Hello! I will be staying in Antwerp for two days on my summer vacation, 17-19th of July. I will see the Antwerp Zoo, but since I'm going with a train to Paris the 19th, I will most likely only be able to see one zoo on the 18th. Which should I choose: Pairi Daiza or Planckendael? Is Pairi Daiza really so good that everyone says? Is Planckendael more worth seeing? Thanks
It will depend on your taste: Pairi Daiza is very good, but although they look stunning I'm not a fan of all their enclosures. Planckendael has less impressive looking enclosures (although I was very impressed with their new penguin/flamingo aviary) but I have the feeling the animals are more central in the way they are housed. I enjoy going to both multiple times a year and both zoos have species-wise their own gems. So it is really what you prefer.
Birdwise in any case Pari Daiza and also some of the buildings - not always for animals - are breathtaking !
Planckendael first. For both general landscaping, collection and space for animals. P.D. breath-taking at times, but not for their animals and too much Erlebnis! … If you station yourself a bit half way or in Brussel on the outskirts of town, you may be able to do both zoos over a 2 full day period.
Paira Daiza is an overwhelmingly themed (in my opinion over themed) zoo with lots of Asian temples, bizar and irritant muzak along the paths, and set in a very beautifull naturalistic setting along the banks of a small lake. The African savannah is pretty good but the indoor facilities are cramped on busy days. Interesting collection includes giant panda, shoebill stork, kiang, golden takin, spotted hyena, hippo, elephants, kori bustards, many reptiles, raptors. Missing links are bears, tigers and great apes. Planckendael is the former Antwerp's country zoo (it held the last Philipine eagles outside the Philipines) but is now a full grown zoo with bonobo, koala, wombat, echidna, dune gazelle (europe's only), indian rhino, snowleopard, bush dog, giant anteater, Luzon clouded rat, spotted hyena, indian lion, visayan warty pig, etc. It's elephant enclosure is exceptionally good. Other good exibits are the African savannah, Asian rainforest and the Southamerican aviary. Missing links are bears, tigers and smaller animals like reptiles and fish. I think PD will impress you more but getting there will take a long time.
Some sidenotes, Pairi Daiza does have tigers (white ones, currently housed in the leopard enclosures (so no leopards to see) and Landau also holds dune gazelles, so Planckendael doesn't have the only group. I would advise you to visit Planckendael, not because it is a better zoo, but Pairi Daiza will be very very overcrowded in the summer holiday and then it is not a pleasure to visit this overwhelming place....
Sorry for not replying on this thread, but thanks for all your advice! I went last week, and decided to see the three main zoos: Planckendael, Pairi Daiza and Antwerp Zoo in three days (yes, it was busy but also very fun) Went first to Planckendael, directly after arriving in Antwerp with train. It was a super hot day and very overcrowded in the park, so I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. But a nice park with an interesting collection, I saw both wombat, echidna (first time seeing this species) and koala. Also their elephant and bonobo exhibits were outstanding! Savannah was ok, the rest of the zoo was alright, but nothing spectacular. I will return sometime, but not in a few years. The next day I went to Pairi Daiza. Took an early train from Antwerp (6:30 in the morning) and arrived to the park about 30 minutes before opening. Also this day was extremely hot, but the park wasn't overcrowded which was nice. The exhibits were pretty good (some mediocre though, like the African elephant exhibit) and it was quite strange why the wombats and meerkats were in the Ganesha exhibit. Chinese garden with sleepy pandas and golden takins (didn't see those) was good, as were the Australian exhibit. Birds of Prey show was nice, the aquarium was pretty good but a little over-themed. I will definately come back, but will wait a year or two until the park is more finished (with wombats, snow leopards, Chinese giant salamanders etc) Saw the Antwerp Zoo last day, went through the whole zoo in four hours (I had to pass my train to Paris in the afternoon). The zoo had a nice collection; Mountain gorilla, okapi, penguin house, reptile house, nocturama and bird house. I was looking for the kiwi exhibit, but I couldn't find it (are they still keeping them?). Overall it was a nice city zoo, but a lot of the exhibits were on the small side (birds of prey, tigers, leopards, monkeys). Once again, thanks for your advice!
Worth noting that Planckendael holds a pure subspecies of echidna, and thus your lifetick was doubly special.
@SZF, good you enjoyed your visits. The wombats will only be temporary (about a year) in the Ganesha part, before they move to a yet to be build enclosure where the kori bustards are now. The idea with the meerkats is that they one day would be replaced by an asian species....
I do not know whether they are still planning to do that, it will at least be no top priority, but they are able to import wombats directly from Australia, so then some asian mongoose should also be possible
