From the practical point of view, I would take or exchange most of the cash needed for the trip in some big bank or shopping centre at the start of the trip, and maybe do it again towards the end of the trip. In Europe you are unlikely to be assaulted, so carrying heaps of cash is practical.
Snowleopard's 2019 Road Trip: Netherlands, Belgium, France & Germany
- Thread starter snowleopard
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Thank you for your reviews, Snowleopard. I hope the small annoyances, disappointments and hiccups on your journey do not sap your spirits and you are still enjoying your explorations of the zoological facilities of the low countries.
Unlikely, maybe, but there's still a more or less remaining chance that it could happen, depending on where you go. Theft, pick-pocketing and even assault and mugging are unfortunately not as uncommon in European (even Dutch and Belgian) cities as they ought to be. Also given that Snowleopard will be sleeping in his car at night in parking lots, truck stops and so on, I don't think he should be taking the risk. Personally I think it would still be safer to have more or less regular pick-ups of money at a bank rather than carrying a single large amount of money.
Unlikely, maybe, but there's still a more or less remaining chance that it could happen, depending on where you go. Theft, pick-pocketing and even assault and mugging are unfortunately not as uncommon in European (even Dutch and Belgian) cities as they ought to be. Also given that Snowleopard will be sleeping in his car at night in parking lots, truck stops and so on, I don't think he should be taking the risk. Personally I think it would still be safer to have more or less regular pick-ups of money at a bank rather than carrying a single large amount of money.
Which is quite converse - as alluded above - to my experience in southern Belgium last week, where restaurant staff at Pairi Daiza were actively unpleasant due to my inability to speak French, and faltering attempts to do so
Conversely, staff at both Planckendael and Antwerp were very helpful and friendly.
Can't wait to hear the rest of the trip! These trip reports are some of the best things I've read in a long time.
That is how he travels in the USA. (And if you believe news reports you might think USA is one of the most dangerous countries on earth). However I think he said he would be staying in motels on this European trip.
He said he might stay in a motel once or twice, but would otherwise stick with his sleeping-in-car routine:
ANyhuis
Well-Known Member
On ALL of my cross-Ocean flights, I always take a prescription sleeping pill and when I do, I never get less than 5 hours of sleep, often more. I recommend this to all of my friends.
By the way, regarding the rude/crude folks sitting in your flight row, I'm glad that you were flying entirely in Canada, as this probably means they were not (for once) "ugly Americans", but rather "ugly Canadians".
I love Schiphol! Here's a recommendation for your flight home, out of Schiphol: Go to their flower shop and get your sweet wife a dozen freshly-cut Dutch tulips. I did this for my wife and she loved it -- and they weren't very expensive too.
You are correct that over here in North America, especially the USA, we have some really stupid laws that allow trial lawyers to file lawsuits for just about anything. Thus places like zoos have to be overly careful, as evidenced by the fact that we have very, very few walk-through lemur exhibits in the USA, while over there in Europe, they are quite common. Stupid laws!
Whenever I land in a new country, stopping at the ATM machine to get 3 or 4 days' worth of local cash is always one of my first stops. After that, as someone said, you need to look for a bank, where there's always an ATM right outside.
But I'm a bit shocked that your credit card hasn't worked at some places. Ever since my American card got a chip in it, I've never had any problems with it in Europe, or in Asia.
Honestly, I'm shocked a bit at this, as (many here have said) the Netherlands seems to have the most folks who speak very fluent English. But I would suppose it's the same as in any country, if you venture too far off the regular tourist path, and you're talking to older people, then English fluency goes down.
DAY 3: Tuesday, July 16th (2 zoos)
Maybe it’s time to let the old ways die
Maybe it’s time to let the old ways die
It takes a lot to change a man
Hell, it takes a lot to try
Maybe it’s time to let the old ways die
Lyrics by Michael Jason Isbell. Sung by Bradley Cooper in ‘A Star is Born’ (which I’ve watched 3 times)
Settle back in your chairs, zoo nerds…it’s gonna be a long one. I’ve let my old ways of touring crappy Wisconsin roadside zoos die and I’ve embraced the fact that some European zoos will have old, historical architecture and I’m convinced that I’m going to have a blast seeing some of it.
I awoke from a fitfully rough sleep that was in my rental car, because when one is spending thousands of dollars on a European zoo-centric vacation it is prudent to save $100 Canadian per night by sleeping in a car. Or possibly I’m just bonkers. Anyway, I was up at 5:00 a.m. missing my full-size mattress that I used to have in the minivan and instead I was either curled up on the back seat of my rental car, or else lounging in the passenger seat. Either way, I can assure you, it is painful, irritating, annoying and sleep depriving to attempt slumber in a tiny European car (even though it does have 4 doors), although there are some motels on the horizon.
I headed into the city of Amsterdam early and it was a terrific decision because I had the streets to myself and managed to get a good deal on all-day parking that only required obtaining a second mortgage. I then walked the streets of this legendary city from 6:20 to 9:10, savouring almost 3 hours of plodding along and enjoying the scenery. Like all big cities there is clutter, grime and dirt, plus what is with all of the smoking? At the high school that I work at in British Columbia there is a single staff member (out of 48) who smokes, and at my wife’s school (she also works full-time as a teacher) it is the same ratio. Granted, these people are in the education system, but going from a situation where 2 out of almost 100 people that we know smoke…to Amsterdam where there is smoking everywhere and anywhere. Thick clouds of smoke from those that vape, stinky smoke from marijuana joints, and I saw at least a dozen people smoking in Artis Royal Zoo even though the zoo’s map clearly states that it is “a smoke-free park”. The printing is small and perhaps those that are smoking cannot read the letters through their haze of cancer agents, but nevertheless it was disgusting to see a dozen different smokers inside of a zoo.
The city was quiet as I headed past the zoo and it was super cool to see flamingos and many aviaries from outside the zoo grounds. I went through the historic entrance gate and it would have been easy for me to wander around inside the actual zoo because one of the side gates was wide open…but of course being a polite Canadian I ignored the opportunity and eventually someone would have figured out what I was doing. Instead I headed farther away from the zoo, walking past the Anne Frank House, through the Red-Light District (rather boring in the wee hours of the day) and all the way up to Central Station. Amsterdam is a cluttered city and an absolute joy to visit, but you couldn’t pay me enough money to move there with my wife and 4 kids. How would I get our $2,000 in monthly groceries up all the floors of the never-ending sprawl of apartment buildings? Just run in and out, via the propped open elevator door? I’d be sweating and cursing living on the 4th floor of a place where people are crammed like sardines in a cigarette-smelling tin. I loved seeing the real heart of Amsterdam, with the vibrant colours on the buildings, the historic architecture, the precariously leaning concrete that has shifted over the centuries…but to live there would be insanity for me. Everything seems so tight on space, with boats, bikes and buses all coming at you at once.
