A few months old public aquarium and zoo in Pililla, Rizal was visited unplanned by Tutubi recently when he noticed a sign leading to the zoo/aquarium along the highway of Pililla, Rizal just after passing by the twisties from Laguna and the 54 MW Pililla Wind Farm.


Animals to see include lions, tigers, ligers/lygers, camels, sheep, birds, peacocks, civet cat (alamid), deer, boars, monkeys, ducks, sorry no elephants and giraffes and hippopotamuses and dinosaurs and velociraptors :)

a sleeping civet cat (alamid), the one who can make your exotic kopi luwak/kape alamid/civet cat coffee

a dromedary (single hump camel)

you can ride a boat for PhP100 for 15 minutes, then feed the mighty ducks in the small shallow lagoon



a cute kid enjoying mini-horses (i call them hobbit horses or puny ponies)

the resident star of the zoo are these sleeping ligers/lyger that are really huge. Ligers are hybrid cross between a male lion (Panthera leo) and a female tiger, a tigress (Panthera tigris)

Other facilities include a small aquarium, canteen above the lagoon but snacks only, ample parking space, simple toilets.

Lyger Animal Sanctuary/Tiger Holding Facility

Operating Hours:
Open daily from 8:30am to 5:30pm

Entrance Fees/Admission:
PhP200 Adults and Kids above 7 yrs old
PhP160 Senior Citizens and Kids 2 to 7 yrs old
Kids below 2 yrs old Free

Contact numbers: +63.915.308.8398;
Telephone Number: +63.5024294

How to get there:

Driving Directions: if you know the way via Antipolo, Teresa, Morong, Baras Tanay then Pililla
or Via Cainta, Taytay, Angono, Binangonan, Cardona, Morong, Baras, Tanay Pililla

Commuting to Pililla, Rizal:

From EDSA Crossing (either Starmall or EDSA Central), board a jeepney to Tanay, Rizal.
In Tanay, transfer to another jeepney to Siniloan, Laguna but ask to be dropped off in Pililla near the highway junction where you take a tricycle to Lyger Animal Sanctuary.

Labels: Calabarzon, Family Attractions, Rizal, Zoos

For people, friends and families intending to visit the sprawling Avilon Zoo in Rodriguez, Rizal the cheapest and/or fastest way.

Tutubi was able to visit the place when he saw discount vouchers on sale at a group buying site recently.

Herewith is the information you're looking for:

Avilon Zoo Entrance Fee/Admission price: PhP400.00
Children below 2.5 feet: PhP300.00
Senior Citizens: PhP320.00
Children below one year old: free entrance
Avilon Zoo contact number: +63.2.948.9866


How to get to Avilon Zoo, Rodriguez, Rizal:

Map of Avilon Zoo is available on OpenStreetMap here (also updated by Tutubi). Waze app on iOS and Android gives an accurate map and routing to Avilon Zoo only at the last three kilometers of the suggested route (You can search Avilon Zoo on Waze then route automatically).

Driving Directions to Avilon Zoo

From Makati (or SLEx, Laguna, Quezon, Batangas, Bicol), head to EDSA, turn right to East Avenue, enter Quezon Memorial Circle, right to Commonwealth Avenue.

If still early morning, you can turn right to IBP Road, left to Gen. Luna (landmark: Puregold), then right to M.H. del Pilar

if quite late, advise you take Payatas Road, right to E. Rodriguez Highway, left to J.P. Rizal, right M.H. del Pilar

on M.H del Pilar, you can now see direction signs to Avilon Zoo. You need to turn left to a narrow road with a market (talipapa) then cross a bridge (which looks more like a spillway of Wawa River) then a rough road (it's a private road, you need to pay PhP20.00 "toll" to use the road going to Avilon).

Ample parking in front of Avilon Zoo, there's also Noah's Park, some sort of resort and restaurant place.

Travel time from Trinoma is just around one hour early Sunday morning via Batasan Road. On the return leg, Tutubi opted to pass by Payatas Road to avoid traffic in San Mateo proper and there are no dump trucks to race with.

