauties only recently had their feeder replenished with fresh grass. We observe the process of leisurely saturation:
And the hippos are so cute! So plump, with funny short legs.
The most fun thing is to feed them. You need to wait until the hippopotamus opens its mouth - and then the most epic begins! You need to aim and throw the treat right into his mouth. When the hippopotamus thinks that it has had enough to throw at it, it will close its mouth and crunch everything. 🙂 Just for this kind of feeding it’s worth going to the Khao Keo Zoo, it’s an unforgettable experience!
Binturongs, or bearcats - they are so wonderful! The pugs have lined up and are waiting for a treat:
We waited and fed them peeled bananas:
Giraffes! The giraffes are coming - you need to take pictures quickly!
Khao Kheow Zoo is something! I can’t find words to describe it; I am overwhelmed with delight and positive emotions from communicating with animals.
Giraffes coexist peacefully with ostriches. By the way, all the animals here are cute and calm. They don’t look tortured and unhappy, like they do in our zoo, but they look very happy.
What tasty things do you have here? 😛
Representatives of foxes: bat-eared foxes.
It was the first time I saw a rhinoceros so close. It is a formidable animal, and only a low fence separates tourists from it. Some daredevils touch his horn, for example, Anton. 🙂 I didn’t dare, I didn’t want to get dirty - his entire horn was covered in dirt. Without tactile sensations it’s also not bad - especially since the rhinoceros posed for me so that I could see all his charms: small eyes, funny ears and wrinkled rough skin.
Simply handsome:
Zhenya fed this comrade from his hands. Very cool zoo!
You won’t surprise me with an ostrich, but it’s also worthy of attention:
The entrance to the bird aviary looks like this:
We go in, and there are a huge number of beautiful birds, and another surprise: roosters. 🙂 Our usual, most ordinary cockerels.
To put it briefly... An aviary is a mini-park with paths, tropical plants and trees, its own little world for birds. And they are the masters here: they walk around busily, allow themselves to be photographed and hand-fed.
The aviary has created very favorable conditions for the life of birds. There are areas where tourists are prohibited from entering; they only need to move along paths.
You can take many photographs of birds in conditions close to wild ones. Until you say that this is a zoo, no one will even understand.
Handsome peacock:
The bird aviary looks like a real jungle:
Thanks to the transparent vaults, there is no feeling of enclosed space:
Occupied a tree:
I tried to tell as much detail as possible about my visit to the wonderful Khao Kheow Zoo, and the result was a pretty decent report: more than 40 photographs. I hope that I was able to show a part of the zoo, its inhabitants, as well as the atmosphere that reigns there. While I was writing the report, I really wanted to walk around the zoo again and refresh my memories, re-experience everything that I experienced during my first visit.
· 03/18/2018
Article text updated: 07/29/2018
A crowd of children and their parents gathered at the orangutan enclosure, where a mother orangutan sat with her apparently very recently born offspring in the shade of a huge fallen tree. Meanwhile, her “husband” and eldest son entertained the audience by swinging on a rope. At the same time, their faces looked as if they wanted to say: “This is how we can do it!” But you, smooth-skinned bipeds, will never succeed. You are stupid! In the midst of the “performance,” out of the corner of my eye I saw some red-haired shadow behind me. Slowly swaying from foot to foot, another orangutan walked past, parted the crowd of surprised children with its paws and climbed up a tree standing near the fence of the enclosure. Amid enthusiastic comments from visitors, the monkey gulped down a bottle of Coca-Cola and threw it to a zookeeper standing nearby. I thought a little, went down and swayed arm in arm with him towards the door of the enclosure.
This is the event I remember when I visited the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in the vicinity of Pattaya. For tourists vacationing at this resort with a child, there are a huge number of places where you can go for impressions. But it seems to me that a trip to the zoo is one of the win-win excursions that will be interesting to both children and adults, young and old. Communication with animals always brings a whole bunch of positive emotions.
Photo 1. Khao Kheow Open Zoo is a huge petting zoo where you can feed almost all the animals. An excursion where you can go with your child while relaxing in Pattaya. Shot on Nikon D610 + Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G. Settings: shutter speed 1/500, exposure compensation +0.33, f/2.8, ISO 250, FR=200 mm.