I saw chaos occur when the city woke up. Bike riders by the thousands descended on the streets, ringing their little bells and flying past so fast that if I didn’t leap out of the way I’d end up in a suspiciously brown canal. There are approximately 160 canals, which I found out by reading a sign somewhere, but the people on the bikes was the true craziness. Back in B.C. there are certainly bike riders, but they are usually people with hot pink spandex, rims that cost more than university tuition and buttocks that can crack a dozen walnuts at a time. Or there are other people on bikes who are homeless, dishevelled, untidy and without a place to sleep, and their buttocks are saggy from a lack of food and nutrition. When my kids see someone on a bike back in Canada they always assume that the person is homeless because there is so much space everywhere and quite honestly less than 1% of the population would even consider the notion of biking to work. “I’m not homeless…why would I bike to work in the rain? My buttocks are fine just the way they are!”
In Amsterdam I saw husbands and wives biking together, whole families in the red-painted bike lanes, people whizzing past with headphones on and talking to their bosses about spreadsheets. Bikes are so common that they clutter the streets and outnumber the cigarette butts and garbage cans. That’s another thing about Amsterdam: the garbage. Vancouver has garbage everywhere, but it’s all in alleys behind stores where the homeless hang out (with their bikes!) and tourists don’t venture into those zones. However, Amsterdam is like Rome in that there are garbage cans right in front of stores because there is simply no space for multiple alleys everywhere. Sometimes there are garbage bags ripped apart by pigeons and seagulls. It’s always great to have garbage strewn across the sidewalk, so that bikers can zip on by and get dogshit all over their bulging calf muscles.
I enjoyed walking for 3 hours and seeing a tremendous number of artistic items along the streets of the downtown core. Loads of statues, or historic structures, or art displays in shopfront windows, but there was a sense of being crammed and crushed by humans. It was quite a contrast from the towns of Almere and Lelystad the day before, with Amsterdam being a fascinating place to walk around but the thought of living there makes me shudder due to the whole idea of city life in tiny apartments. It might well be fantastic if I was single, but not for a family guy who is used to a great deal of room to roam. I loved Amsterdam and yet I was also cognizant that it would work best as a holiday destination for myself. Others live there and find joy in everything that the city represents and that’s the wonderful thing about different perspectives.
Anyone can comment on whatever they like so far, but now it is time for the zoo review:
Zoo/Aquarium # 4: Artis Royal Zoo (Amsterdam, NL)
On May 1st, 1838, this historic zoo opened its doors, and it is one of the oldest and most respected zoos in the world. Someone told me that it is the 6th oldest zoo that is still operating, although I haven’t yet researched that little fact. I liked it a great deal and Artis is unlike any zoo that I’ve ever seen before. I’ve been to the Saint Louis Zoo twice, with its trio of 1920s/1930s-era animal houses and Toledo Zoo is a place that I’ve also visited twice and there are a few notable 1930s buildings still containing animals there. Artis takes things to a whole new level, with no less than 15 structures highlighted on the zoo map as “National Monuments” (note the capital letters). The front of the map declares that there are “26 nationally listed buildings” and Artis revels in its history. There are many plaques and statues around the zoo, including some with a few paragraphs of information talking about the history and past of the famous institution. Artis embraces its age, but at the same time the zoo has gone about reinventing itself during the past couple of decades. The zoo hasn’t been afraid to maintain large mammals in an urban setting, and walking around I saw elephants, giraffes, gorillas, chimpanzees, sea lions, lions, jaguars and many ungulate species. There aren’t any rhinos, hippos or tigers (that last one is a major surprise) but nevertheless Artis has a lot to offer and I spent 7 hours at the zoo including a trip through the world of bacteria and other miniature items in the adjacent Micropia.
Artis is a zoo that is a full day, meaning that it would make a wonderful local zoological park for a zoo nerd or family. As much as I truly enjoyed my few hours at Nashville Zoo a number of years ago, for example, having a full-day zoo is perfect for kids. Locals can walk to Artis as people are packed like sardines in the surrounding neighbourhoods, and the kids can choose from any number of animal houses all over the grounds. There is a Bird House, a Forest House (mainly primates and lizards), a Reptile House, an Insect House, a Butterfly House, a Gorilla House, a Small Mammal House and the nearby ‘Micropia’ House and even an Aquarium. The zoo also maintains large numbers of animals, somewhat shocking as I wasn’t expecting that to be the case. For example, there are 4 elephants, at least 6 giraffes, probably 200 penguins, 50 pelicans, at least 8 or more gorillas, at least 8 or more chimpanzees, 8 Mandrills, 8 California Sea Lions (including a couple of one-month pups), perhaps 10 Red Ruffed Lemurs, etc. Lots of historic houses and lots of animals add up to 500 species, obviously a total bolstered by the Aquarium.
The latest figures have Artis at 1.4 million annual visitors on the 35 acres/14 hectares and even though the morning was quiet, by the afternoon the zoo was bursting with visitors. Artis is clearly a zoo that packs a lot of things into a rather modest acreage, although one major complaint that I have is that the layout is very much a hodgepodge style. There is no zoogeographic zone via continents or biomes, no theme anywhere, but instead animals are showcased in exhibits that are placed seemingly randomly around the zoo, which involves a few head swivels as one has to backtrack on multiple occasions as there isn’t a series of set paths. Then again, there is a surprise around every corner!
Micropia – This permanent addition to the area opened in 2014 and it is connected to the massive ‘Plantage’ restaurant and Micropia requires a separate admission fee. I headed here first and in truth I found it to be a brilliant and unique environment. I was the first visitor of the day and I had the place to myself, with the two ladies inside keen to tell me all about the treasures that awaited. The ground floor is only so-so, with a lot of wasted space, some artwork of various bacteria and microbes, plus a number of stations where one cannot always interact with the displays. However, the top level is in semi-darkness and is a must-see if one is in Amsterdam. I watched Water Fleas, White Mosquito Larvae and Water Bears under microscopes and there are videos and information on all of them via screens. I had my body scanned and found out that there were 171 billion microbes on me…yikes…and later on I did it again and the machine read out a number of 182 billion microbes so maybe I picked up a few billion while inside the attraction. There is an innovative display of Parasol Ants, with 4 ant farms with a watery moat and rope connecting the apes to a central island. There is a massive wall of almost 150 petri dishes, each with a different type of bacteria or germ inside. A toothbrush is shown that is 3 months old and it apparently has 7 million pieces of bacteria on it. Ugh! Elsewhere there is depressing information about bacteria on door knobs, cellphones and other day-to-day items, plus a display of 100 kilos of elephant poop. I truly loved Micropia and my only complaint would be that it’s a pain having it as a separate attraction.
