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Berlin Zoo aka Hauptstadt Zoologischer Garten : Back to Nature…

The Berlin Zoo is one of the main attractions and things to do in Berlin! We have heard many things about the Berlin Zoo and its comparison to the Singapore Zoo and since we were staying nearby, we decided to check it out!

Opening Hours of Berlin Zoo

The Berlin Zoo has different opening hours throughout the year, make sure you check out the following before you visit!

1st, January to 15th, March:
9 am – 5.00 pm
16th, March to 23rd, March:
9 am – 7.30 pm
24th March to 08th September:
9 am – 7.00 pm
09th September to 20th Okctober:
9 am – 6.30 pm
21st, October to 31st, December:
9 am – 5.00 pm
24th December:
9 am – 2 pm
31st December:
9 am – 5 pm

Admission Ticket Prices to the Berlin Zoo

For visitors, admission to the Berlin Zoo costs 13Euros, not exactly cheap. However, if you get the bundle with the aquarium, the price is 20Euros.

Things to do and Attractions in Berlin Zoo

Our first impression of the Berlin Zoo was that it is more of a garden than a Zoo. There are lots of greenery and spaces for people to stroll and just enjoy nature.

We later found out that the Berlin Zoo is actually huge. 34 hectares huge! It is also one of the oldest zoo around, opened in 1844! 😮 Check out the map of Berlin Zoo!

As we ventured deeper into the zoo, we kept hearing these loud animal calls. Turns out to be a species of monkey will throats that bulge as they go about doing their mating calls!

Touch Zoo

Besides the animals, there is also a touch zoo where kids can interact and feeds goats and little ponies.

This smart goat knows that visitors have to buy their feeds from this machine and it just hangs around the feed machine waiting for visitors to come!

Restaurants & Playground

Children's play area at the Berlin Zoo — Children’s play area at the Berlin Zoo

Beside the children’s play area, there’s small cafes/restaurants where you can get your fill and continue to visit the rest of the zoo. Here, at one of the restaurants we had a germknodel for 5euros…

Germknodel - Warm Prune Dumpling with Cold Vanilla Sauce 5Euros — Germknodel – Warm Prune Dumpling with Cold Vanilla Sauce 5Euros

It started out at something that we were not used to. But it turned out to be fairly addictive! The vanilla sauce was slightly sweet which matches the dumpling and the prunes were slightly sour that gives it a tangy feel. Not bad. Not bad at all… 🙂

Animals at the Berlin Zoo

After talking so much about the zoo itself, we shall finally visit the stars of the Berlin Zoo, the animals! Here are the list of animals that we felt were quite interesting…

We called this animal “Chomp Chomp” because it just chows down every fruit in its path! The fruits were distributed all over the sanctuary but it just scans the entire area and chows down all the fruits, leaving next to none for it’s companions!

Whats a visit to the zoo without see the king of the jungle! The Lion! Here you see it prowling up and down while the Lioness just sleeps in oblivion! The next picture was a rare catch. Kate caught the lion yawning…and the next moment, it just falls asleep!

But when you’re there, dont stay too close to the cages. This signs warns visitors of the “showers” they may get if they’re too near the lions!

Warns people that lions may pee past the barrier!

King Penguins and Penguins with hairy eyebrows like those in Happy Feet!

Chimpanzees doing acrobatics on the ropes

1 month old Anchali with its mother enjoying a stroll

The Alkapa at the entrance of the Berlin Zoo!

We’ll leave you now with a video of the sea lion that sits proudly on a rock having its sun tan , while the rest can do nothing but watch and wait for their turn…

Related Posts

You have just finished a post from our Berlin Travels. Below, you can find other relevant posts covered during this trip!