The Khao Kheo Zoo is called open because the animals here are kept not in cages, but on spacious lawns, fenced with moats with water and an electric fence. I encountered similar conditions in zoos in Frankfurt am Main and in the Opel Zoo (located in the vicinity of this metropolis), but only in Pattaya did I not have to suffer with the choice of angles due to the interfering bars of the cages - there are none. The animals are open to the audience.
The territory of the Khao Kheo Zoo is divided into zones: African savannah, feline complex, lyre deer, bird enclosure, great ape nursery, penguins, etc. You can walk around the territory on foot, drive your own car, take an electric mini-bus, or rent a small electric car (the kind that golfers drive around the course). You ride around, look at the animals, admire the plants, and relax. A great place where the whole day will pass unnoticed!
- Description of how to get to the zoo by tuk-tuk and taxi.
- Review of the excursion.
- History of the creation of the zoological park.
- A story about visiting enclosures with great apes.
- Schedule of animal shows in Khao Kheo.
- What interesting places are there nearby?
- Safari World Safari Park in Bangkok.
1. How to get to the Khao Kheo Open Zoo from Pattaya on your own
“The distance from Pattaya to Khao Kheo is 55 km (more precisely, from our hotel Mermaid's Beach Resort Jomtien 3.5 * to Soi 7 on Jomtien Beach), and to Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok - 125 km, and We paid 800 baht for a taxi ride there. This means that the cost of a taxi ride to Khao Kheow Open Zoo should be approximately 350 baht. But last time we paid 300 baht for a trip to the Nong Nooch Botanical Garden, which is closer (only 20 km). Therefore, a fair price for a trip to the safari park is about 450 baht one way,” we thought as we went outside after breakfast and got ready to bargain with the taxi driver.
“Good morning, sir,” the dark-skinned driver calls out to me first, whose appearance makes it clear that he often deals with our brother from Russia, “Where should I take you?”
— We need to get to the Khao Kheo Zoo.
- Great, I’ll get there with the breeze. Please sit down,” he helpfully opens the door.
- How much does a ride cost?
- Only 1000 baht.
- Thousand? Perhaps this is a mistake?
- No, sir, a fair price. Comfortable, air conditioned, fast, you won't get anywhere cheaper.
- You are a very nice person. We would like to go with you. But the price is a little high. We offer you 250 baht,” I bluffed a little.
- What are you saying, sir, this is unreal! You're talking about a ridiculous price.
“We could get there in a white songthaew,” Katya joins in: “But with such a nice driver, it’s more convenient in his wonderful car.” But the conditions would be more acceptable...
The taxi driver does not agree, we step aside, pretending that we will wait for a tuk-tuk. A couple of minutes later he returns:
- Okay, sir, let's give 350 baht for one way fare to the zoo. But you will give me cash and I will buy tickets to Khao Kheo for you.
- 300 baht and we're off!
Back in the report on the excursion to the Nong Nooch tropical garden, I wrote that, apparently, in Thailand, taxi drivers receive a percentage of the cash register if they themselves lead tourists to attractions. And this is an additional factor for trading with them.
From Jomtien we take the Sukhumvit Road leading to Bangkok, and in about 40 minutes we reach the town of Sriracha (Sriracha), from which it is another 7 km to the Khao Kheow Open Zoo complex. One and a half kilometers before the zoo we get stuck in a traffic jam: there are a lot of visitors there today in their cars. The driver offers to wait for us until 16:00 for another 500 baht (travel back to Pattaya is included). I propose to expand the conditions: if we return to the car before this time, we pay 500 baht, if by 18:00 (since I did not want to limit myself on time for excursions) - another 200 baht on top. Agree...
3. Map of the route of the trip to the Khao Kheo Zoo from Pattaya. How to get here on your own with children. Orange dotted line - tuk-tuks from Jomtien to the center; blue - blue tuk-tuk routes from Sukhumvit Road to the center; raspberry - ring line of tuk-tuks.
In February 2015, we rented a car and drove around Thailand. If you also travel to the Khao Kheow Open Zoo by car, here are the GPS coordinates: 13.214879, 101.053242.
