Outdoor Activity for Kids: The New Manila Zoo
- Mommy Kitkat
- Jul 28, 2023
- 6 min read
The school year is done and we’re all excited to go on more adventures with our kids! If you’re looking for another outdoor experience, you can try out Manila Zoological & Botanical Garden.
I finally got a chance to visit in early June, and here are my thoughts:
Location
Manila Zoo is located along M. Adriatico St., Malate, Manila.
PLUS POINTS:
It’s in the middle of the Metro and easily accessible via Skyway if you’re coming from cities that are farther away
The drive (or commute) is much shorter compared to visiting Avilon Zoo
POINTS FOR IMPROVEMENT:
Because it’s in the middle of the city, you can hear the honking of cars in certain spots within the zoo.
There is still lush greenery everywhere, but sometimes you can’t get unobstructed views (without buildings in the background)
Booking Your Tickets
Book your tickets ONLINE to save yourself some time in buying it onsite.
PLUS POINTS:
If you’re a Manila resident, your entrance fee is much cheaper (it’s an extra incentive for them to support)
The entrance fee for non-Manila residents is still very affordable compared to other attractions/zoos
Booking online is paperless also, and you will just receive an individual QR code for each person via email. The staff will scan that upon entry; no need to print anything!
POINTS FOR IMPROVEMENT:
The online booking experience was not seamless for me compared to booking for other attractions. You need to manually input all the details of EACH person who will be visiting. There is no option for group bookings. In my experience, I had to repeat it four times. Considering it’s a family-oriented attraction, they should explore a multiple booking or group booking option.
The published rate is not what you will eventually pay because there are additional convenience fee charges for booking online.
I initially tried to pay via GCash, but the site wouldn’t connect so I ended up using my credit card. I found out others had a similar experience as well. Considering GCash is a widely used payment method, they should look into this.
As of posting, these are the published rates on the Manila Zoo website.
| Resident (Manila) | Non-Resident (Outside of Manila) | What I paid (using my credit card) |
Adult and Children | ₱150 | ₱300 | ₱307.50 (1 pax) |
Student | ₱100 | ₱200 | ₱205 (1 pax) |
PWD/Senior Citizen | 20% Discount on prescribed fees | 20% Discount on prescribed fees | ₱492 (2 pax; ₱246 each) |
2y/o and below | Free | Free | |
Manila LGU Employee/ Teachers of Manila | ₱100 | ₱100 | |
| | TOTAL | ₱1,004.50 |
Parking
There is ample parking space if you choose to bring a vehicle, but you have to go early. We were the 2nd car to enter in the morning; and upon leaving at 3PM, the parking lot was completely full.
PLUS POINTS:
The parking lot is right beside the entrance to the zoo. No need to walk far.
There is also PWD parking slots with ramps on the sidewalk for those who need wheelchair access
POINTS FOR IMPROVEMENT:
If you arrive TOO early, you won’t be allowed to enter the parking area yet. We arrived at 8:30AM and had to wait on the side of the road until opening time at 9:00AM.
I can imagine on a weekend (when there are more guests visiting), you might have to find parking elsewhere because the parking lot is not very big.
Animals and Overall Experience
The property is around 5 hectares, with various areas that you can explore (Aviary, Outdoor and Indoor Reptiles, Primates, Butterfly Garden, etc). It can take you about 2-3 hours to leisurely go around the zoo, depending on your pace. In our case, we took our time and even went back to see certain animals again after we had lunch.
PLUS POINTS:
The overall design of the renovated Manila Zoo is beautiful – very clean and modern. It’s a good mix of outdoor and indoor (air conditioned) areas that you can enjoy throughout the property. The layout also looks well planned, with maps and signs to guide you all around. It’s fun to go around and take photos and videos too!
Going through the zoo was like taking a nice leisurely walk in a lush urban park, with views of animals all around. The pathways were quite wide. The whole zoo was easy to walk through with young kids and seniors. Where the attraction had an elevated view deck, there were ramps instead of steep stairs.