Top 8 Things to do and Attractions in Berlin Germany
Berliner Hof Hotel – A great base to explore Berlin
Berlin Hauptbahnhof : Futuristic Berlin Central Station
Alexanderplatz Berlin : A relaxed evening and a sumptuous steak dinner at Block House
Hotel Amelie Berlin : No frills budget stay
Berliner Currywurst : Is it really all that its hyped up to be?
Berlin Wall East Side Gallery : Iconic Artwork Awaits
Checkpoint Charlie Berlin : At Berlin Wall between East and West Berlin
Holocaust Memorial Berlin : Memorial to the Murdered Jews in Europe
Brandenburg Gate Berlin Germany aka Brandenburger Tor : A Must Visit Attraction
Berlin Zoo aka Hauptstadt Zoologischer Garten : Back to Nature…
Berlin Wall Documentation Centre : History Before Your Very Eyes
Der Reichstag Berlin : Home of the German Parliament (Bundestag)

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How to get to the Berlin Zoo

The Berlin Zoo is located at Budapester Straße 32 which is actually right beside the Zoologischer Garten station for both U-bahn and S-bahn. Hence, just alight at these stations and the Zoo is just a short walk away.

For your convenience, we have arranged for the best hotel deals in Berlin right here!

The Berlin Zoo is actually not as good as the Singapore Zoo in terms of educational value and visitor attractions. However, it does have a few animals that are unique to temperate countries. So do enjoy the Berlin Zoo the next time you visit Berlin!

Updated on August 8, 2020May 8, 2012Asia attractions holiday Places of Interest Singapore Attractions Singapore Zoo Things to do Things to do in Asia Things to do in Singapore Travel Travel Blog Travel Tips vacation Visit Singapore Attractions

Things to do in Singapore : Weekend at the Singapore Zoo – World’s Best Rainforest Zoo

There are actually so many things to do in Singapore! You can enjoy the views of the city by taking a ride on the Singapore Flyer or enjoy some picnic time at the Marina Barrage. Of course there’s always something for everyone at Resorts World Sentosa such as the Malaysian Food Street and the Universal Studios.

Today, we’re gonna show you the Singapore Zoo!

Signs directing you to the Singapore Zoo

Just as we stopped at the traffic light, Kate managed to take this shot of the entrance! Speedy gonzales…andele andele yiba yiba…

The parking area is currently under construction. So you would have to make one big round before you can park close to the KFC. Parking at the Singapore Zoo is $4 per entry with 10 minutes grace period.

We headed to the ticketing counter and bought the Zoo-per-saver. Tom was quite slow in realising that Zoo-per-saver meant “Super Saver”!

Ticket Prices at the Singapore Zoo

Zoo-per-Saver : $27 for adults , $17 for children aged 3-12
(inclusive of admission, unlimited tram and boat rides)

Zoo Admission ONLY : $20 for adults , $13 for children

Zoo Admission with Tram : $25 for adults , $16 for children

Just for comparison, here are the rates of the Tram and Boat rides

Unlimited Boat Rides : $6 for adults , $3.5 for children

Unlimited Tram Rides : $5 for adults , $3 for children

So after all this comparison, we decided that the Zoo-per-Saver was a good deal, in case we want to tram around or just enjoy a boat ride. This we eventually FULLY UTILISED but we’ll talk about it in a bit.

The next thing that you really need to grab hold of is the Map of the Singapore Zoo

With the map, we were able to locate the show times of all the shows at the Singapore Zoo. Then we were able to plan our path on where to take the boat rides and how to make it in time for all the shows.

As you enter the entrance of the Zoo, you would be led by the paths to the Treetops Trail

And the very first animal that we encountered this day was the greater mousedeer!

As we walked towards the boat dock to check on the timing, we saw the Babirusa. It is from the pig family and has horns that makes it look real fierce.

Turns out that the boat ride starts at 9:15am (although we were very kiasu [Singapore slang for scared of losing] and arrived at 8:30am). The frequency of the boat rides are at intervals of 15 minutes.

Since we were still early, we decided to walk around the vicinity of Boat Dock 1. We saw the Tapir and took a video of their feeding…

Feeding time for the Tapirs at the Singapore Zoo

Kate was really upset that Tom took a 50seconds video because our camera can only last for a very short time and we had to conserve our battery life. (Are there any camera sponsors out there?) Well, for our viewers right? Please comment that Tom did the right thing if you have not seen a Tapir before…

We also caught a glimpse of the White Tiger as it prowls in its vicinity. We came to find out that there were originally 3 white tigers and one of them, called Jippie was terminally ill and died quite recently.

