You should rent a bike where the ferry arrives, this is very cheap (you don't need multiple gears) and that gives you 100% flexibility.
Mega zoo tour at Netherlands
- Thread starter Kakapo
- Start date
You should rent a bike where the ferry arrives, this is very cheap (you don't need multiple gears) and that gives you 100% flexibility.
Again, if the zoo is worth it.... 
I walked 6.5 km for Hamerton Zoo and 8.2 km for Prague Zoo!
I walked 6.5 km for Hamerton Zoo and 8.2 km for Prague Zoo!
Kakapo
Well-Known Member
Just discovered a new Dutch place full of rarities!!! Zie-zoo in Volkel! With plains viscacha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, striped hyena!!!!, egyptian mongoose!!!!, giant pouched rat!!!!, bobak marmot!, kowari, dhole, corsac fox, white-nosed coati, rock cavy, black tailed gull, ferruginous pygmy owl and yucatan squirrel... this is a dream!!!!
But unfortunately I looked for transport from The Hague to Zie-Zoo and it's 9 hours each way!!!! So not doable
Anyway it can't be embebbed in my agenda full of zoos already, unless I do the same day than Apenheul...
But unfortunately I looked for transport from The Hague to Zie-Zoo and it's 9 hours each way!!!! So not doable
Anyway it can't be embebbed in my agenda full of zoos already, unless I do the same day than Apenheul...
Just discovered a new Dutch place full of rarities!!! Zie-zoo in Volkel! With plains viscacha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, striped hyena!!!!, egyptian mongoose!!!!, giant pouched rat!!!!, bobak marmot!, kowari, dhole, corsac fox, white-nosed coati, rock cavy, black tailed gull, ferruginous pygmy owl and yucatan squirrel... this is a dream!!!!
But unfortunately I looked for transport from The Hague to Zie-Zoo and it's 9 hours each way!!!! So not doable
No place in the Netherlands is that far away. In a car you could drive from the most northern tip to the most southern tip and back in that time.
ZieZoo can actually be reached in under 3 hours from Den Haag and could probably be combined with Best Zoo if you make an early enough start. The nearest bus stop is Liessentstraat in Uden.
Reisadvies
If you take a train in Den Haag and would travel for nine hours, you would be in Switzerland or Czech Republic, not in Volkel
Several species you named (Egyptian mongoose, giant pouched rat, bobak marmot) are off show, but it is full of rarities. Next to the ones you named, Volkel also keeps tayra, cusimanse, slender mongoose and dusky pademelon, among others.
Several species you named (Egyptian mongoose, giant pouched rat, bobak marmot) are off show, but it is full of rarities. Next to the ones you named, Volkel also keeps tayra, cusimanse, slender mongoose and dusky pademelon, among others.
Last edited:
I would suggest to combine Volkel with Best and not with Apenheul, like lintworm already suggested. Volkel and Best are in the same area (I recently drove from the former to the latter on a trip, it's about 30 km). Next to that, you will need several hours for a visit to Apenheul and only a few for both Volkel (two to three hours maximum) and Best (one to two hours maximum).
Kakapo
Well-Known Member
Thanks for all the suggestions!
I obtained my data of 9 ours for searching "from Den Haag to Zie-Zoo" in Google, as there was no routes in results with "from Den Haag to Volkel".
If it can be done with much less time is tempting. At least, until knowing that the fantastic Egyptian mongoose, bobak marmot and giant pouched rat are off.show :-( :-( Despite the dreamed viscacha, I will skip probably this zoo (unless I finish really early in Best). Nice to see again the additional species that AWP mention, but my photographs for these species are enough satisfactory for tick them off from my wishlist.
The idea of combine it with Apenheul is because Apenheul keeps few species. So I will see it in much less time than other zoos. For BestZoo probably I will need all day until closing time (closes at 18:00 and may not arrive at opening time). Especially if I manage to get behind the scenes for the giant flying squirrel, woolly opossum and Virginia opossum (tought they didn't replied to me yet about this question... maybe is better trying to ask to see these species once in the zoo?). So no time in the same day for another train trip and another visit to a big zoo, as I want to see exhaustively every species of each.
I obtained my data of 9 ours for searching "from Den Haag to Zie-Zoo" in Google, as there was no routes in results with "from Den Haag to Volkel".
If it can be done with much less time is tempting. At least, until knowing that the fantastic Egyptian mongoose, bobak marmot and giant pouched rat are off.show :-( :-( Despite the dreamed viscacha, I will skip probably this zoo (unless I finish really early in Best). Nice to see again the additional species that AWP mention, but my photographs for these species are enough satisfactory for tick them off from my wishlist.
The idea of combine it with Apenheul is because Apenheul keeps few species. So I will see it in much less time than other zoos. For BestZoo probably I will need all day until closing time (closes at 18:00 and may not arrive at opening time). Especially if I manage to get behind the scenes for the giant flying squirrel, woolly opossum and Virginia opossum (tought they didn't replied to me yet about this question... maybe is better trying to ask to see these species once in the zoo?). So no time in the same day for another train trip and another visit to a big zoo, as I want to see exhaustively every species of each.
The bobak marmots can be seen from outside the zoo if you know where to look. Zie-Zoo also builds new enclosures rapidly so because they're off-show now doesn't mean they stay off-show for long.