Inside the actual zoo itself and in the order that I visited the first few buildings:
Forest House – There are a trio of rooms with a jungle-like environment, including overhead ropes entwined that allow animals access to all three of the rooms. It’s nicely done, although the building is from 1908 and looks the part with its peeling paint, tiled floors and dirty walls. It’s more than adequate and apparently was recently renovated. The cool thing is that the building is essentially one large enclosure with 10 species that roam freely amongst visitors. I saw these 6 species (White-faced Saki Monkey, Pygmy Marmoset, Northern Tree Shrew, Rodrigues Flying Fox, Asian Water Dragon, Green Iguana) but not these 4 (Grey-handed Night Monkey, Grey Mouse Lemur – there is only one of them, Seba’s Short-tailed Bat, Tokay Gecko). It’s a fine line with zoos. Should Artis make the Forest House more of a jungle…but then would anyone see any of the species? In outdoor cages are North American Porcupines and Alpine Marmots.
At this point I should mention that Artis has one of the very best zoo maps in existence. They cost two Euros each and I bought four of them (to trade later) but the thing is a work of art and when it folds out it’s almost like a poster that a junior zoo nerd would hang on their wall. The attention to detail and the animal icons are superbly done, and in several of the houses the zoo has racks (in multiple languages) of big, laminated identification cards for visitors to borrow to aid in the search for animals. I used one at every opportunity and they are fantastic.
Bird House – A splendid old building, with a trio of biomes represented. Inca Terns are to be found pooping up a storm in a seaside, walk-past, diorama-like display. Then it’s on to a jungle-like setting, and finally a desert them, all with the following species listed on the card: Elegant Crested Tinamou, Burrowing Owl, Red-billed Hornbill, Black-headed Weaver (a genuinely brilliant aviary), Waldrapp Ibis, Kenya Crested Guineafowl, Bali Mynah, Violet Turaco, Victoria Crowned Pigeon, Superb Starling, Crested Wood Partridge and Sunbittern. Outside are lush, densely-planted aviaries for the following species: Sunda Wrinkled Hornbill, Wreathed Hornbill, Socorro Dove and Kea. A truly wonderful Bird House that reeks of poop and its rich history.
Reptile House – This building is hot and humid, with the temperature cranked up to a very high degree. Along one entire wall is a pair of False Gharial pools, with a connecting gate that was closed during my visit. These are great exhibits, with a demure female in a very spacious habitat and an enormous male in the slightly smaller enclosure. Those two plus 32 terrariums give this Reptile House exactly 34 exhibits. That’s not a huge number, but for the most part the terrariums/vivariums are larger than ones I commonly see in North America. Only the exhibits for the two Komodo Dragons (separated) and the Reticulated Python feel a bit cramped, with the rest of the displays all ranging from average to excellent. I feel that the Reptile House could use a few more specimens, as often there was only one of a species on-show, and also a bit more theming outside of the exhibits. There’s nothing wrong with the displays, but boring walls with nothing on them could be made more interesting with some immersive features. That would include modern graphics, mock-rock on the visitor’s side, tree branches coming out from the ceiling…every visitor would see an improvement if any of that would occur. Still…a perfectly decent yet not exactly thrilling Reptile House. However, I was honestly expecting something more grandiose. Plus, where are all of the venomous snakes?
Species list for the Reptile House (34 species): False Gharial, Komodo Dragon, Guatemalan Spiny-tailed Iguana, Fiji Banded Iguana, Rio Fuerte Beaded Lizard, Frilled Lizard, Philippine Sail-finned Lizard, Chinese Crocodile Lizard, Chuckwalla, Warren’s Girdle-tailed Lizard, Schneider’s Skink, Bearded Dragon, Common Agama, Round-nosed Plated Lizard, Leopard Gecko, Turquoise Dwarf Gecko, Madagascar Giant Day Gecko, Glass Lizard, Reticulated Python, Green Tree Python, Royal Python, Red-tailed Ratsnake, Mangrove Snake, Egyptian Tortoise, Radiated Tortoise, African Pancake Tortoise, Malaysian Painted Terrapin, McCord’s Snake-necked Turtle and European Pond Turtle.
Micropia, Forest House, Bird House, Reptile House…what a great zoo so far! Then I hit the lions. Holy smokes Artis, y’all screwed up there, didn’t ya? There were a couple of female lions in the “National Monument” known as Kerbert’s Lion Terrace, plus a male lion hanging out in a glass goldfish bowl to the side. I don’t care if the lions are outcasts from another zoo, or geriatric, or have celiac disease or even if they are each down to only three legs…the exhibit is an eyesore and a total embarrassment to the zoo.
The fairly new expansion to the Asian Elephant exhibit works, just about, due to the innovative design of the enclosure and the super cool pathway that goes past the swimming pool for the pachyderms. The Fred Flintstone-type concrete rocks are bizarre, and the land area isn’t huge, but kudos to Artis for maintaining elephants in a modern setting and there is a secondary exhibit that was actually the original elephant paddock for probably well over a century. I have no idea of its age, but the giraffe situation is similar. The zoo quadrupled the size of the giraffe exhibit in a new area, but still maintains the old section and the combination of giraffes, zebras, Thomson’s Gazelles and Greater Kudu with a fine, immensely tall restaurant in the background is modern reinvention at its best. The inside of the Elephant House, which looks suspiciously as if it used to be the Giraffe House, is currently closed to the public because there is a lot of work being done on either renovating or expanding the building for the growing herd. A steep Scimitar-horned Oryx enclosure next to a big playground does seem a bit incongruous, with a hidden waterfall that builds to a crescendo.
Insect House – This 1897 building has been known as the Insectarium since 2005 and before that it was a food warehouse. Just like the Reptile House, I feel as if it could use a bit of sprucing up amidst the displays. There is certainly a strong collection and with 46 exhibits this is a major Insect House, but there is nothing innovative like at Cincinnati Zoo or Saint Louis Zoo; Artis seems to say “here are some bugs and they are in nothing more than basic terrariums. Go enjoy.” The Insect House is simple yet effective, although a reliance on walking stick-type insects is a bit of a letdown and many species are repeated in multiple enclosures. Nevertheless, many zoos have practically zero invertebrates on display and Artis has 33 species and several I’d never seen before. The zoo should be applauded for its collection and there is even a large walk-through Butterfly Pavilion that is separate from the Insectarium.
