Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand

On the way from Pattaya back to Bangkok city, there are these Khao Kheow Open Zoo and another more famous for tourists, Tiger Zoo to visit. 

We chose the former upon recommendation from a non-Thai, non-tourist blogger who only reads her news from blogs and facebooks. 

 Turns out... ok ler..

As we were near the guard entrance, there's this sign which says, non-locals, proceed to the left to buy foreigner tickets. Locals can just drive ahead and pay at the guard post. Guess what hubs did?

Yes, I know you can probably guess it right. He told everyone not to say a word as we inched near to the guard post. Maybe the guards might hear my heartbeat like wanna popped out! Goodness gracious! It was like having done a major robbery, man!

Hubs paid him a large dollar bill and smiled at him only. The thai probably figured out he is a con, but just too kind hearted not to spill his beans. He returned the change and gave us the tickets meant for locals. My my, you ought to see how jubilant hubs had felt! *roll eyes*

We went in to the entrance lobby and checked out the way around and tried to figure out how we gonna plan our half a day there before heading back to Bangkok city to check in.

The zoo is very much a lovely place. Less crowd, more open space for the animals to roam rather than being caged up and lots of trees to provide shades.

We would park the car at some nearby carpark, then get down and check out a section then hop on back to the car and move to another. Buggies are available for rental too which would be so much easier to hop on and hop off.

 Said hi and shook hands with many animals around the different sections and all of them looked pretty happy with their laid back and pampered lives there.

 The weather was still very hot nevertheless and after sometime all of us felt lazy and tired to walk around anymore. I tried to encourage them to keep walking by treating them on some ice-cream. Yummy icecream. I think it was melting faster than we managed to gulp it down.

The feline section is "displayed" in a very nice concept, me thinks. We could observe the lions and tigers more up close as a glass wall separates between us and the cats. Seen below is one which gave a loud thundering roar as he was irritated by hubs who pointed the laser gun at its eyes. Really sent chills down the spine with his powerful roar and his killer glare. But ironically, that roar also seemed like the highlight of the trip as well.

We watched some performances, one a bird show with tricks and antics more or less the same like other bird shows we watched before. The other seemed like the main event visitors ought not missed with many different animals running and prodding around, doing some tricks and white lions climbing up poles and swimming in the water heading straight to the piece of meat which they know precisely the location. The bird show was in Thai so we had no idea what was said, but the other main show was in English so it was better. The best would still be giving the legs a rest and seated down with something above the head as shelter. So darn hot!

It was way past lunch time, and korkor screamed hunger! Hubs bought a cup of instant noodle and some other tidbits to eat while watching the animals performance. After that was over, it was time to drive back to the city and we grabbed more buns to munch on in the car till we can have our dinner after checking in at the hotel.