A trip to the zoo is inevitable if you have kids around. We were planning a zoo trip ever since we shifted to Chennai. Finally the week after Pongal we managed to go. We had earlier thought of going during Pongal but thankfully we cancelled at the last moment. As it turned out more than 1.5 lakh visitors had come during the Pongal time.
Arignar Anna Zoological Park or the Vandalur Zoo, is credited to being the first public zoo in India. It is also one of the largest zoo in South Asia which houses close to 1500 wild species, including endangered ones. Arignar Anna Zoological Park is located in Vandalur about 32kms from Chennai city centre. It is well connected by both rail and road.
We started from home around 9am by car taking the NH45. It took us almost an hour to reach there. There is ample space for parking so no issues on that account .Having done that we headed straight to the ticket counter and as luck would have it there was no queue(well we managed to start early with the KIDS for once).
The zoo does not allow outside food but water can be taken in. Since I had two small kids they allowed the food that I had bought along with me (one of the perks travelling with kids which I take advantage of where ever possible). The zoo does not permit plastic bags also so avoid that. Once in we went for the lion safari. Thankfully there also was no queue though we had to wait for 10 min for our safari to start. The safari is indeed a must watch and you SURELY will see atleast one lion. We saw one lion and two lionesses. My elder one was thrilled but younger one just could not figure out why all the people around him were making such a fuss. He was infact barking at the lion thinking it to be a big puppy. This safari gave us a great opportunity to see lions very close and it was worth the money and the time.
Once the safari was over we took the zoo round vehicle which took us around the zoo. They give you some 1 to 2 minutes to see the animals in each of their enclosures. We could see deers, bear, leopard, bisons, elephants, giraffes, hippopotamus, zebra, crocodiles, snakes of all kinds(there is a small snake park) Bengal tiger and even white tiger. We saw two tigers fighting with each other but had to rush back due to the constant horn of our waiting vehicle. If ever we go back again we will definitely take their battery operated golf cart style vehicle. From my experience children can better appreciate the animals when they move about and which they may not do in your allotted 2 minutes. We actually walked back to giraffe and zebra enclosures to have a better look. Though it was a struggle to keep the kids waiting but the giraffes finally decided to move and have some leaves from the tree. Indeed a beautiful sight. Well no luck with zebra though. Anyway I was happy as we could show the children the animals that we generally just see in pictures.
The zoo vehicle gives you the option of taking you back at the starting point or getting down near the aquarium from where you could walk back. So we got down and walked back to see the animals which we wanted to see at leisure. We took a break to refuel the kids before proceeding further. Our next stop was at the shark model aquarium. No you will not see a shark but lots of coloured fishes. My youngest son was very happy to see the fishes in so many colours. Though the aquarium is small it is enough to entertain the kids. Fishes in different shapes and sizes, turtles swimming up and down well that's enough to amuse any kid. Infact the shark model aquarium is itself made on top of a big pool with fishes swimming inside.
Just opposite to the aquarium is the nocturnal animal enclosure. They have managed to make a dark night environment so that the animals stay active and alert during day time. Here we saw owls, porcupine and different kinds of cat species. But if you cannot stand strong smell better stay away. It kind of stinks very badly.
Up next was butterfly house and the bird section but missed it completely because the kids wanted to play in the park in the hot sun. They do have a fairly good play area. So after about 15 min of play we wound up our zoo trip as crankiness , tiredness and hunger had slowly started creeping in. It is always better to end a trip on happy note than on a tearful and stressful one. So without further delay we headed out visiting enroute the forest museum which exhibits stuffed butterflies, different kinds of leaves, soil, rocks, fossils etc.
We could finish the trip by 1.30pm, a good 3.5 hours spent I should add. On the way I fed the kids and made them sleep and and the best part is that they slept till 6pm(a record for my kids...they are poor sleepers).Ask any mother how peaceful it is to see the kids sleep and how peaceful the house will be. Ahh!!
Looking back I seriously wished we could squeeze in time to see the birds and butterfly. But never mind there is always a second time.
Some information about the zoo:
Zoo Timing : 9am to 5pm (Tuesday Holiday)
Entrance Fee
Adults (above 10 years) - Rs. 30/ -
Children (2 to 10 years) - Rs. 10/-
Below 2 years - Entry Free
Camera / Camera mobile / i-pad / tab - Rs. 25/-
Handy Cam - Rs. 150/-
Zoo Rounds Vehicle
Adults(above 10 years) - Rs. 30/-
Children (2 to 10 years) - Rs. 10/-
Lion Safari Vehicle
Adults(above 10 years) - Rs. 30/-
Children (2 to 10 years) - Rs. 10/-
Deer Safari Vehicle
Adults(above 10 years) - Rs. 30/-
Children (2 to 10 years) - Rs. 10/-
Battery operated vehicle
Per hour - Rs. 330/-
Parking Charges
Two Wheeler - Rs. 10/-
Four Wheeler - Rs. 20/-
Food and Snacks
Outside food is not permitted in the zoo. There is a Hotel Tamilnadu at the entrance of the zoo but by the reviews that I read it is bit on the unhygienic side. I am not sure on that as I did not go there. There are snack parlours from where you can buy packed food items.
Tips when travelling with Kids
- Start early .The sooner the better or else you will have queues everywhere and kids (also adults) hate waiting.
- If safari is included then start with that, followed by zoo rounds preferably in vehicle(it is almost sure the kids will not be able to cover the entire stretch walking) then aquarium, bird visit ,butterfly house and then the play area. Do not start with the play area otherwise the children will neither have the energy or the patience to see they what they really came for.
- Carry enough water and some fruits or snacks( outside food is not allowed but they might excuse just for the kids. But do not feed food to the animals, it is punishable)
- Caps will be very handy for both kids and adults
- I found that carrying a shoulder bag is much more convenient than handbags as both your hands will be free and you can be on the run.
- Try to wrap the zoo visit within 4 hours if you are travelling with small kids .
If in Chennai ,a must visit place especially with the kids.
