Saigon Zoo And Botanical Gardens Reviews: Is It Worth Going?
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The Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens Reviews include the park’s ticket price, map, animal exhibitions, botanical exhibitions, and other attractions, so you can decide whether to visit. I have been to Ho Chi Minh City multiple times; it remains one of the best destinations in Asia.
I spent a good afternoon at the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens during my recent visit. I find it worth going based on the value it provided me versus the super low ticket price. However, if you are staying in the city for around three days, there are probably better options like the Cu Chi Tunnel (and its fire range). You should visit the park during your next visit instead. After all, there are endless reasons to visit Ho Chi Minh City.
Unfortunately, if you search online for the comments of Saigon Zoo, you will probably find it controversial. It is not hard to find negative comments regarding an Asian local zoo, and some of them are relatively outdated.
Based on my experience, I wouldn’t say the zoo provides the best environment for the animals compared to more developed cities such as Ocean Park in Hong Kong, Night Safari in Singapore, or even the animal session in Vinwonders Nha Trang. However, it is far from the animal shows in Bangkok Safari World that gave me an immediate bad feeling.
Also I find some negative comments against the zoo no longer exists. For example, there was no loud music nor visitors throwing trash during my last visit.
Thus, I think it is fair to provide expectations and information reviews for you to decide if you want to go or not.
What are the Saigon zoo and botanical gardens?
The Saigon Botanical Garden was founded in 1865, and is one of the oldest zoos that is still operating. Nowadays, it is one of the oldest icons in Ho Chi Minh City and zoo botanical garden attraction in Vietnam . It is conveniently located in District 1 of HCMC with lots of other tourist attractions within walking distance.
I thought it was a tourist icon before my visit (and I bet you do as well). However, during my last visit, I found there were way more locals than tourists. In the park, most of the notice boards are in Vietnamese and have no English. Indeed, it is an excellent place for a local family to spend a good weekend.
Despite so, the attraction does have a lot to offer. As the name suggests, you will find a plant exhibition in the botanical session. There are more than 30 types of animal exhibitions. Other than that, you will also find an amusement park and some other random exhibitions inside the area.
It is conveniently located in district 1 and you can reach their by walking, Grab or Grab bike.
With all these variations, the entrance ticket is only 60,000 VND (~ 2.5 USD). The park opens from 7:00 am to 5:30 pm daily. It is one of the most frequent places for locals and tourists alike. If you walk-in, you can only pay with cash.
🦒 Booking For The 150 year old + Zoo ✅ Book Your Visit!
The Oldest Zoo In Vietnam
Saigon Zoo and Botanical Garden is the oldest Zoo in Vietnam and probably one of the few still operating with over 150 years history in the world. It offers animal encounters with other great attractions for only around 3 USD ! .
Saigon Zoo And Botanical Gardens Map
The map is available in different parts of the Zoo. For example, from the large notice board near the entrance, there is already one with clear directions for each exhibition. They put animal icons on the map, so it is readable even for non- non-Vietnamese reader like me. Basically, the over 30+ type animals are spread across the whole park. The botanical garden exhibitions are mainly clustered at the center of the park. The amusement park is at the top right corner of the park.
It is not a large park. You can start from the right, then circle the park. Then should take you around 2 to 3 hours, depending on how many photos you take. Or else you can also use the free train service there.
Animal Exhibitions
There are around 40 different types of animal exhibitions, by counting the animal icons on the map (yes, I did). Although the exact counts could vary, for example, in the bird session, you will find different types of birds in one cage. Other than that, I could not find the lion session after circling the park twice. I assume it is no longer there.
So for the animal list, you can find tigers, white tigers, hyenas, hippos, rhinos, deer, springbok, giraffe, bears, different birds, crocodiles, monkeys, lizards, etc. The best session is probably the giraffe terrace at the bottom left corner of the park. There you can buy a bundle of carrots for 4,000 VND (less than 0.2 USD) and feed the giraffes. It is probably the cheapest animal giraffe encounter I have seen in the world.
The monkey session is also quite exotic. Rather than being locked in the cage, it seems that some monkeys would manage to get out, interacting with the visitors (without leaving the zoo).
Botanic Garden Exhibitions
There are multiple botanical garden exhibitions at the center of the park. Honestly, I am not a flower person, but I find it relatively ordinary. Despite so, it is still a very good place for picnics and relaxation. Thus, you will find lots of local families will be picnicking there, especially during the weekends. Other than that, from time to time, there will be groups of cute cats hanging around.
Near the central garden, you will find a butterfly exhibition. Inside the exhibition, not only will you find multiple specimens of butterflies with a narrative board (unfortunately in Vietnamese), but you will also find a greenhouse full of living ones.
Other Exhibitions
Other than animal and plant sessions, there are several educational exhibitions in the park as well. For example, near the orchid house, there is a synthetic animal museum with over 100 items inside. Unfortunately, most of the materials there are in Vietnamese.
Other than that, at the right corner of the park, there is also another museum to showcase the life of locals in Saigon during the Vietnam War.
Amusement Park
In the top right corner of the area, you will find the amusement park. It is a very basic, small local amusement park. You can find rides like bumper cars, sudden drop machine, wheel of fortune, and merry-go-round there. You will need to purchase an extra ticket for each ride. The price ranges from 4,000 – 6,000 VND ( less than 0.2 USD) per ride. The ticket booth accepts cash only, so remember to exchange VND in advance.
I only did the Wheel of Fortune during my last visit. I enjoyed quite a good bird-eye view on top there, but also found it relatively scary with the rusty machine sound.
Other Facilities
Other than the attractions, there are also multiple facilities in the park. That includes free train shuttle service for you to explore the zoo, which is particularly useful during summer. There are multiple toilets and snack booths located in the park. The food and beverage prices there are also cheap, where a coffee would cost you less than 20,000 VND (less than 1 USD).
Is Saigon Zoo Ethical?
Again, as compared to parks in developed cities such as Hong Kong, Singapore, and most of the Western cities, the living conditions for the animals are probably far below standard. However, in general, most of the cages are spacious enough, per my last visit. There are mini pools and sufficient food for each of the animals. Despite being the city’s oldest and largest zoo, they at least did not take advantage of the animals to conduct cruel animal shows like the ones in Thailand.
So at the very least, I did not feel uncomfortable after my last visit. Ethics is indeed a relative sense, so you shall make your own judgment.
🦒 Booking For The Best-Valued Zoo In Vietnam ✅ Book Your Visit!
The Best Value Zoo In Vietnam
For all the animal exhibitions. gardens, museums, and other attractions mentioned in the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens. It only cost around 3 USD. Despite not being the first priority for HCMC short visit, the zoo is definitely a best valued option.
Nearby Attractions
Other than the zoo itself, you can also find the HCMC History Museum nearby. Or else there is a cluster of nice cafes just nearby. For example, the Paris Garden is one of the most IGable cafés in HCMC amongst the young local group. I chilled and blogged at least twice there during my last visits. Other than the fancy and affordable drink, the café is full of classic London and Parisian backdrops for you to take good photos.
Is the Botanical Garden & Saigon Zoo Worth Going to?
The answer is yes. It is a decent local zoo and a good place for the locals to have a family day (similar to Suoi Tien theme park for locals). It offers a great variety of gardens, animal exhibitions, and other amusement facilities at a very cheap price. The zoo is also in district 1, within walking distance of other main attractions in HCMC.
However, it should not be your first visit for a short visit. There is a good range of more important attractions in the city, such as the Cu Chi Tunnel (for a half-day trip). Especially, if you are flying far from the West, you should budget your day for other attractions in wider Vietnam, like Nha Trang and Hanoi.
