Phuket Zoo

Being stretched across 12 acres (30 rai or 5 hectares) of land, Phuket Zoo is a picture-perfect oasis which is hugely popular with tourists. Phuket is chocked full of attractions and things to do, but none more exciting than seeing camels, emu, crocodiles and tigers all in one fabulous location.
 

Phuket Zoo is located between Phuket Town and Chalong within Soi Palai on the calmer side of the hedonistic island. The privately owned zoo is a perfect place not to just spend one hour, but the whole day looking at the exotic animals. Not only that, but you can even interact with the animals, get your photo taken with a tiger cub or feed elephants and watch them play football. Possibly the most thrilling and nail-biting event is the crocodile show. Watch as the handler braves putting his head inside the croc's mouth!
 

For those bird lovers, Phuket Zoo really excels. The Bird Park has its own aviary and open air section, to enable guests to see the colorful and serene birds fly naturally. With macaws, toucans and peacocks, there are just so many once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to see these animals.
 

The fig trees lining the walkways offer shade from the intense mid-day sun, although the heat and humidity add to the tropical jungle atmosphere. There is a small restaurant area for lunchtime meals and snacks as well as a welcomed ice cold beverage.
 

Just when you thought there couldn't be any more, the enormously expansive Aquarium invites you in, although the entrance is shaped like a crocodile's mouth. Visitors can see inside the coral lined tanks that holds some incredible species of fish from all over the world, such as damselfish, sharks and puffer fish. Further inside the aquarium are vivariums with all manner of lizards, monitors and even pythons.
 

Visitors to Phuket will occasionally see monkeys in the towering trees, if they go on jungle treks or to the nearby islands. At Phuket Zoo, there is a Monkey Show, whereby the supremely clever macaque monkeys show off playing basketball, diving into a swimming pool for coins and even demonstrating their math skills. The small macaques were once coconut pickers and highly trained, however, the shows at the zoo are a little less demanding and even more entertaining for both the audience and the monkey himself.
 

One of the most memorable features of the zoo is the photo opportunity with the tiger. This majestic beast is simply a powerhouse, and only when you come into close contact will you fully understand its sheer size. The comical element is the Thai tout who goads you into the tiger’s den for a photo only has one arm. We do have solid evidence that the incident was non tiger related!

Alongside viewing death-defying stunts with crocodiles, elephants playing football and a monkey doing math, the zoo also has a serene setting too. The large Orchid Garden is meticulously maintained after, boasting a fantastic array of colorful plants. Vanda hybrid orchids, Dendrobium, Bulbophyllums and Rhynchostylis all grace the wonderful display. Some of the orchids might only be in-flower for one day or six months, so make sure you check out all of them. Phuket Zoo is also unique as it is offers the world's largest display of Grammatophyllum speciosum orchid.

Possibly the most memorable part of visiting Phuket Zoo is the chance to have your own personalized Polaroid photograph taken with the animals by the zoo staff. 

Vital Information

Open Daily: 
08:30 am - 18:00 hrs.

Prices:
Adults - 500 Baht
Children - 300 Baht

Daily Shows
Monkey Shows    :    09.00, 12.00, 14.30 and 16.45 hrs.
Crocodile Shows    :    09.45, 12.45, 15.15 and 17.30 hrs.
Elephant Shows    :    10.30, 13.30 and 16.00 hrs.