Species list for the Insect House (33 species): Land Hermit Crab, Giant Ramshorn Snail, West African Land Snail, Poe Tree Snail, Marona Tree Snail, Niho Tree Snail, Giant Prickly Stick Insect, Black Beauty Stick Insect, Giant Thorny Walking Stick, Giant Vietnamese Walking Stick, Malaysian Leaf Katydid, Giant Asian Mantis, Spiny Flower Mantis, Cave Cricket, Black Field Cricket, Violet-winged Grasshopper, Migratory Locust, Fregate Island Giant Beetle, Dish-backed Beetle, Two-spotted Assassin Bug, Emerald Cockroach Wasp, Honeybee, Jungle Centipede, Mombassan Train Millipede, Madagascar Hissing Cockroach, Death’s Head Cockroach, Desert Hairy Scorpion, Red-clawed Emperor Scorpion, Giant Banded Tailless Whipscorpion, Brazilian Salmon Tarantula, Red-kneed Tarantula, Chilean Rose Tarantula and Indian Ornamental Tarantula.
Aquarium: A phenomenal structure to see because its size, appearance and historic value takes one’s breath away. Opened in 1882 and containing exactly 59 exhibits, this is a major aquatic facility that could really be a stand-alone establishment. There are 4 corridors of narrow hallways that each contain exactly 7 average-sized tanks along one wall, with the entire opposite wall a single huge tank. That makes 32 tanks in total amidst the 4 hallways. An African Lungfish exhibit is all by itself in a separate area, and then there is the Great Hall with 26 exhibits down its walls. Other than a Leopard Shark tank, the rest are all average-sized in there. That’s the problem with this Aquarium, as essentially 54 of the tanks are not that large and have peeling paint and condensation on many of the windows. Then there is the lungfish and 4 superb tanks. The Dutch Canal exhibit is wonderful, but my favourite was the Amazon tank with its immense fish such as Arapaima, Pacu and Red-tailed Catfish. I took photos of many of the signs, but a complete species list isn’t going to be posted for the Aquarium.
The rest of Artis Royal Zoo consists of things like a bizarre-looking but reasonable pair of Jaguar exhibits, a decent Lowland Gorilla habitat (with Meerkats and Diana Monkeys!), a Griffon Vulture aviary that is one of the largest birds of prey aviaries that I’ve ever seen, Wolf Forest (only so-so) and many other exhibits. Birds do well here, as besides the Bird House near the entrance there is the Pheasantry, which is a trio of houses that have a plentiful assortment of species in outdoor cages. Visitors stay outside the entire time, walking around ornate aviaries. African Penguins have an expanded habitat right near the Aquarium, with probably 200 of the birds and even some Northern Gannets as well.
This has been an overwhelmingly positive review of Artis Royal Zoo, but I will definitely highlight some of the flaws of this legendary institution. The lion grotto is awful, the Mandrill enclosure is not up to modern standards, the California Sea Lion exhibit is badly outdated and the pool doesn’t seem to have been cleaned in eons. A couple of gibbons have a tiny island, the Nutria exhibit is poor and the whole ‘Pampas’ area is a series of boring yards for South American fauna. The Small Mammal House is adequate but some of the outdoor cages are eyesores and a pacing Margay wasn’t cool to see. Big, black, metal cages for apes are liked by some people but I couldn’t stand the Chimpanzee accommodation. With all of those chimps at the zoo one would think that they’d make a hit exhibit, but both times I walked by the place was empty. On the two occasions that I went to see the Lowland Gorillas there were crowds of people. Granted, the gorillas have a youngster in there, but watching great apes in a naturalistic environment will draw a much bigger crowd than having them in old-school metal hamster cages. Eventually Artis will bulldoze that chimp cage or else perhaps turn it into a historic aviary. I can’t forget the Japanese Macaques, who appear to have crashed into the zoo via a spaceship.
There is a simplicity to a lot of what Artis does, with the old-fashioned animal houses that could use a more innovative approach. The biggest crowds of the day were inside the restaurant by the Savannah, all around the elephants and giraffes, clustered near the gorilla yard, and people were excited to check out the Red-faced Spider Monkeys. The walk-through Lemur Land was popular, as well as the African Penguins and Jaguars. If I’m not mistaken, everything I just listed was probably built in the past 15 years and Artis has made dramatic strides towards modernization while continuing to keep its historic value. This is a very good zoo, more than likely a great zoo, and just think how much better it will be in another decade if there is the funding to overhaul another half-a-dozen older areas. I’m really glad that I visited, and I suspect that once this trip is done then I’ll look back on Artis as one of the better zoos that I’ll see on my trek through the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.
Zoo/Aquarium #5: Dierentuin Animal Farm (Beverwijk, NL)
After putting in my 7 hours at Artis, I sat in my vehicle and took another look at my itinerary. I had a small handful of zoos that were nowhere on my list except for a short addendum at the back. Without further ado I drove 25 minutes north to the town of Beverwijk (pop. 40,000). The small facility there has been an official zoo since 2007 and even though I arrived at around 4:30, seeing everything before the zoo closed at 5:00 was not an issue whatsoever.
There is a nice park with a walking trail, a playground and a lake and then I saw a short bridge with gates at the end of it. The bridge led to an island and I visited a zoo on an island for the first time in my life! The place even has a detailed zoo map on the wall of the main building (well, okay, the only building) and the worker I spoke with was very proud of her humble little zoo. She said that it must be the smallest in the Netherlands and I’m not sure if many other zoo nerds have ever visited. The zoo is free for everyone, contains 11 outdoor exhibits and then a pretty dire little couple of rooms with 9 additional exhibits. Every zoo has a surprise or two up its sleeve and I was shocked to see some Dwarf Mongooses and a Corsac Fox, as both species are practically unheard of in North American zoos.
Outside are exhibits for Dwarf Mongooses, a Corsac Fox, a coati, a honeybee hive, a few domestic goats, a couple of Rheas, some kind of quail (in an unlabeled aviary), Monk Parakeets, some Red-billed Leiothrixes, a bunch of guinea fowl and some African Crested Porcupines. That’s all folks. After those 11 exhibits, I headed to the back of the main building and in a room there are a few fish tanks, some poison dart frogs, a Ball Python, a few Green Iguanas and a couple of Radiated Tortoises. In a separate room is another exhibit of Dwarf Mongooses plus a very old (over the age of 50 according to the sign) African Dwarf Crocodile. The croc has a nice sandy area but an absolutely nasty-looking, grimy little pool that probably hasn’t been scrubbed since the days of Johan Cruijff. And that’s a wrap on the island zoo.
Maybe it’s time to let the old ways die
Maybe it’s time to let the old ways die
It takes a lot to change a man
Hell, it takes a lot to try
Maybe it’s time to let the old ways die
Lyrics by Michael Jason Isbell. Sung by Bradley Cooper in ‘A Star is Born’ (which I’ve watched 3 times)
Settle back in your chairs, zoo nerds…it’s gonna be a long one. I’ve let my old ways of touring crappy Wisconsin roadside zoos die and I’ve embraced the fact that some European zoos will have old, historical architecture and I’m convinced that I’m going to have a blast seeing some of it.
