Short's Medium-sized Dutch Break

[TeaLovingDave]

An excellent and interesting thread at some point soon I shall be doing a very similar one for my recent pair of "Last Chance To See" trips, with single posts per collection, so the fact you have got yours written first acts as a bit of a motivational kick!

 

[Tim May]

I was lucky enough to go on a Dutch zoo tour (with a Colchester prologue and Duisburg excursion) recently......

Thanks for an intetesting report which I thoroughly enjoyed reading; I concur with most of your views on the zoos you visited.

I'm not such a great fan of Bush, I know this borders on sacrilegious.....

I agree; much as I love Arnhem Zoo, I'm not a great fan of the Bush (or, indeed, big tropical houses in general).

I've still not "done" Amsterdam.....

You should. I realise I'm probably in the minority here but Amsterdam (Artis) is definitely my favourite Dutch Zoo.

 

[snowleopard]

A fine bit of reading for me on this sunny Canadian morning. Thanks very much for the reviews and I've always wanted to do a Netherlands-themed 'Snowleopard Road Trip'. Instead of driving 5 hours between zoos I'll be able to have short jaunts through the Dutch countryside.

 

[TeaLovingDave]

A fine bit of reading for me on this sunny Canadian morning. Thanks very much for the reviews and I've always wanted to do a Netherlands-themed 'Snowleopard Road Trip'. Instead of driving 5 hours between zoos I'll be able to have short jaunts through the Dutch countryside.

Given your propensity for spending an hour maximum at collections which most people spend several hours visiting in order to fit as many zoos into a day as possible, I imagine you'd be managing 8 zoos a day in the Netherlands

 

[Shorts]

You should (visit Amsterdam Zoo). I realise I'm probably in the minority here but Amsterdam (Artis) is definitely my favourite Dutch Zoo.

Everytime I consider doing Artis, given the multitude of other cultural attractions, I always think I should do a long weekend, or so, there and do some regular tourist stuff over the holiday. I've been thinking this for a few years now. The trouble comes at the beginning of each year when I'm planning my holidays, I always forget Amsterdam in a flurry of trying to get in as many zoos per holiday as possible.

Therefore, I think the only way I'll visit Artis is either:

1. I've satiated myself of all relatively easy to reach European venues with associated day-runs to multiple zoos;

2. Zoohistorica is held there (again, I think).

The former may take some time, as will the latter -which happens first is anyone's guess.

 

[snowleopard]

Given your propensity for spending an hour maximum at collections which most people spend several hours visiting in order to fit as many zoos into a day as possible, I imagine you'd be managing 8 zoos a day in the Netherlands

Bring on the Dutch zoos! Maybe a dozen a day could be possible!

In all seriousness, Rotterdam, Arnhem, Amsterdam, Amersfoort, Beekse Bergen and even Ouwehands would probably all take an entire day each. I've heard that the new Emmen is likely a 4-hour zoo at best, and Harderwijk, Kerkrade and Apenheul are probably similar in size...plus I'd need a few days of 3 zoos per day as there are numerous smaller facilities spread throughout the Netherlands. It seems as if there are at least 70 'zoos' in the country but if I traveled (hypothetically-speaking) to the Netherlands for two weeks then I'd probably be able to tour close to 30 establishments. That would see me tour the big collections at one per day for approximately a week, then the smaller zoos at 3 per day for another week, although of course big and small would all be mixed up depending on geographical location. I need someone to plan a 'Snowleopard Road Trip' for me as now I've had my interest piqued!

 

[Shorts]

Given your propensity for spending an hour maximum at collections which most people spend several hours visiting in order to fit as many zoos into a day as possible, I imagine you'd be managing 8 zoos a day in the Netherlands

I'd love to see him try Rotterdam, Burgers' or Beekse Bergen in an hour.

That said, it would be possible to do three or four of the smaller places, in his style, over a day.

 

[PicanBird]

I'd love to see him try Rotterdam, Burgers' or Beekse Bergen in an hour.

That said, it would be possible to do three or four of the smaller places, in his style, over a day.

As a regular at Burgers Zoo at my fastest route with seeing everything still takes me roughly 2 hours minimum

 

[littleRedPanda]

This was really interesting. I am still hoping to travel to see some European zoos, and looking on a map, this looks like an excellent and not too challenging trip. Did you drive whilst over there? I now have a new(er) car and just need to persuade a friend to come with me, so this could be a potential trip I could do.

I did two driving trips from Dunkirk through Belgium, Netherlands and across to Gelsenkirchen and Cologne last year (as well as down through Spain). I wouldn't have attempted it without a sat nav (although I had forgotten to load Germany on my first trip there) but the only thing that stressed me out was refuelling on my way home when I got really low; the pre pay method really confused me and the staff 'appeared' to be as ignorant of English as I was of their language (these were small village garages).

