BeccaSunBear’s Czech Trip 2018

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agnmeln

Well-Known Member
So, this trip has been on the cards for quite some time, and I have spent an awful lot of time researching, planning and preparing ready to make it all happen.

I’ve set the dates - 18th - 26th March. I’ve planned the routes - from Prague to Brno. I’ve calculated all the costs - it’s unbelievably cheap!

All I’m waiting for is my partner to have his leave approved by his employer (mine shouldn’t be an issue) and then I’m ready to press go on the flights.

Having taken advice from other forum members on board, I’m going to squeeze 7 zoos into my trip, including 3 without sun bears!

My plan is as follows:

Prague Zoo: 19th March
Decin Zoo: 20th March
Usti Nad Labem Zoo: 21st March
Hodonin Zoo: 23rd March
Olomouc Zoo: 24th March
Jihlava Zoo: 25th March
Brno Zoo: 26th March

Any tips or recommendations for any of these zoos would be most welcome! I’ve already chosen my hotels and made provisional bookings with each, and I’ve already overseen my proposed transport routes from city to city and zoo to zoo - buses, trams and trains - I’m still too scared and too inexperienced to drive in Europe for the first time just yet!

This will be quite an exciting and well earned little adventure for me, and a new country too, as I’ve never set foot in Czech Republic before. Looking forward to meeting Myanmar, Barma, Babu, Li, Bara, Adam/Ernst and Aja and ticking another country’s sun bears off my list! Bring it on!!!
 
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This looks to be an excellent trip. While you have your own particular reason for going to Hodonin, I think it is a far less impressive zoo than some of the others in the Czech Republic (it's the only major zoo in the country I've not visited, and I'm not sure that I am missing great deal!). Nearby, Zlin has no sun bears - but it is a truly outstanding zoo. I'd wholly recommend it! Likewise, Olomouc has sun bears (or, possibly, one very old sun bear) but is in all other regards an inferior zoo to nearby Ostrava.

I'm not sure how things work out by train, but, if you were to travel by car, a more logical route would be Olomouc-Brno-Jihlava - you're doubling back on yourself a little the way you have planned things. Driving in the Czech Republic is very straightforward, and car hire very inexpensive. I would imagine that trains might be quite slow, and some of the zoos you intend to visit are quite a long way out of town (Olomouc especially, but also Brno).

Booking accommodation in advance is definitely advised - Prague is totally different, but elsewhere things can be a little sleepy! Arriving in Decin at about 8.00 pm a few years ago, I could find but one restaurant that was still open (and even then I think I was the only customer!).
 
I plan to stay in hotels in Prague (18-19), Usti Nad Labem (19-22) and Brno (22-26) which is why I seem to be travelling back and forth a lot - I really am, with my base being quite static in these cities. I’ll travel from Usti Nad Labem to Decin, and from Brno to Hodonin, Olomouc and Jihlava. I’ll be right in the city centre for each of these stays, so hopefully there should be plenty of local amenities around.

Interesting about Zlin and Ostrava, thank you for the tip! I was already told that Plzen would be a good one, but I think it’s a little bit too far out for me for this trip. I will look at the travel for these two and see if it might be possible somewhere within my journey.

Yes, Hodonin and Olomouc only have one elderly female bear each now - Li in Hodonin and Bara in Olomouc. For sure I’m most looking forward to Usti Nad Labem and Jihlava as I heard that these are nice enclosures!

Do you know anything about taxis? Are they easy to get hold of? I’m going to need a taxi to take me from Olomouc Station to Olomouc Zoo and back again.
 
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Hi beccasunbear,

Just one thing to add to Mr Mangabey's post: for intercity travel, look into RegioJet buses. I find them more comfortable and convenient than Czech trains, and obviously significantly cheaper than taxis. As of last year, for instance, you could get a day return from Brno Bus Station to Zlin Zoo, which is absolutely worth visiting.

This is the site I use for routes and bookings. Have a great trip.
 
Thank you very much for the recommendation! I will definitely have a look. I have found this trip to be the most difficult to plan out of all of the countries I have visited so far due to the lack of readily available information regarding transport. Originally I was literally planning to get taxis everywhere!
 
Don't get your hopes up too high for Usti's Sun bear enclosure; it's comfortably below average. Usti town is nice enough and if you've got an itinerary that works then I'd stick with it, but otherwise I'd look at spending (for example) the evening after Decin back in Prague, which is obviously far better.
 
From experience, it is also very easily possible to combine Decin and Usti in a single day without really having to rush too much, as they're close to each other and are both quite small zoos with not many other attractions in the neighbourhood to otherwise fill your time.

Also, I cannot recommend Zlin, Ostrava and Plzen enough. Plzen has one of the (if not the) best reptile/bird/small mammal collections in the world, and Zlin and Ostrava are both absolutely stunning zoos that both impressed me very, very much.

Sun bear-wise, I honestly can't say a whole lot of positive things about the Czech Republic (and that's saying much, as this country has quite a high standard otherwise, and definitely for bears). Jihlava's exhibit is good, but Olomouc's enclosure is absolutely hideous and I wasn't much of a fan of Usti's, either. Hodonin is also one of the zoos in the Czech Republic I haven't visited, so I can't say much about them.
 