To get there by bus, you need to get to North Pattaya Station. The drive to Si Racha town is approximately 50 minutes. The ticket costs about 40 baht per person. The stop is located near the Robinson’s shopping mall. From here you will have to take a taxi (or a motorcycle taxi to make it cheaper). Considering that the drive is 7 km, the price should not exceed 50-100 baht, I think. The third option is to get to the city of Sriracha on a white songthaew (actually “songthaew” is the correct name for tuk-tuks) that runs along the Sukhumvit Road and costs 20 baht. By the way, the full route of white tuk-tuks: “Sattahip - Sriracha” - they can take you from Pattaya to Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical Garden.
Let's calculate the cost of travel from Jomtien to Khao Kheo Zoo:
- Tuk-tuk to S Pattaya Road, where the blue tuk-tuk route from Jomtien Beach intersects with the roundabout - 10 baht. Or you can get to the “Dolphins” (the fountain by which all tourists are guided; see the chapter describing the resort’s public transport routes).
- Tuk-tuk to Sukhumvit Road - 10 baht.
- White Songthaew to Si Racha city – 20 baht.
- Travel from the stop at the Robinson shopping center to the zoo - 100 baht.
Total cost of the trip: 90 baht per person one way, 180 baht round trip, 360 baht for two.
Perhaps, on the way back from the zoo, you can ask to tail the Thai tourists and get to the Robinson’s shopping mall stop for free. Then it will cost 260 baht, three times cheaper than a taxi, but an hour and a half longer.
Here comes a conclusion. If you are going on an excursion alone or together, it is cheaper to travel by public transport. If you are planning a visit to the zoo with children, and their age is such that you will have to pay for their passage in a tuk-tuk, then a less expensive way is to get there by taxi. Advice on this matter: if you are a sociable person, agree with other vacationers to charter a car together - you will save money.
The last option is to buy an excursion to the Khao Kheo Zoo (I don’t think it’s necessary to say that it’s cheaper to do this not from a guide from a tour operator, but on the street). Usually, without any reservations, I am against such an excursion, since I will have to wander around in the heat through useless souvenir shops and stores of fake leather goods. In the case of Khao Kheo, there may be an exception if you do not have a license with you: see the report below for a description of ways to move around the vast territory of the park by golf cart or private car.
2. Review of a self-guided excursion to “Khao Kheow Open Zoo”
Okay, let’s assume I coped with the difficult task of explaining “how to get to the zoo.” Let me finally show you the pictures and describe my impressions so that you can decide for yourself whether this excursion is worth going on.
The driver dropped us off at the ticket office. We stood in line for a while, he bought tickets to rent an electric car, I showed my driver’s license (my IDP had expired, I showed my regular Russian license, pink, received in 2017).
When you read reviews from other tourists about a trip to Khao Kheo, you are filled with nothing but delight: beauty, free access to animals, nature! At first our impression was somewhat blurred - all because of the cars. While describing the road to the zoo, I noted that there was a traffic jam at the entrance. And now all these cars are crowded together in one stream on narrow paths so that you are literally standing in heavy traffic and sniffing exhaust fumes. And there’s even nowhere to park your golf cart!
Photo 5. The most convenient way to move around the territory of the Khao Kheo Open Zoo is to rent an electric car. 1/500, +0.67, 6.3, 1600, 50.
I don't like such excursions! I have one explanation: at the end of October 2017, the anniversary of the death of King Rama IX was celebrated in Thailand, the country had a week off, almost all entertainment venues were closed. So the Thais went to Khao Kheo. I think at other times there is not such a crowd here - the zoo is very large, there is room for visitors to spread out.
Probably, if there were fewer cars, we would have made several circles. And so we had to resort to another tactic: we park the golf cart, take a walk at the nearest enclosures, then drive on.
Near the swamp with the hippopotamus, if you raise your head up, you can see such a wonderful miracle.
Photo 6. Sleeping binturong at the Khao Kheo Zoo near Pattaya. Reviews from tourists about independent visits. 1/500, +0.33, 3.5, 720, 62.
I confess: I see such an animal for the first time in my life. This is a binturong, which tourists call the “bearcat”. This is because his face is like that of a kitten, and his body and gait are waddling, like that of a bear.
Binturongs are common in Southeast Asia from India to the Philippines. They have a very gentle disposition and these animals are often tamed and kept at home. I don’t really like it, but in every second report about tourists visiting the Khao Kheo open zoo, there are selfies with these cute guys. I’m not sure that the animal is happy with such close attention from thousands of people a day. Here is a video selfie: “me and my binturong” (see at 4:12 minutes).
