Avilon Zoo: A Paradise not so far away…
Posted on July 12, 2006
First of a series
Early in the morning of July 1, my friend Gie and I headed towards Araneta Center Cubao. We were were looking for any FX vans marked with MONTALBAN. It’s my second time, but I still have this “First Time” feeling. Afraid that I might get lost somewhere out of nowhere.
We finally rode the van, and 45 minutes later, I knew I was there. The atmosphere is very different. The place has the probinsya ambience already. Sweeping view of the mountain, small stores and eateries at the sidewalk.
Welcome to Rodriguez, Rizal.
The quiet town of Rodriguez (formerly known as Montalban) is home to one of the country’s largest zoological park. The Avilon Zoo sits on a 8-hectare facility, and boasts of a wide rage of animal collections. The park is so huge that it will take you 2 hours (or even more!) to tour the place. You have the option to tour the place on your own, or you can also hire a tour guide for you. This is really good if you are on a group.
The zoo also has a pavillion where one can take a rest from walking. The pavillion also serves meals at reasonable cost. Taking a lunch with an unobstructed view of a giant pond is one of the best things to do here.
And for those who need to answer the call of nature, I must say that Avilon has one of the cleanest restrooms that I have ever tried.
It is always recommended to go to the Zoo very early in the morning to avoid the extreme heat of the midday sun. Always bring an umbrella, and bottled water. No foods allowed during the tour, though.
To be continued…
» Filed Under Road Trip
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5 Responses to ”Avilon Zoo: A Paradise not so far away…”
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I was in Avilon Zoo last year, we had our field trip for Comparative Anatomy class there. It’s a great place to visit and learn about biology, though I would still prefer to study animals and plants in their natural habitat a-la Discovery Channel or National Geographic style. To ba a Naturalist-tv host is a dream job for me. Nice pictures, I envy people who own their own cameras, it’s another dream I’m saving up on. Owning my own digi-cam.
PS
The move was sponsored by use .com.ph project wherein I was awarded a free .com.ph domain + hosting from ploghost for a full year. If my blog becomes a sucess, they say they will continue to host it for free but if not I’m willing to pay for the services anyway. Though right now, I’m really working on making my new blog a success story, just to keep my end of the agreement.
nice pictures! btw, didn’t you take any pictures of the animals?
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Cool Pictures!! Is there any animal pictures??
Hi, I think i had toured the Avilon Zoo during the first few months of its opening .
They have a nice conservation project . You will see new world monkeys ( I hope that people would stop taking pictures of the marmosets ) these creatures are very sensitive to lights.
Arapaima or Pirarucu( largest fresh water in the world )
With a lots of native orchids and a whole lot of birds within the 7 hectare oasis of the present day Montalban or Rodriguez Rizal