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Hello Beccasunbear
I have been to Prague, Plzen and Brno. I agree with Vision about Plzen and I'm surprised that it isn't on your original list. You can visit it with a day trip from Prague.
 
Here's my two cents:
- Děčín & Usti can be done in one day, even via public transport; been there, done that.
- If possible, you might want to add Dvůr Králové nad Labem (or one of the options @Vision mentioned) to your itinerary. Even though March might not be the best month for all, weather-wise. For the ursine-inclined: Ostrava offers a very nice, original and relatively new moon bear (and grey langur) exhibit: Chitwan - New bear and langur exhibit - Ostrava Zoo
- I've travelled the Czech Republic by car, train and bus (i.e. Student Agency). In the end, all will get you where you want to, but travelling by car (which is quite comfortable in the Czech Republic, even as an inexperienced driver) is the easiest option, especially if you're unfamiliar with the language. Speaking of language: outside of the larger cities, you might occasionally have problems finding a taxi driver who is fluent in English and understands where you want to go.
- Enjoy the food! Unless you're a vegan (but even then you'll find something), there's plenty to eat and try in the various restaurants and supermarkets, including, next to hearty meat & fish dishes, houskové knedlíky (dumplings),smažený sýr (fried cheese), kefirs, kolachs, palačinky pancakes, original spa wafers, the omnipresent rohlík bread, seasonal oddities such as chestnust-flavoured mineral water and Slovak specialities such korbáčik cheese or Vinea lemonade. Not to mention the beer and quite original pizzas (including toppings such as cranberry sauce & Hermelín cheese). Traditional Czech food | Prague.net
- Given the great interest of the Czech people in a variety of sports, you can buy some really good and high-quality items from local companies, such as gumotex equipment for kayaking.
 
25th and 26 March are right before my bachelor thesis deadline...well extra motivation for me than :D My offer still stands, and if you´re interested I´ll gladly join you in either Brno or Jihlava (or maybe even both :D )

Now to the other stuff:

• Taxis: just don´t, taxis here can became quite the rip-off, especially if they see that you´re tourist. Czech republic has amazing network of public transport so use that. Although in Prague, the tram network is now undergoing reconstruction at many different places simultaneously which is causig chaos :D but otherwise it works well and it can get you everywhere reasonably fast. (Brno city centre -> 20 minutes by a tram) also the tickets are cheap.

• For Prague check these guys out: HONEST GUIDE their videos have answers to literally every question tourist going to Prague has. They also have videos about tips for other cities but no zoos though :(


• I definitely recommend visiting Zlín Zoo, which is with the direct link from Brno now much easier and the zoo itself is amazing (also at the end of March should be the weather good enough for all animals to be outside, because there is a lack of pavillons and other public indoor areas).
 
When in Brno, you can also visit its tiny aquarium and its "dragon"; @HOMIN96 will know where to find them.
 
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I’m definitely going to see what I can do regarding Zlín and Ostrava seeing as though they appear to be well regarded by so many people. Maybe I will even try again to coordinate Plzen.

HOMIN96 said:
• Taxis: just don´t, taxis here can became quite the rip-off, especially if they see that you´re tourist. Czech republic has amazing network of public transport so use that.
Click to expand...

Do you know anything about the route from Olomouc Station to Olomouc Zoo? I couldn’t find a transport route for this online.

FunkyGibbon said:
Don't get your hopes up too high for Usti's Sun bear enclosure; it's comfortably below average.
Click to expand...

The exciting thing about Usti Nad Labem’s enclosure and Jihlava’s is that they both have indoor viewing, so at least I’m almost guaranteed a sighting at these zoos. That’s a good start! Hodonin and Olomouc remain quite uncertain for me on that front.
 
beccasunbear said:
The exciting thing about Usti Nad Labem’s enclosure and Jihlava’s is that they both have indoor viewing, so at least I’m almost guaranteed a sighting at these zoos. That’s a good start! Hodonin and Olomouc remain quite uncertain for me on that front.
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Olomouc - indoor viewing present but only into one of two dens, guess which one is the female using more?

Hodonín - indoor viewing not present
 
HOMIN96 said:
Olomouc - indoor viewing present but only into one of two dens, guess which one is the female using more?

Hodonín - indoor viewing not present
Click to expand...

Thank you - so this confirms that it’s possible that I could visit these two zoos and still see no bears at all!
 
And to your Olomouc transport question: from the main train station to zoo goes bus number 11
 
HOMIN96 said:
25th and 26 March are right before my bachelor thesis deadline...well extra motivation for me than :D My offer still stands, and if you´re interested I´ll gladly join you in either Brno or Jihlava (or maybe even both :D )
Click to expand...

Let’s meet in Brno on 26th!

I think I’ll likely be a nightmare in Jihlava!

I’ll confirm once I’ve finalised all my arrangements.
 
Yes! I will be backwards and forwards and going around in circles at that enclosure. It would probably drive most people mad!

By the way, my trip dates have now changed to 15th - 23rd April. So hopefully it will be a bit warmer. I’ll visit Brno on 23rd April. My flights are booked, anyway, so now it won’t change again!
 
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