I awoke from a fitfully rough sleep that was in my rental car, because when one is spending thousands of dollars on a European zoo-centric vacation it is prudent to save $100 Canadian per night by sleeping in a car. Or possibly I’m just bonkers. Anyway, I was up at 5:00 a.m. missing my full-size mattress that I used to have in the minivan and instead I was either curled up on the back seat of my rental car, or else lounging in the passenger seat. Either way, I can assure you, it is painful, irritating, annoying and sleep depriving to attempt slumber in a tiny European car (even though it does have 4 doors), although there are some motels on the horizon.
I headed into the city of Amsterdam early and it was a terrific decision because I had the streets to myself and managed to get a good deal on all-day parking that only required obtaining a second mortgage. I then walked the streets of this legendary city from 6:20 to 9:10, savouring almost 3 hours of plodding along and enjoying the scenery. Like all big cities there is clutter, grime and dirt, plus what is with all of the smoking? At the high school that I work at in British Columbia there is a single staff member (out of 48) who smokes, and at my wife’s school (she also works full-time as a teacher) it is the same ratio. Granted, these people are in the education system, but going from a situation where 2 out of almost 100 people that we know smoke…to Amsterdam where there is smoking everywhere and anywhere. Thick clouds of smoke from those that vape, stinky smoke from marijuana joints, and I saw at least a dozen people smoking in Artis Royal Zoo even though the zoo’s map clearly states that it is “a smoke-free park”. The printing is small and perhaps those that are smoking cannot read the letters through their haze of cancer agents, but nevertheless it was disgusting to see a dozen different smokers inside of a zoo.
The city was quiet as I headed past the zoo and it was super cool to see flamingos and many aviaries from outside the zoo grounds. I went through the historic entrance gate and it would have been easy for me to wander around inside the actual zoo because one of the side gates was wide open…but of course being a polite Canadian I ignored the opportunity and eventually someone would have figured out what I was doing. Instead I headed farther away from the zoo, walking past the Anne Frank House, through the Red-Light District (rather boring in the wee hours of the day) and all the way up to Central Station. Amsterdam is a cluttered city and an absolute joy to visit, but you couldn’t pay me enough money to move there with my wife and 4 kids. How would I get our $2,000 in monthly groceries up all the floors of the never-ending sprawl of apartment buildings? Just run in and out, via the propped open elevator door? I’d be sweating and cursing living on the 4th floor of a place where people are crammed like sardines in a cigarette-smelling tin. I loved seeing the real heart of Amsterdam, with the vibrant colours on the buildings, the historic architecture, the precariously leaning concrete that has shifted over the centuries…but to live there would be insanity for me. Everything seems so tight on space, with boats, bikes and buses all coming at you at once.
I saw chaos occur when the city woke up. Bike riders by the thousands descended on the streets, ringing their little bells and flying past so fast that if I didn’t leap out of the way I’d end up in a suspiciously brown canal. There are approximately 160 canals, which I found out by reading a sign somewhere, but the people on the bikes was the true craziness. Back in B.C. there are certainly bike riders, but they are usually people with hot pink spandex, rims that cost more than university tuition and buttocks that can crack a dozen walnuts at a time. Or there are other people on bikes who are homeless, dishevelled, untidy and without a place to sleep, and their buttocks are saggy from a lack of food and nutrition. When my kids see someone on a bike back in Canada they always assume that the person is homeless because there is so much space everywhere and quite honestly less than 1% of the population would even consider the notion of biking to work. “I’m not homeless…why would I bike to work in the rain? My buttocks are fine just the way they are!”
In Amsterdam I saw husbands and wives biking together, whole families in the red-painted bike lanes, people whizzing past with headphones on and talking to their bosses about spreadsheets. Bikes are so common that they clutter the streets and outnumber the cigarette butts and garbage cans. That’s another thing about Amsterdam: the garbage. Vancouver has garbage everywhere, but it’s all in alleys behind stores where the homeless hang out (with their bikes!) and tourists don’t venture into those zones. However, Amsterdam is like Rome in that there are garbage cans right in front of stores because there is simply no space for multiple alleys everywhere. Sometimes there are garbage bags ripped apart by pigeons and seagulls. It’s always great to have garbage strewn across the sidewalk, so that bikers can zip on by and get dogshit all over their bulging calf muscles.
I enjoyed walking for 3 hours and seeing a tremendous number of artistic items along the streets of the downtown core. Loads of statues, or historic structures, or art displays in shopfront windows, but there was a sense of being crammed and crushed by humans. It was quite a contrast from the towns of Almere and Lelystad the day before, with Amsterdam being a fascinating place to walk around but the thought of living there makes me shudder due to the whole idea of city life in tiny apartments. It might well be fantastic if I was single, but not for a family guy who is used to a great deal of room to roam. I loved Amsterdam and yet I was also cognizant that it would work best as a holiday destination for myself. Others live there and find joy in everything that the city represents and that’s the wonderful thing about different perspectives.
Anyone can comment on whatever they like so far, but now it is time for the zoo review:
Zoo/Aquarium # 4: Artis Royal Zoo (Amsterdam, NL)
On May 1st, 1838, this historic zoo opened its doors, and it is one of the oldest and most respected zoos in the world. Someone told me that it is the 6th oldest zoo that is still operating, although I haven’t yet researched that little fact. I liked it a great deal and Artis is unlike any zoo that I’ve ever seen before. I’ve been to the Saint Louis Zoo twice, with its trio of 1920s/1930s-era animal houses and Toledo Zoo is a place that I’ve also visited twice and there are a few notable 1930s buildings still containing animals there. Artis takes things to a whole new level, with no less than 15 structures highlighted on the zoo map as “National Monuments” (note the capital letters). The front of the map declares that there are “26 nationally listed buildings” and Artis revels in its history. There are many plaques and statues around the zoo, including some with a few paragraphs of information talking about the history and past of the famous institution. Artis embraces its age, but at the same time the zoo has gone about reinventing itself during the past couple of decades. The zoo hasn’t been afraid to maintain large mammals in an urban setting, and walking around I saw elephants, giraffes, gorillas, chimpanzees, sea lions, lions, jaguars and many ungulate species. There aren’t any rhinos, hippos or tigers (that last one is a major surprise) but nevertheless Artis has a lot to offer and I spent 7 hours at the zoo including a trip through the world of bacteria and other miniature items in the adjacent Micropia.