The central lawn at the zoo is given over to giraffes. But they are not alone there: wildebeests, horned ungulates, zebras, and even crowned cranes.
On the official website of the zoo there is an “Encyclopedia” section, where you can find the name and description of all the inhabitants of “Khao Kheo”. I can’t recognize this monkey - perhaps it just galloped up from the jungle.
It seems to me that in “Khao Kheo” I not only saw the “bear cat” binturong for the first time in my life, but I also had never seen prancing giraffes before.
I must admit that the animals look absolutely normal, they do not sit in cramped cages, they are not boiled alive in the heat. They have space and freedom here. There is no danger, as in the African savannah for these wildebeests.
Okay, what can we say about the review of the excursion. At first it was crowded with cars, we even missed the area where a variety of small primates are kept (gibbons, langurs, monkeys, hamadryas and siamangs). I regret this: monkeys live on islands, tourists throw food at them, many interesting shots could have been taken. But, the further from the entrance, the fewer people there were, and I liked it more. And at the end we stopped by the great ape department, where it was very cool to watch chimpanzees and orangutans. Therefore, of course, I recommend a trip to Khao Kheo. This is another one of those must-see attractions in Pattaya.
Let me show you photographs, accompanied by information about how this zoological park was created.
3. The history of the foundation of the Khao Kheo Zoo
This year the institution turns 40 years old, and the administration is very proud that they managed to create not only places where animals are kept, but also a research and educational center where they preserve animals and promote respect for nature and our brothers smaller.
The relationship between humans and animals continues for an eternity. There is evidence that animals were kept in captivity 4 thousand years ago. Man realized the benefits that could be derived from domestic animals, he even used them in wars. Animals began to serve as symbols of faith in Asian countries such as India and China. In Thailand, animals also helped people in work, in armed conflicts and entertainment.
Over time, life has changed, and so has the attitude towards representatives of the fauna. Zoos have changed from small menageries with cramped cages, from traveling circuses, into complex complexes with a large territory and a modern approach to management. The first Thai zoo was Dusit Zoo (or otherwise known as Khao Din Wana), and many Thais remember it.
During the reign of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V), His Majesty allowed the construction of a botanical garden in the Dusit Garden in Bangkok. He also gave it the name "Khao Din Wana" because the garden was located on a small artificial island. In 1908, the king visited Indonesia, where on the island of Java he acquired several axis (small sika deer), which were placed in an enclosure in the Vimanmek Palace. After some time, the offspring of these first settlers were transferred to the Dusit Zoo. In 1932, the government in Thailand changed. Plaek Phibunsongkhram became the Prime Minister, who proposed to Rama VIII to transform the zoo into a place for recreation for citizens.
The regent of Rama VIII, Princess Artid Tip arpa, on March 18, 1938, signed a decree transferring the zoo to the management of local authorities, who gather all the Axis in the country on one site. The zoo area is being reconstructed to provide more places for relaxation.
In 1969, the management of this country's first zoo, Dusit Zoo, was transferred to the Zoo Organization Committee, which was created in 1954. The committee's scientific staff proved that the areas for keeping and breeding the existing number of animals are too small. In 1973, permission was received from the Royal Forest Department to build a new zoo on the territory of the Khao Kheow and Khao Chum Puh nature reserves in Chonburi province.
In 1974, the Zoo Organization Committee chose a place at the foot of the Khao Kheo mountain (translated, by the way, into Russian as “green hill”), cleared the territory, and built enclosures. The zoo received the name we already know: “Khao Kheow Open Zoo”. Slowly they began to transfer deer from Dusit Zoo, for which there was more space here (0.8 km 2).
The first inhabitants of “Khao Kheo” were different types of deer: mountag, axis and pig deer. The opening of the new zoo to the public took place on June 1, 1978, and in 1984 the zoological organization received approval to expand the territory to 4 km 2, and the area of the zoo became 4.86 km 2.
Photo 14. Malayan bear. I also met such a miracle in Pattaya for the first time in my life and did not know about its existence before. The benefit of visiting the Khao Kheow Open Zoo is environmental education. 1/500, -0.67, 2.8, 220, 56.
In 1992, the Thai Cabinet decided to further reorganize the zoo into a project of greater public benefit and again expanded the area to 8 km2, making Khao Kheo the largest zoo in the world.