There were a lot of benches for quick rest stops (and of course extra plus points that our backdrop was beautiful lake with fountains and little waterfalls)
Obviously, it’s fun to see the animals (ex. Elephant, white Bengal tiger, crocodile, etc) and let your kids learn more about them. There was enough variety of animals to keep the kids interested. The outdoor animals lived in natural-looking environments, with grassy lawns, trees, plants and ponds.
There are playgrounds inside the property for kids to enjoy, and they are placed on either grass or rubber matting, making it safer for the kids to climb and play. There are play structures for little kids, and then there are bigger and more adventurous play structures for the big kids.
The restrooms were conveniently located. As per the map, there are five restroom areas located at various points in the zoo. The toilets were generally clean and well-maintained. Each cubicle had a bidet sprayer. Bring your own tissue/wipes, sanitizer. Some had soap, some didn’t. There is also a designated diaper changing area if you need.
There were a lot of food kiosks to choose from, and some of which were common brands we know and love. If you’re hungry or thirsty, you could choose from fruit shakes, coffee, milk tea, ramen and dimsum, breads, shawarma, pizza, pasta, hotdog, fries, all-day breakfast meals, sizzling meals, ice cream and candies, and other snacks. The prices are also very reasonable (at walang malaking patong)!
POINTS FOR IMPROVEMENT:
Variety of species is not as expansive as Avilon zoo. There were also some animals featured on the signages or maps but were not in their enclosures. (ex. Giraffe, hyena, hippopotamus, etc) According to the zoo staff, some of the animals passed away during the pandemic.
It would be great to have interactive experiences (ex. Feeding of birds, animal shows, and photo opportunities with animals, etc). Maybe they have it during weekends, but there is no available information anywhere when you walk around the zoo.
You have to enter a playground area (and remove your shoes) just to get a better view of the Primates area. When we went there the padded floor was wet and we didn’t want to remove our socks and walk around that area barefoot; so we didn’t see it anymore. Another MOMspired mommy who visited on a separate day told me that they were told the primates couldn’t be seen because they were hiding from the hot sun, so you may have to visit them earlier in the morning or later in the day.
Even if the zoo is relatively new, there are already some maintenance issues with several play structures. (ex. one of the little kid’s slides was already cracked or had a hole which should be repaired)
OTHER TIPS AND REMINDERS:
If you can, go on a weekday and be there early to avoid the crowds.
Wear comfy clothes and walking shoes.
Bring a hat, water jug, and extra clothes. It gets REALLY hot.
You’re not allowed to bring food but there are plenty of food stalls inside, so bring extra money if you want to eat during your visit.
Bring a stroller for younger kids.
Have fun with and build more core memories!
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Manila Zoo is a very family friendly place to visit. It’s wheelchair and stroller accessible, the bathrooms are clean and have diaper changing areas, and there are play areas and plenty of spaces for kids to run around and enjoy.
I would rate our visit a 3.5/5. It was a good experience to be outdoors and visit a zoo without having to travel so far. The designs and enclosures remind me of world-class zoos abroad BUT there is still a lot of potential to house more (rescue) animals for guests to see. It’s clear that it’s very limited compared to Avilon Zoo, but it’s also difficult for me to comment on this because I’m not an expert on the ethics of animal captivity and rescue work.
Overall, though Manila Zoo isn’t as interactive or immersive as other zoos, it offers a convenient, affordable, quick, no-fuss zoo trip within the city that is worth going to for its variety of animals, beautiful and high-quality structures, wide paths and lush landscape, as well as its amenities like food courts, playgrounds and shops.
I’d like to commend the Manila government for investing in the renovation and enhancement of the zoo. It’s a great experience for Filipino families, and I hope more people come and support local tourism!
For more information, visit https://www.manilazoo.ph
Note: This is NOT a sponsored post. I paid the published prices for entrance fees. I do not receive any commission/discounts for sharing this content.
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