Artis is a zoo that is a full day, meaning that it would make a wonderful local zoological park for a zoo nerd or family. As much as I truly enjoyed my few hours at Nashville Zoo a number of years ago, for example, having a full-day zoo is perfect for kids. Locals can walk to Artis as people are packed like sardines in the surrounding neighbourhoods, and the kids can choose from any number of animal houses all over the grounds. There is a Bird House, a Forest House (mainly primates and lizards), a Reptile House, an Insect House, a Butterfly House, a Gorilla House, a Small Mammal House and the nearby ‘Micropia’ House and even an Aquarium. The zoo also maintains large numbers of animals, somewhat shocking as I wasn’t expecting that to be the case. For example, there are 4 elephants, at least 6 giraffes, probably 200 penguins, 50 pelicans, at least 8 or more gorillas, at least 8 or more chimpanzees, 8 Mandrills, 8 California Sea Lions (including a couple of one-month pups), perhaps 10 Red Ruffed Lemurs, etc. Lots of historic houses and lots of animals add up to 500 species, obviously a total bolstered by the Aquarium.
The latest figures have Artis at 1.4 million annual visitors on the 35 acres/14 hectares and even though the morning was quiet, by the afternoon the zoo was bursting with visitors. Artis is clearly a zoo that packs a lot of things into a rather modest acreage, although one major complaint that I have is that the layout is very much a hodgepodge style. There is no zoogeographic zone via continents or biomes, no theme anywhere, but instead animals are showcased in exhibits that are placed seemingly randomly around the zoo, which involves a few head swivels as one has to backtrack on multiple occasions as there isn’t a series of set paths. Then again, there is a surprise around every corner!
Micropia – This permanent addition to the area opened in 2014 and it is connected to the massive ‘Plantage’ restaurant and Micropia requires a separate admission fee. I headed here first and in truth I found it to be a brilliant and unique environment. I was the first visitor of the day and I had the place to myself, with the two ladies inside keen to tell me all about the treasures that awaited. The ground floor is only so-so, with a lot of wasted space, some artwork of various bacteria and microbes, plus a number of stations where one cannot always interact with the displays. However, the top level is in semi-darkness and is a must-see if one is in Amsterdam. I watched Water Fleas, White Mosquito Larvae and Water Bears under microscopes and there are videos and information on all of them via screens. I had my body scanned and found out that there were 171 billion microbes on me…yikes…and later on I did it again and the machine read out a number of 182 billion microbes so maybe I picked up a few billion while inside the attraction. There is an innovative display of Parasol Ants, with 4 ant farms with a watery moat and rope connecting the apes to a central island. There is a massive wall of almost 150 petri dishes, each with a different type of bacteria or germ inside. A toothbrush is shown that is 3 months old and it apparently has 7 million pieces of bacteria on it. Ugh! Elsewhere there is depressing information about bacteria on door knobs, cellphones and other day-to-day items, plus a display of 100 kilos of elephant poop. I truly loved Micropia and my only complaint would be that it’s a pain having it as a separate attraction.
Inside the actual zoo itself and in the order that I visited the first few buildings:
Forest House – There are a trio of rooms with a jungle-like environment, including overhead ropes entwined that allow animals access to all three of the rooms. It’s nicely done, although the building is from 1908 and looks the part with its peeling paint, tiled floors and dirty walls. It’s more than adequate and apparently was recently renovated. The cool thing is that the building is essentially one large enclosure with 10 species that roam freely amongst visitors. I saw these 6 species (White-faced Saki Monkey, Pygmy Marmoset, Northern Tree Shrew, Rodrigues Flying Fox, Asian Water Dragon, Green Iguana) but not these 4 (Grey-handed Night Monkey, Grey Mouse Lemur – there is only one of them, Seba’s Short-tailed Bat, Tokay Gecko). It’s a fine line with zoos. Should Artis make the Forest House more of a jungle…but then would anyone see any of the species? In outdoor cages are North American Porcupines and Alpine Marmots.
At this point I should mention that Artis has one of the very best zoo maps in existence. They cost two Euros each and I bought four of them (to trade later) but the thing is a work of art and when it folds out it’s almost like a poster that a junior zoo nerd would hang on their wall. The attention to detail and the animal icons are superbly done, and in several of the houses the zoo has racks (in multiple languages) of big, laminated identification cards for visitors to borrow to aid in the search for animals. I used one at every opportunity and they are fantastic.
Bird House – A splendid old building, with a trio of biomes represented. Inca Terns are to be found pooping up a storm in a seaside, walk-past, diorama-like display. Then it’s on to a jungle-like setting, and finally a desert them, all with the following species listed on the card: Elegant Crested Tinamou, Burrowing Owl, Red-billed Hornbill, Black-headed Weaver (a genuinely brilliant aviary), Waldrapp Ibis, Kenya Crested Guineafowl, Bali Mynah, Violet Turaco, Victoria Crowned Pigeon, Superb Starling, Crested Wood Partridge and Sunbittern. Outside are lush, densely-planted aviaries for the following species: Sunda Wrinkled Hornbill, Wreathed Hornbill, Socorro Dove and Kea. A truly wonderful Bird House that reeks of poop and its rich history.
Reptile House – This building is hot and humid, with the temperature cranked up to a very high degree. Along one entire wall is a pair of False Gharial pools, with a connecting gate that was closed during my visit. These are great exhibits, with a demure female in a very spacious habitat and an enormous male in the slightly smaller enclosure. Those two plus 32 terrariums give this Reptile House exactly 34 exhibits. That’s not a huge number, but for the most part the terrariums/vivariums are larger than ones I commonly see in North America. Only the exhibits for the two Komodo Dragons (separated) and the Reticulated Python feel a bit cramped, with the rest of the displays all ranging from average to excellent. I feel that the Reptile House could use a few more specimens, as often there was only one of a species on-show, and also a bit more theming outside of the exhibits. There’s nothing wrong with the displays, but boring walls with nothing on them could be made more interesting with some immersive features. That would include modern graphics, mock-rock on the visitor’s side, tree branches coming out from the ceiling…every visitor would see an improvement if any of that would occur. Still…a perfectly decent yet not exactly thrilling Reptile House. However, I was honestly expecting something more grandiose. Plus, where are all of the venomous snakes?
Species list for the Reptile House (34 species): False Gharial, Komodo Dragon, Guatemalan Spiny-tailed Iguana, Fiji Banded Iguana, Rio Fuerte Beaded Lizard, Frilled Lizard, Philippine Sail-finned Lizard, Chinese Crocodile Lizard, Chuckwalla, Warren’s Girdle-tailed Lizard, Schneider’s Skink, Bearded Dragon, Common Agama, Round-nosed Plated Lizard, Leopard Gecko, Turquoise Dwarf Gecko, Madagascar Giant Day Gecko, Glass Lizard, Reticulated Python, Green Tree Python, Royal Python, Red-tailed Ratsnake, Mangrove Snake, Egyptian Tortoise, Radiated Tortoise, African Pancake Tortoise, Malaysian Painted Terrapin, McCord’s Snake-necked Turtle and European Pond Turtle.