The zoo is located at the foot of the hills among the remains of the jungle, which in the province of Chonburi has been preserved only in this place. The surrounding forests are of two types: dry and rain forest, very beautiful and preserved in an intact form. Most animals live in spacious enclosures, and visitors have the opportunity to observe them without interference from bars or glass.
If you search the Internet for information, you can find many scientific articles and dissertations written by scientists from different countries, based on research conducted at Khao Kheo. Here they are proud of breeding the spotted leopard, analyzing the possibilities of breeding white rhinoceroses in captivity, etc. The institution hosts master classes for students of biological specialties. In short, today “Khao Kheow Open Zoo” is not only a place for relaxation, but also a serious research center.
Photo 15. Himalayan bear at the Khao Kheo Zoo. During the excursion here, your child will take an express course in biology. 1/500, -0.67, 2.8, 450, 70.
At the Khao Kheo Zoo you can see another animal previously unknown to me: the white lion. Previously, there were only legends about their existence. Only at the end of the 20th century did evidence of the existence of such unusual animals appear.
White color is a sign of a genetic mutation, but this lioness is not an albino: her eyes are not red... Look, a formidable beast. And just wait - almost an ordinary domestic cat.
If you read the reviews, Khao Kheow Zoo is famous for its largest aviary. Here is how it is written about it on the official website of the zoo: “Opened on July 29, 1983 at the behest of Princess T. Area 8,000 m2. A walk through the enclosure will give you the feeling of walking through a real jungle. You will see waterfalls, streams, ponds, and various plants. We keep 80 species of birds (including teals, storks, pheasants, herons and stonechats). In addition, reptiles and small mammals can be seen here. For example, the yellow-headed Indian turtle, or the Asian deer.” And in the “Encyclopedia” section there are a variety of cranes and parrots, orioles, cassowaries, marabou, irenas, hornbills, vultures and many others.
Hm I do not know. Maybe we went to the wrong place: a huge cage. Inside, it’s really a jungle, humid, tall trees, in the crowns of which there are plank platforms. The voice acting is like in the film: the voices of birds in different ways. But there are almost no birds: pigeons of all kinds, and a couple of bulbuls...
In general, I liked the bird aviary in the Nong Nooch Botanical Garden better. Reading the description in the guide to Khao Kheow, I imagined the same variety as in Singapore's Jurong Bird Park.
Photo 22. Goats. These unpretentious animals can be found in any zoo in the world. And Khao Kheow Open Zoo is no exception. Where to go from Pattaya on an excursion. 1/500, +0.33, 7.1, 160, 70.
Yes, about elephants. You've probably come across a photo of an elephant swimming next to a diver in the ocean. This is Rajan, he lived on the Andaman Islands in India (see review of holidays in Goa and alternative resorts in India in a separate report). So, in Khao Kheo you can also take a similar photo if you visit the underwater elephant show (Elephant Swimming). At least, this conclusion can be drawn by watching the video (watch, starting at 2:37 minutes).
4. Chimpanzees and orangutans at the Khao Kheo Open Zoo
When you read tips for tourists going on an excursion to Khao Kheow Open Zoo, the guidebooks always write that the territory of the complex is huge, that you need to rent an electric car, it’s so difficult to walk in the heat and far: the length of the entire route is 8 km.
I agree, but I will also refute. Look at the map of the zoo. We have two large zones.
Do you see the enclosures on the left with flamingos, hippos, rhinoceroses, giraffes, bears, an aviary and the Elephant Learning Center? All this is a spacious area, but it is not so difficult to get around on foot. And the right part (with a lake, tapirs, great apes, a complex of felines and the Khao Kheow Water Falls) is actually 3 times larger than drawn. And to walk around it on foot, you will have to tramp for probably 40 minutes in the heat and hills. Therefore, a golf cart is needed only if you want to visit the right part.
According to tourists, free electric buses run quite rarely and almost always all seats are occupied. We were a little tired, and stopped only near the enclosure with chimpanzees and orangutans, skipping the feline area. And they didn’t regret it!
Chimpanzees don't pay attention to people. Although they notice the photographer and do everything not to look into the frame.
A sign next to the enclosure urges people not to tease its inhabitants and eloquently demonstrates how such behavior can end. Made me laugh!