How to commute to Avilon Zoo:

This one's quite easy:
From MRT Cubao-Araneta Station, walk towards Araneta Coliseum then look for the jeepneys with signboard Cubao - Montalban (Rodriguez). Take the jeep then drop off in San Rafael near the gas station and talipapa where you need take a tricycle to Avilon Zoo (no idea on fares though)

Notes:

Avilon Zoo open hours/schedule:
8am to 5pm on Sunday
(no information if open on holidays like Rizal Day, Christmas Day, New Years Day, Holy Week (Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Black Saturday, Easter Sunday)

You can bring your own food and drinks inside Avilon Zoo for free if it's home cooked (baon). Corkage fees apply per meal (PhP30.00) if you bring in food bought outside.

There's a canteen/restaurant/food court in Avilon Zoo where you can buy pizza (PhP50 for personal size, PhP150.00 family size), ice cream, chips, softdrinks (Coke in can costs PhP35.00), bottled water etc

Ark Avilon is the sister "zoo" beside Tiendesitas in Pasig, same admission price but with air-conditioned.

Other Zoo in Metro Manila:
How to Get to Manila Zoo
How to Get to Malabon Zoo

Labels: Calabarzon, Rizal, Zoos

Just to post about Tutubi's 20 minute visit to Chavit Singson's Baluarte in Vigan (actually part of Caoayan town of Ilocos Sur) before heading the long drive home.

Baluarte is becoming famous stopover for tourists visiting Vigan where people can see and interact with animals on display at the Chavit Singson's mansion cum mini-zoo, with animal interaction scheduled everyday with several wild animals (better left in the wild, Tutubi thinks) . Animals kept at the mini-zoo include pygmy horses, white deers, camels, tigers, various birds, ostriches, and snakes.

Chavit Singson's Balwarte in Caoayan, Ilocos Sur

a dromedary (arabian camel with a single hump) shot around high noon

a pair of white deers resting in the noon shade

After taking a few pictures, Tutubi sped off to Sta. Cruz town then went home.

---

Baluarte Show Schedules

Animal encounters
everyday 11am, 12nn, 4pm
Potbelly Painting: daily at 10am and 2pm

baluarte entrance fee/admission price: none, nada, gratis, free
parking: ample parking spaces, no parking fee
photography: no restrictions, no permits required to shoot

How to get to Baluarte, Caoayan, Ilocos Sur:
From Vigan city proper, just hire a tricycle to take you there, travel time is about 10 minutes. Consider asking tricycle driver to wait for you or pick you up at an appointed time

If you have your own car, just drive down inwards on Quirino Avenue (the street of Petron gas station on the highway) until you see the Caoayan welcome arch where you turn right (on the fork). Drive until you see the Baluarte artwork then choose the right fork (if you missed it and chose left, you'll end up at the Hidden Garden of Vigan)

Coordinates: N17 33 02.1 E120 22 39.1 (useful if you have GPS navigator).
Open Street Map here (trivia: much of Vigan's map, as of posting time, was added by Tutubi with data gathered by his GPS going around Vigan)

Labels: Ilocos Region, Ilocos Sur, Vigan, Zoos

Just to answer a question on some commenters asking "how to get to Manila Zoo" on Tutubi's other posts, instead of answering endlessly on the post, these directions and How-to will more than suffice. Please read thoroughly before asking and hitting the comments, most commenters though are too lazy tor read and ask questions with answers already present on the blog post if only they bothered to read.

the resident and lonely elephant Mali, about 40 years old which gained fame due to being alone for many years now

Manila Zoo Entrance Fee, Admission prices:

Adults: PhP100.00/head
Children below 4 feet in Height: PhP60.00
Children 2 years old and below: PhP60.00
Residents of Manila with valid ID: PhP50.00

How to get to Manila Zoo:

How to commute to Manila Zoo:

Via LRT 1, the nearest station is Quirino Avenue where you can actually walk westward (towards Baywalk) about 300 meters. From MRT, you can get there via MRT Taft Avenue Station (or North Avenue Station in the future). From LRT 2, you can transfer to LRT 1 at Recto Station then connect to LRT Doroteo Jose station.

Jeepneys from Quezon City passing by Espana and Quiapo, take jeepneys with sighboard Harrisson/Vito Cruz and Mabini. Just request the driver to drop you off in front. This is the same for jeepneys on Rizal Avenue (Avenida) and Sta. Cruz.