Micropia, Forest House, Bird House, Reptile House…what a great zoo so far! Then I hit the lions. Holy smokes Artis, y’all screwed up there, didn’t ya? There were a couple of female lions in the “National Monument” known as Kerbert’s Lion Terrace, plus a male lion hanging out in a glass goldfish bowl to the side. I don’t care if the lions are outcasts from another zoo, or geriatric, or have celiac disease or even if they are each down to only three legs…the exhibit is an eyesore and a total embarrassment to the zoo.
The fairly new expansion to the Asian Elephant exhibit works, just about, due to the innovative design of the enclosure and the super cool pathway that goes past the swimming pool for the pachyderms. The Fred Flintstone-type concrete rocks are bizarre, and the land area isn’t huge, but kudos to Artis for maintaining elephants in a modern setting and there is a secondary exhibit that was actually the original elephant paddock for probably well over a century. I have no idea of its age, but the giraffe situation is similar. The zoo quadrupled the size of the giraffe exhibit in a new area, but still maintains the old section and the combination of giraffes, zebras, Thomson’s Gazelles and Greater Kudu with a fine, immensely tall restaurant in the background is modern reinvention at its best. The inside of the Elephant House, which looks suspiciously as if it used to be the Giraffe House, is currently closed to the public because there is a lot of work being done on either renovating or expanding the building for the growing herd. A steep Scimitar-horned Oryx enclosure next to a big playground does seem a bit incongruous, with a hidden waterfall that builds to a crescendo.
Insect House – This 1897 building has been known as the Insectarium since 2005 and before that it was a food warehouse. Just like the Reptile House, I feel as if it could use a bit of sprucing up amidst the displays. There is certainly a strong collection and with 46 exhibits this is a major Insect House, but there is nothing innovative like at Cincinnati Zoo or Saint Louis Zoo; Artis seems to say “here are some bugs and they are in nothing more than basic terrariums. Go enjoy.” The Insect House is simple yet effective, although a reliance on walking stick-type insects is a bit of a letdown and many species are repeated in multiple enclosures. Nevertheless, many zoos have practically zero invertebrates on display and Artis has 33 species and several I’d never seen before. The zoo should be applauded for its collection and there is even a large walk-through Butterfly Pavilion that is separate from the Insectarium.
Species list for the Insect House (33 species): Land Hermit Crab, Giant Ramshorn Snail, West African Land Snail, Poe Tree Snail, Marona Tree Snail, Niho Tree Snail, Giant Prickly Stick Insect, Black Beauty Stick Insect, Giant Thorny Walking Stick, Giant Vietnamese Walking Stick, Malaysian Leaf Katydid, Giant Asian Mantis, Spiny Flower Mantis, Cave Cricket, Black Field Cricket, Violet-winged Grasshopper, Migratory Locust, Fregate Island Giant Beetle, Dish-backed Beetle, Two-spotted Assassin Bug, Emerald Cockroach Wasp, Honeybee, Jungle Centipede, Mombassan Train Millipede, Madagascar Hissing Cockroach, Death’s Head Cockroach, Desert Hairy Scorpion, Red-clawed Emperor Scorpion, Giant Banded Tailless Whipscorpion, Brazilian Salmon Tarantula, Red-kneed Tarantula, Chilean Rose Tarantula and Indian Ornamental Tarantula.
Aquarium: A phenomenal structure to see because its size, appearance and historic value takes one’s breath away. Opened in 1882 and containing exactly 59 exhibits, this is a major aquatic facility that could really be a stand-alone establishment. There are 4 corridors of narrow hallways that each contain exactly 7 average-sized tanks along one wall, with the entire opposite wall a single huge tank. That makes 32 tanks in total amidst the 4 hallways. An African Lungfish exhibit is all by itself in a separate area, and then there is the Great Hall with 26 exhibits down its walls. Other than a Leopard Shark tank, the rest are all average-sized in there. That’s the problem with this Aquarium, as essentially 54 of the tanks are not that large and have peeling paint and condensation on many of the windows. Then there is the lungfish and 4 superb tanks. The Dutch Canal exhibit is wonderful, but my favourite was the Amazon tank with its immense fish such as Arapaima, Pacu and Red-tailed Catfish. I took photos of many of the signs, but a complete species list isn’t going to be posted for the Aquarium.
The rest of Artis Royal Zoo consists of things like a bizarre-looking but reasonable pair of Jaguar exhibits, a decent Lowland Gorilla habitat (with Meerkats and Diana Monkeys!), a Griffon Vulture aviary that is one of the largest birds of prey aviaries that I’ve ever seen, Wolf Forest (only so-so) and many other exhibits. Birds do well here, as besides the Bird House near the entrance there is the Pheasantry, which is a trio of houses that have a plentiful assortment of species in outdoor cages. Visitors stay outside the entire time, walking around ornate aviaries. African Penguins have an expanded habitat right near the Aquarium, with probably 200 of the birds and even some Northern Gannets as well.
This has been an overwhelmingly positive review of Artis Royal Zoo, but I will definitely highlight some of the flaws of this legendary institution. The lion grotto is awful, the Mandrill enclosure is not up to modern standards, the California Sea Lion exhibit is badly outdated and the pool doesn’t seem to have been cleaned in eons. A couple of gibbons have a tiny island, the Nutria exhibit is poor and the whole ‘Pampas’ area is a series of boring yards for South American fauna. The Small Mammal House is adequate but some of the outdoor cages are eyesores and a pacing Margay wasn’t cool to see. Big, black, metal cages for apes are liked by some people but I couldn’t stand the Chimpanzee accommodation. With all of those chimps at the zoo one would think that they’d make a hit exhibit, but both times I walked by the place was empty. On the two occasions that I went to see the Lowland Gorillas there were crowds of people. Granted, the gorillas have a youngster in there, but watching great apes in a naturalistic environment will draw a much bigger crowd than having them in old-school metal hamster cages. Eventually Artis will bulldoze that chimp cage or else perhaps turn it into a historic aviary. I can’t forget the Japanese Macaques, who appear to have crashed into the zoo via a spaceship.
There is a simplicity to a lot of what Artis does, with the old-fashioned animal houses that could use a more innovative approach. The biggest crowds of the day were inside the restaurant by the Savannah, all around the elephants and giraffes, clustered near the gorilla yard, and people were excited to check out the Red-faced Spider Monkeys. The walk-through Lemur Land was popular, as well as the African Penguins and Jaguars. If I’m not mistaken, everything I just listed was probably built in the past 15 years and Artis has made dramatic strides towards modernization while continuing to keep its historic value. This is a very good zoo, more than likely a great zoo, and just think how much better it will be in another decade if there is the funding to overhaul another half-a-dozen older areas. I’m really glad that I visited, and I suspect that once this trip is done then I’ll look back on Artis as one of the better zoos that I’ll see on my trek through the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.