If you are patient enough, you will not be left without portraits of our closest relatives.
Next, we proceeded to the enclosure with orangutans. It has long been my dream to fly to Tanjungputing National Park on the island of Borneo and photograph them in their natural habitat. But for now we will limit ourselves to an excursion to the safari park in Pattaya.
The video of the baby orangutan was filmed at another zoo, but I couldn’t resist posting it. Hilarious!
While the mother was resting in the shade, the eldest son begged tourists for tasty treats.
The funniest one is the father of the family with swollen cheeks. You should have seen the way he looked at the visitors! What a disdainful smile he has. And what an expression on his face when he started to ride on the rope! The exact same thing happens when a child does something, and the whole family looks at him approvingly: “That’s how I can do it!”
Seeing the delight of the kids watching their dad’s tricks, his son joined him...
But then the event happened with which I began the story: while we were enthusiastically looking at the monkeys, fenced with a moat with water and a concrete wall, the fifth inhabitant of the enclosure pushed us aside in an attempt to squeeze into the front rows. This turned out to be the most fun event today.
5. Schedule of animal shows at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo
In the zoological park you can not only admire the animals in enclosures. There are performances here every day. Here's their schedule.
- Swimming Elephants - Monday to Friday at 10:15 and 14:15; on weekends and holidays - also at 12:15.
- Penguin Parade - 11:00 and 14:30 (on weekends and 16:00).
- Animal talent shows - at 11:00, 14:00 and 15:00 (on weekends also at 16:00).
- Journey into the Jungle - at 11:00, 13:10 and 15:10.
- Parade of Indian beaked whales - at 10:00 and 14:00.
- Seal feeding is at 11:00, 13:00 and 15:00.
- Night Safari (After Dark Night Safari) - from 17:30 to 20:30. Ticket must be purchased separately. You must register before 18:00.
I see that now photographs from the show are on the official website of the zoo, and I want to go there again. That's great! Here is the Russian version of the site: khaokheow.zoothailand.org/ru/index.php.
Zoo opening hours: from 8:00 to 18:00 seven days a week.
Ticket prices: 300 baht.
Cost of renting a golf cart (license required): 500 Thai baht for a 4-seater (plus 200 baht for each additional hour), 700 baht for a 6-seater (plus 300 baht for each additional hour).
Note: Drinking alcohol and smoking is prohibited on the premises. Fine - 2000 baht. You are also not allowed to bring pets.
6. What else can you see when going to Khao Kheow Open Zoo
Near the zoo you can take part in another attraction: ziplining over the jungle. This event is called “Flight of the Gibbon”. You are flying 40 meters above the ground. Thrills are guaranteed - see Information about independent excursions is contradictory: they write that the price on the spot is more expensive than when buying a tour to “Flight of the Gibbon” from agencies.
But I will note once again that the Khao Kheo Zoo is one of three excursions in Pattaya that, in my opinion, are a must-see. The other two: a trip to the Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical Garden and a crocodile farm in The Million Years Stone Park & Pattaya Crocodile Farm.
If the budget is tight, then when choosing between Khao Kheo or the botanical garden, I would choose the second one (there is a zoo, an aviary, and very, very beautiful vegetation). At the crocodile farm you have the chance to catch reptiles with a fishing rod while listening to the loud sounds of hungry jaws... It cannot be ruled out.
Descriptions of excursions to Nong Nooch and the crocodile farm are given in separate links. All of them can be reached by a white songthaew with a transfer “at the branch”, as described above regarding the zoo.
7. Safari Park in Bangkok
Do not confuse the Khao Kheow Open Zoo, located in the city of Si Racha, 56 km from Pattaya, with the Safari World safari park in the Bangkok suburb of Min Buri. It consists of two zones: a safari park and a marine park. Judging by the reports of tourists, it is also an interesting place to visit with children, but it is more geared towards a show. That is, if “Khao Kheo” is a park with animals, then “Safari World” is, in some way, an open-air circus.
At the Safari World safari park you can see shows of orangutans, fur seals, elephants, cowboys, dolphins and birds. Here's a video.
I think the child will be delighted with such an excursion too.