 

[sooty mangabey]

I'd love to see him try Rotterdam, Burgers' or Beekse Bergen in an hour.

That said, it would be possible to do three or four of the smaller places, in his style, over a day.

The collections that @snowleopard speeds through tend to be the tiny, the arcane, the really fairly unexciting - obscure seaside aquariums, “rescue” centres with a few big cats in rectangular wire mesh cages, centres for local wildlife with a moth-eaten coyote or two. Give him a proper zoo, an Omaha, or a San Diego, or a Wichita, and it takes a little more than a hour to tour.

Certainly the Netherlands contains a number of “whole day” zoos (maybe even two day zoos); it does also have a number which could be combined on a single day.

And I’d support @Tim May ’s verdict on Artis: I think it is probably my favourite Dutch zoo, now (this certainly wasn’t the case 20 years ago).

 

[snowleopard]

The collections that @snowleopard speeds through tend to be the tiny, the arcane, the really fairly unexciting - obscure seaside aquariums, “rescue” centres with a few big cats in rectangular wire mesh cages, centres for local wildlife with a moth-eaten coyote or two. Give him a proper zoo, an Omaha, or a San Diego, or a Wichita, and it takes a little more than a hour to tour.

Certainly the Netherlands contains a number of “whole day” zoos (maybe even two day zoos); it does also have a number which could be combined on a single day.

You hit the nail on the head, as without my wife and 4 kids along on my recent zoo trips I'm able to visit the 'zoological detritus' of the North American landscape such as big cat sanctuaries or tiny California aquariums with not much more than a dozen small tanks. I challenge anyone to spend longer than an hour in any of those facilities! (I go so you don't have to)

I set aside two days for San Diego Zoo, and there are loads of major U.S. establishments that take a minimum of 5-6 hours to properly tour and photograph all the exhibit signs. This summer I'll be at Omaha and Detroit, spending the better part of a day at each location, but I'll also be touring 4 smaller facilities each and every day for parts of the trip. For example, the North American Bear Center in Minnesota has one enclosure, a 2.5-acre exhibit for 4 American Black Bears and it still costs $13 U.S. admission to this 'zoo'. Am I really going to spend longer than an hour there? Nope!

In truth, getting back to this current thread, a jaunt across the mighty Atlantic Ocean to visit the Netherlands and see its zoological delights is something that greatly interests me. I honestly do foresee myself eventually planning such a trek, with full days allocated to the handful of zoo giants and then of course I'll do my best to squeeze in 4 small establishments per day if possible. Look at how tiny the nation is! Every summer on my road trips I end up driving approximately 1,000 km (620 miles) PER DAY for the first couple of days and that would be the entire land border of the Netherlands! The Dutch even drive on the right-hand side of the road and so I could rent a minivan and a 'SatNav' and be good to go.

 

[ShonenJake13]

A fantastically written, and fair, set of reviews @Shorts!

Being half Dutch, the two countries I have visited the most zoos in are the UK and the Netherlands, and I almost always prefer Dutch zoos to the ones over here.

I am very glad you have published your thoughts on these collections in particular, as all of them (bar Colchester) are to form part of a Dutch tour (happening early/midway through next year) that I am currently planning with two other members of this forum. And yes that includes Duisburg.

But first, a tour of Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic in a few months

 

[migdog]

I was also impressed with the sizeable hornbilll collection (including the magnificent White-crowned Hornbill) and humming birds are always a delight.

Where were the hummingbirds? We couldn't find them anywhere.

 

[Shorts]

Where were the hummingbirds? We couldn't find them anywhere.

Near the island with small monkeys, there are (some linked) indoor enclosures -a corner one (nearest the flying display area as opposed to the other corner near the vulture aviary contained Rufous-throated Saphire -next to this was Red-legged Honeycreepers. Another species was labelled in the tropical house(s) but unfortunately I can't remember specifics (so many zoos in so few days ) and we didn't see them in any case.

 

[migdog]

Near the island with small monkeys, there are (some linked) indoor enclosures -a corner one (nearest the flying display area as opposed to the other corner near the vulture aviary contained Rufous-throated Saphire -next to this was Red-legged Honeycreepers. Another species was labelled in the tropical house(s) but unfortunately I can't remember specifics (so many zoos in so few days ) and we didn't see them in any case.

Hmm, when we visited on Thursday the first enclosure contained turquoise tanagers, the next was unsigned (but contained two beautiful fruit-doves), then the third had the honeycreepers :-(
We did see the kiwi though - the keeper brought him out briefly so we could see him

 

[Shorts]

Final point, don't bother buying a key-ring from Burgers' -I brought one (with lovely Gorilla picture and dangling Burgers' emblem) and it's literally fell apart within two weeks of using it.

 

[migdog]

We bought and aardvark keyring, it does did look a bit cheap and fragile.