White Tigers at the Singapore Zoo

Boat Ride at the Singapore Zoo

After taking the boat ride, we arrived at the northern part of the Zoo where boat dock 2 is located. Boat dock 2 is near to the Rainforest Kidzworld and we took a peek inside…

There are actually so many things for the kids to do here! Kids can play in the waters, sweat it out at the adventureland or take a ride on a pony! There’s also an Animal Friends Show here.

Wet arena at the kidzworld Singapore Zoo

Mini adventure park at Kidzworld Singapore Zoo

You can read more about kidzworld and other highlights of the Singapore Zoo here.

For those who do not know, Ah Meng was a well loved and iconic Orang Utan at the Singapore Zoo. It died several years ago but still remain very much in the hearts of Singaporeans because of the ambassador work that it had done. Still remember the breakfasts with Ah Meng – Anyone have pictures of breakfast with Ah Meng?

Today, a memorial is erected next to the gardens and Splash Safari Show.

The first show we caught today was the Splash Safari show. Not to be a spoiler or anything, the Splash Safari has got to be the best show at the Singapore Zoo! You can really feel the bond between the sea lion and the trainer. Watch…

Splash Safari Show at the Singapore Zoo

As we travelled to the next show, we were almost caught in the pee of an orang utan at the free ranging oran utan island…

This orang utan “tight-roped” across above us and reached the other side of the island. Suddenly we heard trickles of water and we thought it was raining. No! The Orang Utan was peeing above us! Heng, we were a distance away. A word of caution to visitors, please be aware of the location of the Orang Utans as you cross this path.

“Free Ranging” Orang Utans

Before our next show (Elephants of Asia), we covered the primate kingdom as well as the Nubian Ibex and Hamadryas Baboon.

We were also in time for a feeding session of the Arapaima at the primate kingdom. These huge fish (and other small fish) are able to keep the waters in the Singapore Zoo free from the infestation of mosquitoes.

Feeding of the Arapaima at the Singapore Zoo

If you notice closely, you’ll see the Hamadryas Baboon (bottom left) staring into space in deep thoughts. Click here to find out what we think she was thinking about…

We managed to catch the Elephants of Asia Show

How to mount an Elephant

and the Rainforest Fights back Show…

We still wonder how they train the peacock to open up its feathers to attract the peahen…

Then…the unthinkable happened… IT STARTED TO POUR!! But, because we took the Zoo-per-Saver, we were able to have unlimited rides around the zoo while waiting for the rain to stop. We spent an hour or so (about 3 rounds) on the tram as it was way too crowded everywhere else (at the stations, at the restaurant, at any shelter).

Still, we managed to catch all the shows and see all the animals that we wanted to see. Even the sun bear came out to greet us!

Last show of the day – The Animal Friends Show at Kidzworld

All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed our time at the Singapore Zoo and we really hope you’ll enjoy your next visit to the Singapore Zoo as well!

For your convenience, we have arranged for the best hotel deals in Singapore right here!

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If you’re thinking of what to do this weekend, check out our Singapore Zoo!

Updated on March 12, 2023April 25, 2012Asia Singapore Attractions Singapore Zoo Visit Singapore Attractions

A Low Down Of The Animal Shows at The Singapore Zoo

Sea Lion standing up at the Singapore Zoo!

There are 4 animal shows at the Singapore Zoological Gardens (Singapore Zoo) daily.

Klook.com

They are :

1. Rainforest Fights Back Show

Venue : Shaw Foundation Amphitheatre

Show Times : 12:30pm and 2:30pm

2. Splash Safari Show

Venue : Shaw Foundation Amphitheatre

Show Times : 10:30am and 5:00pm

3. Elephants at Work & Play Show

Venue : Elephants of Asia

Show Times : 11:30am and 3:30pm

4. Animal Friends Show

Venue : Rainforest Kidzworld Amphitheatre

Show Times : 11:00am and 4:00pm

One of the first things we looked out for when we visit the Singapore Zoo is the shows! In order to catch all the shows, one has to meticulously plan for it and the map of the zoo will come in handy…

Upon taking a closer look at the map, the first thing you’ll notice is that the shows are located at the north side of the zoo , that is furthest away from the entrance. The Rainforest Show, Splash Safari Show as well as the Elephants Show are relatively close to each other. Not too far away is the Animal Friends Show at Kidzworld.