Well, friends, today we learned how to get there and what to see in another famous attraction located near Pattaya. I note that 16 km to the south is the Sriracha Tiger Zoo. Something, judging by the reviews of other visitors, is not as rosy there as in “Khao Kheo”: cramped cages, dirty, tortured animals. If among the readers of the site there is someone who has been there, please share your opinion in the comments. I will be grateful.
Khao Kheo is an outdoor zoo located just 60 km from Pattaya. Its peculiarity is that you will not find a single cell there. All animals live either in spacious enclosures or roam freely around a fenced area, where everyone can get a close look at them and even feed them.
Types of excursions to Khao Kheo Zoo
You can book a tour by phone +66 61 991 20 52.
| The name of the program | Program description | Event days | Price adult/ children's, baht | Check out time |
Discovery – complete program without shopping | Khal Kheo Zoo + show Oyster farm Pineapple farm Temple of Hell and Heaven Chinese Temple | Monday | 1400/700 | 06:50 – 7:30 |
| Discovery Standard | Tiger Zoo – 3 shows (tigers, crocodiles, elephants) Food – European cuisine, crocodile barbecue Khal Kheo Zoo Oyster farm Pineapple farm Temple of Hell and Heaven Chinese Temple Asian Spice Garden Aroma shop | Daily | 1200/1000 | 06:50 – 7:30 |
| Discovery no shopping | Pineapple farm Temple of Hell and Heaven Chinese Temple Lunch at Khao Kheow Zoo Khao Kheow Zoo – full program + 3 shows | Monday | 1100/800 | 06:50 – 7:30 |
| Khao Kheow Zoo + Pineapple plantation without shopping | Tickets, transfer Pineapple plantation Full program + show | Daily | 650/400 | 07:30- |
| Khao Kheo Zoo standard | Tickets, transfer Full program + show Asian Spice Garden and Aroma Shop | Daily | 500/350 | 07:30- |
How to get to the zoo
The journey to the zoo from Pattaya takes 40 minutes. It is worth considering that public transport does not go in this direction, so you will have to make do by other means. You can rent a motorbike or car.
Finding the zoo on your own is not that difficult; just drive north from Pattaya along a straight road to the famous tiger zoo, then another five kilometers to a large sign that shows the way to Khao Kheo. This sign is located next to the traffic light. After this, you need to turn right and drive another 20 km to the zoo.
Khao Kaew is considered one of the most interesting and largest zoos in Thailand.
If you are afraid of getting lost in unfamiliar territory, you can choose another method, namely a transfer or taxi. The transfer can be ordered on the official website of the zoo. He will come directly to your hotel at the chosen time and take you directly to the park gates.
As for a taxi, it is not necessary to order it directly from the hotel, as it will be quite expensive. It’s easier to get to the Sri Racha Tiger Zoo by one of the songthaews (the cost of such a trip is approximately 20 baht). They regularly walk along the Sukhumvit Highway. From there you can already order a taxi. The drivers know the road very well, so you just need to mention the name of the zoo and they will take you to the right place.
Khao Kheo Zoo on the map of Pattaya
And finally, the easiest option is to visit Khao Kheo as part of an excursion. This includes a round-trip ride in a minivan, an entrance ticket to the zoo itself, and in some cases even travel around Khao Kheo on an open-top bus provided by the company.
Cost of visit and opening hours
If you decide to visit Khao Kheo on your own, not as part of a tour, the entrance ticket will cost you 400 baht. If you come in a group of more than 5 people, then tickets will cost 100 baht cheaper.
Entrance fee to Khao Kheo In addition, there are several types of excursion programs offered by the organizers, prices for which vary between 2,000 baht. You can buy tickets at a travel agency, from a guide, or directly at the entrance to the zoo. The last option is the cheapest, especially if you take one of the Thais with you, because for “our own people” the prices are much lower.
Khao Kheo is sponsored by Queen Sirikit of Thailand.
The zoo is open daily from eight in the morning until six in the evening. But visitors can also stay on the territory of this original zoo all night. To do this, there is a small hotel there with fairly low prices for such a popular place among tourists.