From Baclaran, you can take the LRT and get off at Quirino Avenue station or better, just ride a jeep to Quiapo/Sta. Cruz/Divisoria with Mabini on the signboard (never the ones with Taft as they don't pass by in front of the zoo)

Driving directions to Manila Zoo:

From Makati (or those from Laguna, Batangas, Quezon Province, take SLEX), you can drive down to Osmena Highway, left to Quirino Avenue then left to Adriatico Street (landmark: children's playground or formerly Paraiso ng Batang Maynila) where you can see Manila Zoo on your right. There's lots of parking spaces there (no idea on parking fees though). Beside Manila Zoo is Harrison Plaza

From Cavite, head towards Aguinaldo Highway, Manila-Cavite Expressway Roxas Boulevard then turn right to Quirino Avenue (landmark: Ospital ng Maynila) then right to Adriatico to Manila Zoo entrance gate and parking.

From Quezon City, Caloocan, Malabon and Navotas, best to go there via Radial Road, Delpan Bridge then Roxas Boulevard, left to Quirino Avenue then right to Adriatico.

Manila Zoo:
Entrance Fee/Admission Prices/Tickets: PhP100.00 (PhP60.00 children below 4 ft in height). Fifty percent discount for Manila residents with valid IDs.
Address: Quirino Avenue corner M. Adiatico St. Manila
Telephone Number: +632.400.1884;
Zoo Hours: 8am to 5pm daily (no information if they're open in Holy Week, particularly on Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Black Saturday and Easter Sunday. They're open on Christmas day and New Years Day and probably other holidays)

Kinder Zoo:

all in rate: PhP250.00
Entrance fee: P100.00

zipline, wall climbing

Boat ride: PhP60.00/boat for 30 minutes (up to 5 persons/boat)

some animals to be seen in Manila Zoo:
elephant, tigers, lion, giraffe (none), snakes, cobra, deer, goat, rabbits, peacocks, hippopotamus, monkeys, fishes,

bringing of food is allowed. there are eateries inside offering snacks and meals (tapsilog) inside plus souvenir shops

Labels: Manila, Metro Manila, Zoos

Tutubi often pass by Malabon Zoo when he visits his brother living in barangay Acacia but he's never really been inside the famous private zoo owned by Manny Tongco. This post is for the information of people wishing to go to Malabon Zoo which is near Monumento area of Caloocan.

Tutubi wanted to personally visit it to see for himself even if he's brother warned him that there's less to see there with more fishes and less animals (orangutans, bengal tigers, burmese pythons, deers et al). (sometimes: bad, negative remarks or comments are just the result of a bad day and probably the exception and improves over time)

For Pictures of Malabon Zoo, you may visit this blog post of Traveler on Foot

How to get to Malabon Zoo:

street map to Malabon Zoo (Open Street Map). It's just EDSA, Monumento, MacArthur then Potrero Elem. School and you're there

Commute to Malabon Zoo from Makati or anywhere on EDSA is very easy (but slow) just by boarding buses with signboard UE/Letre. Those buses pass right in front of Malabon Zoo. Fastest way is to take MRT, get off at North Avenue station then board the UE/Letre bus.

From LRT Monumento, you can walk towards Manila Central University (MCU, near Rosendo Simon St.) then board the UE/Letre/Navotas bus or just ride the jeepneys with Malabon Acacia signboards.

To get back, you need to walk towards Potrero Elementary School on MacArthur Highway to board a bus to Makati/MRT/LRT. You can also walk towards del Monte to board jeepneys going to LRT/Monumento then take a bus or LRT from there.


Driving directions to Malabon Zoo:

From Makati, take EDSA all the way to Monumento by to exit to MacArthur Highway, left to Pinagtipunan Circle (landmark: Potrero Elementary School) then left to Gov. Pascual Avenue where Malabon Zoo entrance gate can be found very near the corner to your left. Parking is just on the street.

Malabon Zoo and Aquarium
Address: # 1 Gov. Pascual, Barrio Potrero, Malabon
Entrance Fee: PhP 150.00
Zoo hours: 8am to 5:30pm (open daily)
Telephone Number: +63.2.361.3064; +63.2.361.3083
official website: none

Call Malabon Zoo contact number for inquiries, entrance fees, kiddie parties, events, group tours et al.

Malabon Zoo and Aquarium Dinosaur Museum, Tropical rainforest
how much is Malabon zoo entrance fee? Malabon Zoo contact number
Future posts: How to get to Manila Zoo, How to get to Avilon Zoo

Labels: Malabon, Metro Manila, National Capital Region, Zoos