The next thing you’ll need to note is the timing. As kiasu Singaporeans, the 2bearbear were there at the opening of Singapore Zoo. The Singapore Zoo opens from 8:30am to 6:00pm daily. You’ll note by now that the first show starts at 10:30am. Each show lasts approximately half an hour.

What we did during this visit to the Singapore Zoo was to catch the Splash Safari Show (@ 10:30am), Elephants at Work & Play Show (@ 11:30am), Rainforest Fights Back Show (@ 12:30pm) and lastly the Animal Friends Show @ 4:00pm.

As each show lasts half an hour, we managed to visit other animals in between shows as well. But we’ll get to that later…

After entering the Zoo, we headed for the Boat Dock 1 for a boat ride to the north of the Zoo (Note : Unlimited boat rides cost $6 while unlimited tram rides cost $5; The Zoo-per Saver inclusive of both tram and boat rides costs $27 and was the one we took – added discounts with OCBC cards). From there, we covered parts of the Kidzworld before catching the first show. By the way, the first boat ride starts at 9:15am at intervals of 15 minutes.

Let’s get to the shows proper…

1. Splash Safari Show

The Splash Safari Show is probably the best of all the 4 shows at the Singapore Zoo. While it was entertaining with stunts done by the experienced sealion, there were also comical scenes included as part of the show. For instance, the sealion would clap its flippers to encourage the audience to clap especially when it thinks it deserves it or has just accomplished a trick.

Sea Lion Claps at the end of his trick @ the Singapore Zoo

The host would then say that there’s something lurking in the waters…

It is a shark! Neh…just the sea lion swimming side ways! The Splash Safari Show has got to be the best of the 4 shows. Kudos to the trainer who has trained the sea lion really really really well!

2. Elephants at Work & Play Show

Next, we headed to catch the Elephants at work and play show!

Did you know that elephants have very good sense of balance?

The elephant not only crossed the log but CHANGED 180 DEGREES IN DIRECTION, RIGHT ON THE LOG!

Of course the elephants have very strong trunks and are able to easily lift logs…

Elephants of Asia Show at the Singapore Zoo

Did you know you can mount an elephant with its trunks as well?

How to Mount an Elephant

Overall, the show was ok. The elephants were well trained and the waving of their trunks were really cute. The show however revolved pretty much around logs. It would be good to show their strength through other aspects.

3. Rainforest Fights Back Show

The Rainforest Fights Back Show was not as entertaining as the previous 2 shows. Nonetheless, we could see that the trainers had put in alot of effort. Here are a few shots from the show…

Spider Monkey at the Singapore Zoo

Orang Utan at the Singapore Zoo

The reason why the show was not entertaining was because the tricks were all isolated ones. The acts didnt really gel together although individually they were good.

4. Animal Friends Show

Animal Friends Show at the Singapore Zoo

This show was somewhat more impressive than rainforest fights back (surprisingly). Im still amazed that all the animals on the show was adopted! That is to say, they were abandoned or given up by their previous owners and given a second lease of life at the Singapore Zoo!

The other thing we were amazed was that mice were trained to scamper across the roof in a precise direction! I mean, how do you train a mouse right? Impressive stuff…here are some of the acts at the show…

Dog skipping with a skipping rope at the Singapore Zoo!

Some of the animals of the show was still very new to the show and the trainers take time to train and allow them to meet audience (to get used to many people clapping) from time to time.

Verdict

Therefore after all that we’ve said, we would rank the shows in this order

1. Splash Safari Show
2. Elephants at Work & Play Show
3. Animal Friends Show
4. Rainforest Fights Back Show

Please take time to see all the shows because the trainers have placed in alot of effort to train and pass on valuable nuggets of information to the audience. Plus, some of the tricks are really neat!

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Hope you have enjoyed our coverage of the animal shows at the Singapore Zoo!