Zoo inhabitants and entertainment
The territory of Khao Kheo is home to more than 300 species of various animals and birds. The entire zoo in Pattaya is divided into several thematic zones:
- Savannah (African animals are represented there: antelopes, buffalos, zebras, ostriches);
- Deer Park or Elda Park (one of the main attractions of the entire park, where a real herd of deer walks among boulders and trees);
- Monkey Island (is an island surrounded by water where gibbons live);
- Valley of cats;
- “Children's Zoo” (consists of several parts: a pond with turtles, enclosures with rabbits, an aquarium with an anaconda and a penguin house);
- Aviary with birds;
- Butterfly Garden (all the exotic butterflies of Thailand and the world are presented there).
There are many paths between these separate zones, so you can take several routes to walk around the area. It is almost impossible to get around the territory of Khao Kheo on foot in a day allotted for visiting the zoo.
In addition to the previously mentioned option of renting a vehicle, you will also be offered the opportunity to ride around the territory on an elephant. The trip can last 10, 20 or 30 minutes.
Elephants at Khao Kaew Zoo In addition, elephants can be fed by hand. Food for these purposes is sold at the entrance and costs from 10 to 100 baht. Naturally, you can feed not only elephants, but also other animals, although it is worth considering what fruits you can give to whom. In order to avoid unpleasant situations, there are signs throughout the territory informing about feeding prohibitions (for example, it is forbidden to give cucumbers to rhinoceroses).
You can purchase food at the entrance to the zoo. In addition to the extravagant elephant ride, you can be entertained by various shows featuring zoo animals: pelicans, cormorants, wild boars, otters and even tigers, including the endangered white tiger.
The white tiger is an attractive and colorful creature One of the most striking shows is “Journey to the Jungle.” It differs from all others in that all animals perform independently, without the participation of trainers. The arena where the performance takes place is an enclosure like the others. With its appearance, it reminds viewers of the natural habitat of animals. At first, animals fly and walk around its territory and do not pose any danger.
Conditions for keeping animals in the zoo Then the grate is lowered, separating the audience and the “artists,” and predators appear on the improvised stage: lions, hyenas, pumas, tigers and others. Some of them hunt, taking prey from bushes or tree branches, others just walk.
During the show, binturongs walk on vines stretched between the rows. The show lasts approximately half an hour, the action is accompanied by explanations about the performing animals. It is conducted in two languages: English and Thai.
Binturongs at Khao Kheow Zoo And those who want to get a dose of adrenaline will definitely enjoy a night safari. It is held after sunset, from six to eight o'clock in the evening. During this event, the organizers try to recreate the night life of the jungle as realistically as possible. You can also buy an excursion, during which you will be taken to all the mysterious places of the zoo that are not even on the maps offered to guests.
You can find out more details about the various shows and their schedule immediately after entering the zoo, because they are constantly changing.
Park-reserve employees distribute leaflets to everyone describing the shows taking place in Khao Kheo.
For the safety of the visitors themselves, dangerous predators are fenced off with bars that do not allow them to show aggression.
To ensure that your visit to the huge zoo brings you only positive emotions, take with you on the road:
- Headgear (after all, you will be walking around an open area all the time under the hot Thai sun);
- Money (to buy food for yourself and animals walking around the territory);
- Camera (photography is allowed on site, so don’t miss the chance and capture the bright moments).
Tourists on a limited budget would like to give the following advice: do not buy expensive excursions, walk around the territory on your own, and you will be surprised at how many interesting places you can discover without a guide’s tips. Pick up a map and explore animal enclosures, snake farms, bee factories and even pharmacies that stock a variety of traditional Thai medicine.
But it’s better not to save on renting a vehicle. It is very difficult to walk around the entire zoo on foot, even though it is not as big as in Bangkok. In addition, if you spend time going up and down the uneven paths of the zoo, you will miss the opportunity to watch interesting shows and simply get tired of endless walking in the heat.
Do not spare money on feeding the animals. This is quite an interesting activity that will give you a lot of positive emotions. You can buy different fruits from merchants, but it is better to buy assorted fruits. There is a selection of fruits and vegetables that are enough to feed different animals in all parts of the zoo.
The reserve is located next to the jungle, from where wild macaques enter the park, ready to feast on everything that is offered to them. But in Khao Kheo they are unwelcome guests, as tourists are told by signs hanging everywhere, so save the fruit for the pets of the park and do not encourage the macaques.
Khao Kheo Zoo in Pattaya is one of the unique open-air zoo reserves. In it you can really feel unity with nature. Therefore, no matter how old you are or what company you come to Thailand with, this place is worth a visit.