Zoo/Aquarium #5: Dierentuin Animal Farm (Beverwijk, NL)
After putting in my 7 hours at Artis, I sat in my vehicle and took another look at my itinerary. I had a small handful of zoos that were nowhere on my list except for a short addendum at the back. Without further ado I drove 25 minutes north to the town of Beverwijk (pop. 40,000). The small facility there has been an official zoo since 2007 and even though I arrived at around 4:30, seeing everything before the zoo closed at 5:00 was not an issue whatsoever.
There is a nice park with a walking trail, a playground and a lake and then I saw a short bridge with gates at the end of it. The bridge led to an island and I visited a zoo on an island for the first time in my life! The place even has a detailed zoo map on the wall of the main building (well, okay, the only building) and the worker I spoke with was very proud of her humble little zoo. She said that it must be the smallest in the Netherlands and I’m not sure if many other zoo nerds have ever visited. The zoo is free for everyone, contains 11 outdoor exhibits and then a pretty dire little couple of rooms with 9 additional exhibits. Every zoo has a surprise or two up its sleeve and I was shocked to see some Dwarf Mongooses and a Corsac Fox, as both species are practically unheard of in North American zoos.
Outside are exhibits for Dwarf Mongooses, a Corsac Fox, a coati, a honeybee hive, a few domestic goats, a couple of Rheas, some kind of quail (in an unlabeled aviary), Monk Parakeets, some Red-billed Leiothrixes, a bunch of guinea fowl and some African Crested Porcupines. That’s all folks. After those 11 exhibits, I headed to the back of the main building and in a room there are a few fish tanks, some poison dart frogs, a Ball Python, a few Green Iguanas and a couple of Radiated Tortoises. In a separate room is another exhibit of Dwarf Mongooses plus a very old (over the age of 50 according to the sign) African Dwarf Crocodile. The croc has a nice sandy area but an absolutely nasty-looking, grimy little pool that probably hasn’t been scrubbed since the days of Johan Cruijff. And that’s a wrap on the island zoo.
Is this a common thing? Every zoo I have ever visited in America usually gives away their maps for free and the concept of paying for one seems strange. Perhaps this is just an occurrence in Europe.
In Europe everyone gouges people out of money. Here are some examples:
- I take my 4 kids to McDonald's in Canada and we can use 20 packages of ketchup if we like. We can bathe in ketchup all day long. I come to Europe and places charge for ketchup and all types of sauces. What the heck? Even McDonald's charges extra money for BBQ sauce and tiny packages of dips...it's bonkers.
- In Canada I can pee in a million different gas stations, convenience stores and restaurants for free. I can just walk right in and pee to my heart's content. In Europe it costs money to go pee, which baffles my mind. It just creates an issue of public urination, which is why I saw (and used) a couple of 'screened urinals' on the streets of Amsterdam. Paying to go pee is beyond ridiculous and I'd much rather just discreetly find some bushes....only half-joking!
- Charging for zoo maps irks me as well. I think that if hundreds of North American zoos can give out free maps then European zoos should be able to do the same thing. I even told the guy at the Artis counter that since I was already purchasing an expensive annual membership (so that I'll get discounts at other places this month) then I should be allowed to have a few free zoo maps. Nope. It was $3 Canadian (2 Euros) for each map! I even told the young staff member that at the big San Diego parks there are stacks of free zoo maps at the entrance just sitting there in the open and he said that if they did that in Artis then people would sell them on the street at a discount. That made me laugh. "Hey man, want to buy a zoo map?"
2 euro for a zoo map?! I rather download an image from the internet!
That 2nd last sentence
Andrew Swales
Well-Known Member
This amused me and again reminds me of the UKs slightly uncomfortable position of somewhere between the two...
A few years ago we attempted to charge for the sugars and sauces, as you describe above. They have to be paid for by someone, and we thought it fair (as the Europe example above) that those who used them should pay for them, and not everyone including those who did not use them. The price we set was 'cost' so we made no profit. The change also had the benefit of stopping the 'bathing in ketchup' or grabbing handfuls and throwing most of it away. The uproar and complaints were immediate and the experiment lasted less than 24 hours. So, we then loaded the base price for everyone to pay, to cover those who used them, and actually doubled the cost so that we made a profit too (as per the American example above) - and no one complained at all...
I mean...2 € are not THAT much, it's like 1/10 of an entry fee...and if the map looks good I have no problem paying it.
Thank you very much for your detailed, comprehensive and very enjoyable review, Snowleopard. It has been quite a few years since I last visited Artis and I don't remember finding it quite as good as you seemed to do. However there have been substantial developments in those intervening years and your review makes me realize I probably need to start planning a repeat visit, perhaps for next year.
As far as zoo maps go... my memory doesn't serve me well enough to tell you what percentage of zoos only offers them paid, but there are certainly some zoos that offer free maps.
Zoo Antwerpen and Zoo Planckendael for example offer small free maps in three languages (Dutch, French and English). I believe Blijdorp and Burgers' Zoo also offer free maps, if my memory doesn't delude me.
I even recently visited two small zoos without any map (no printed maps, no signs): BestZoo and Faunapark Flakkee.
As far as zoo maps go... my memory doesn't serve me well enough to tell you what percentage of zoos only offers them paid, but there are certainly some zoos that offer free maps.
Zoo Antwerpen and Zoo Planckendael for example offer small free maps in three languages (Dutch, French and English). I believe Blijdorp and Burgers' Zoo also offer free maps, if my memory doesn't delude me.
I even recently visited two small zoos without any map (no printed maps, no signs): BestZoo and Faunapark Flakkee.
Sorry i didn’t caught up with you before Snowleopard 
Just wanted to let you know that when you go to Avifauna, check out their membership deal as I think it will also save you a lot of money.
And whenever you are near Groningen, you are welcome to come and sleep at our place. Just send me a PM.
And ENJOY! Your trip!
Just wanted to let you know that when you go to Avifauna, check out their membership deal as I think it will also save you a lot of money.
And whenever you are near Groningen, you are welcome to come and sleep at our place. Just send me a PM.
And ENJOY! Your trip!
If Amsterdam's bicyclists are already overwhelming you, then you should better steer away from Leiden. ^^
You may have overlooked one at Best; certainly there was one when I visited.
This is a major difference I've noticed between US and European zoos. US zoos have far more venomous snakes. I was astonished in Florida with the number on show.