I understand you are a species hunter, but even then Best is easily doable in a couple of hours. Zie-Zoo is definatelly has some nice species and you won't need too long there. The entrance fees are not that steep too. For Apenheul you'll probably need more time than you think. Many species live is large enclosures within areas of woodland. Finding and photographing the animals may take more time than you think. Besides, Apenheul is very much a zoo that stands out in enclosure design and less in collection (though the primate collection is very good).
The smaller Dutch zoos sometimes let you see behind the scenes if you ask a keeper. Just be aware that it depends which keepers are working that day, and it may not work out.
As I (and Mr. Zootycoon) wrote, you really need no more than a few hours for Best Zoo. It's a small zoo. Last month I walked the zoo trice within 1,5 hours, although I was mainly focussing on the rarer species (but I guess that will be the case for you as well), the scrub wallabies, spotted skunk and Chile tinamous in particulary. I asked to see the opossums before my visit, but it wasn't possible.
I don't know if someone else saw the plains viscachas, but I didn't (they share their enclosure with pygmy owls and Yucatán squirrels). It's true that Zie-Zoo is building new enclosures rapidly, but the species I mentioned were off-show less then three weeks ago. There was an almost finished enclosure for snapping turtles, but nothing yet that would be suitable for giant pouched rat, Egyptian mongoose, marsh mongoose, cloud rat or one of the other off-show species that Zie-Zoo has according to ZTL.
The number of species of Apenheul might be limited, but the park itself is quite large. I think you really need a couple of hours. Many species (lemurs, multiple species of New World monkeys, Barbary macaques) roam freely in extensive walkthrough enclosures.
I don't know if someone else saw the plains viscachas, but I didn't (they share their enclosure with pygmy owls and Yucatán squirrels). It's true that Zie-Zoo is building new enclosures rapidly, but the species I mentioned were off-show less then three weeks ago. There was an almost finished enclosure for snapping turtles, but nothing yet that would be suitable for giant pouched rat, Egyptian mongoose, marsh mongoose, cloud rat or one of the other off-show species that Zie-Zoo has according to ZTL.
The number of species of Apenheul might be limited, but the park itself is quite large. I think you really need a couple of hours. Many species (lemurs, multiple species of New World monkeys, Barbary macaques) roam freely in extensive walkthrough enclosures.
Last edited:
Kakapo
Well-Known Member
Thanks again for the tips! And, where can be seen the bobak marmots outside of the zoo? 
I didn't knew that Apenheul was a large park. Sifakas, bearded sakis and Missisippi paddlefish are tempting, but if I will not find them in the dense scrub or are too far for a decent photo, maybe I must rethink and change Apenheul for Zie-zoo... Maybe I will decide in the same day, as my BestZoo visit is planned for Friday and Apenheul for Sunday. So if I finish Best quickly, I will go to Volkel, while if I finish too late, I will skip it.
I didn't knew that Apenheul was a large park. Sifakas, bearded sakis and Missisippi paddlefish are tempting, but if I will not find them in the dense scrub or are too far for a decent photo, maybe I must rethink and change Apenheul for Zie-zoo... Maybe I will decide in the same day, as my BestZoo visit is planned for Friday and Apenheul for Sunday. So if I finish Best quickly, I will go to Volkel, while if I finish too late, I will skip it.
Last two times I was in Apenheul, the sifakas were kept in a separate enclosure next to the Madagascar walkthrough area. I had no problems seeing them and both times I was able to make some good photos. Bearded sakis hadn't arrived in Apenheul at my last visit in 2015 so I don't know in which area these monkeys are kept (I did see that species in 2015, in Paris). Proboscis monkeys were still part of the collection at that point, but that last individual returned to Singapore some time later.
They are quite easily seen. Just return a few times to check the opening to their indoor enclosure. It doesn't work every time but if you return a few times you should be able to see them.
And, where can be seen the bobak marmots outside of the zoo?
At the parking there's a wolverine exhibit. if you follow the road next to it there is another enclosure (with alpine marmot). If you walk past it, there's a small sandy path on your right. Follow it, and next to the house there's an enclosure for bobak marmots.
But I must say, Zie-Zoo is not worth missing Apenheul for. Apenheul is one of the country's top zoos, while Zie-zoo is probably at the top of the smaller zoos, and it cannot yet compete with the larger, well-established zoos.
Kakapo
Well-Known Member
Great! Many thanks for the tip about how to see Bobak marmot.
It seems that all of you think that is worth to combine Best and Zie-Zoo on same day. So I will try it. I will look at transports now.
I've noticed that most of the rarest raptors of Pairi Daiza are behind the scenes: pale chanting goshawk, chimango and yellow-headed caracaras, African pygmy falcon, brahminy kite... Are they really off-show or is just that they can be seen only during raptor flight show?
It seems that all of you think that is worth to combine Best and Zie-Zoo on same day. So I will try it. I will look at transports now.
I've noticed that most of the rarest raptors of Pairi Daiza are behind the scenes: pale chanting goshawk, chimango and yellow-headed caracaras, African pygmy falcon, brahminy kite... Are they really off-show or is just that they can be seen only during raptor flight show?
Again, if the zoo is worth it....
I walked 6.5 km for Hamerton Zoo and 8.2 km for Prague Zoo!
You know there’s a bus that runs right to the Prague Zoo entrance?
As the viscacha was on my wish list, I did return a few times (I think three or four), but without luck. I made a mistake: the pygmy owls are in the enclosure next to the squirrels and viscachas, sharing it with Chacoan mara.
Here some info how to travel from Best to Volkel on your planned date of 21 September: Reisadvies
Last edited: