To all familiar with or having previously visited Pairi Daiza, This is kind of a last minute thing where I have some question to ask regarding my upcoming visit to Pairi Daiza. This coming Friday and Saturday I will be paying a two-day visit to Pairi Daiza. I have some question to ask. Keep in mind that I have in fact visited Pairi Daiza before, but that my last visit was back in 2014, so a lot has changed there. 1) The weather forecast for Friday is looking rather crappy. While I have acquired rain protection for my camera, I really don't like being out in the rain, and neither do most animals I believe, and so I plan on avoiding the rain as much as I can. On Friday I am considering focusing on indoor areas, but will those keep me busy for enough of the day? Or does anyone have any rain-avoidance tips that will allow me to see as much of the zoo as possible? 2) On Saturday the weather forecast is quite a bit better so we will probably be exploring the outside areas. I believe that it is not at all feasible for us to see all of the zoo in one day as well as to practice photography, so does anyone have any tips on what areas to skip to save on time? 3) Given that I am especially interested in rare(r) species, birds and ungulates, which areas should I definitely not miss? 4) With regards to restaurants, which ones are recommended and which ones are not?
1) Good news and bad news. The bad news is most of the zoo is outdoors so you may struggle a bit. The good news is that those indoor exhibits that they do have (Oasis, the aquarium, the Mersus Emergo reptile ship, the bird of paradise house, the fruit bat walkthrough, the Crypte) possess a lot of species, with the Oasis housing most of the rarities people on this site aim to find during the day. The Oasis and Mersus Emergo also both have their own restaurants so you should be ok despite the rain! 2) To be honest I wouldn’t skip any of it! You can quite easily see the whole zoo in a day...especially if one has done all the indoor exhibits the day before. However, as far as stuff to be skipped is concerned, the Crypte (Egyptian fruit bats, mole rats, mouse lemurs and some amphibians), the African village area (assuming you are happy with seeing only two of their three pairs of shoebills ), and the ‘cold area’ (reindeer, raccoons, skunks and bison) can be skipped, as can the ‘primate islands’ (squirrel monkeys, howler monkeys and siamangs) by the Mersus Emergo, the Cambron by the Sea area (fur seals, harbour seals and penguins) and the train ride. Most of the other areas of the zoo are definitely worth a visit though! 3) As previously mentioned, do not miss the Oasis. The zoo’s bear cuscus, Bulwer’s pheasants, aracaris, rare amazons, and Pesquet’s parrots are all to be found here. I wouldn’t miss the bird of prey aviaries or the new Last Frontier area either. The bird of paradise walkthrough area has three species of BOP (greater free flying, lesser and magnificent both in separate aviaries by the exit). I would also go to the Australia area to see the koalas, Tasmanian devils and the Australian bird walkthrough. Up in the temple area you can see the zoo’s last Tasmanian wombat, plus their elephants and their Javan leopard. The Chinese garden hosts their pandas, as well as their Shensi takins. The shoebills can be found by the Mersus Emergo, in the African ‘palendorp’ and the African village as well. There are gharials (young ones) at the end of the route round the mersus emergo. The Chinese giant salamanders and Chinese alligators are in enclosures in the koi courtyard outside the fruit bat walkthrough. And of course, lest I forget, the Spix’s and Lear’s macaws are behind the gift shop at the entrance (opposite the exit to the children’s farmyard). Maybe do the bird show if you like birds a lot...! 4) To be honest it depends on your taste.....there are 14 different places to eat across the entire zoo. These offer the following foods: L’Izba (the large Russian style restaurant between the cold area and the last frontier) offers an all you can eat buffet. L’Orangerie (by the giant otters and gibbons, and the playground) offers burgers and fries. Le Moulin (mill house by the train station) offers sandwiches. Le Mersus Emergo (top deck of the reptile ship) offers sandwiches, pasta and fish. Au Bon Foufou (in the African village) offers classic African dishes. Le Perroquet (on the lawn in front of the Aquarium) offers pizza. La Maison des Saveurs (between the Chinese temple and the Asiatic black bears) offers sushi and Chinese noodle-based dishes. L’Oasis (in the Oasis house near the entrance) offers classic Belgian food. La Brasserie (the long building between the Monk Garden and Le Moulin) offers, as the name suggests, French cuisine. Le Temples des Délices (the huge Chinese temple by the Aquarium) offers an Asian-style all you can eat buffet. Le Fritkot (outside the main entrance to the zoo) is, as the name suggests, a small van that serves fries and other fried food Le Phare (the lighthouse between the Australian area and the Cambron by the Sea area) offers pancakes. Le Kiosque (by the playground, behind the Aquarium) offers tapas and various drinks (from smoothies to cocktails). L’Octopus (by the Steller’s sea lions in the Last Frontier) offers seafood, beef and various veggie and vegan dishes. Cheapest are Le Fritkot and L’Orangerie, most expensive are L’Izba and Le Temples des Délices. I have eaten at L’Orangerie, Le Moulin, Le Mersus Emergo, L’Oasis and Le Fritkot. Highly recommend all of those except the Mersus Emergo and Moulin.... I would double check when you arrive in the morning what time the kitchens are open until (there’s a sign near the entrance) as some of them close ridiculously early (some at 3pm, in some cases earlier!)
I second all of the above. Unlike many zoos with short opening hours, it is certainly possible to see it all in one day (in my opinion), so long as you prioritise those buildings which shut early. On my first and only visit so far (a few months ago), I got to Mersus Emergo a few minutes too late (about 5pm) to enter. I also missed the Indonesian elephants as I believe they shut the elephant house by the time I got there. Restaurant in Oasis was decent.
Where are the BOP aviaries? In the Oasis building? I forgot about looking for these with everything else to see.
I believe they are in the old greenhouses in between the large walk-through aviary and the Chinese gardens. At least that is what the map from Pairi Daiza's website seems to suggest to me.
If you continue past the Oasis, dromedaries and the young giant panda/Asiatic black bear enclosures, you will get to a large open air walkthrough aviary. Going through or around this takes you to a tropical greenhouse (there should be one of the old hand painted signs out the front of the entrance with giant tortoises painted on it, though these are no longer in the house. Inside this greenhouse are four male greater BOPs free flying, and one male in a separate aviary near the entrance. At the exit, before you enter the flying fox walkthrough, there are two more separate aviaries on either side of the exit door. The one on the left houses a pair of lesser BOPs, the one on the right is empty (or so it seems!). The empty one actually has two halves like the lesser BOP one; a front half and back half. In the back half you can see two male magnificent BOPs.
Yes the BOP's are all in the old greenhouse and an other tip, during rain you can also wander outside in the Chinese Garden, most of it is covered by a roof covering the visitors pathway.. Also the Giant panda grotto and the Gorilla Vulcana have large areas were you will stay dry.
Thankyou. I went in the big walkthrough aviary but don't remember the greenhouse! If I go back the BOP are another exhibit to look out for then.
