Why You Should Head To Bali Zoo - International Traveller

Encountering exotic flora and fauna is a fascinating element of any visit to a foreign country.

Bali Zoo, home to over 500 animals of more than 60 species, is set amidst 10 hectares of cooling, verdant tropical gardens. We’ve come up with 11 reasons why you should visit on your next trip to our nation’s favourite holiday destination.

1. Free-ranging animals

The roaring of a lion echoes in the air as we wander through the entrance gate. The small herd of deer who greet us are unperturbed by the roar or by our attention. Even when we stroke their fur they stand still, accepting the pats. A lone albino peacock strides along, cool as a cucumber, without displaying its tail feathers. A wallaby with a joey in her pouch stares at us (almost doe-eyed), calm and observant, while the baby crawls in and out of his cosy home. The animals are healthy and content; a fabulous welcoming committee.

deer bali zoo — Feed some of the free roaming deer

2. Orangutan breakfast

When we arrive at the breakfast pavilion, we have a dozen options: mee goreng, croissants, fruit, eggs, coffee, tea. It’s the usual high standard breakfast buffet fare but, although we are hungry, we’re not really there to eat. We’ve come for an orangutan encounter.

A keeper brings out Dara at 8am on the dot. Apart from the snacks she receives from her trainer, she is not eating breakfast. Her job is to entertain us while we do. And entertain us she does. There are ropes leading from the platform to trees and poles around the area.

As we approach her, the keeper warns us to remove our sunglasses and hats. “She’s cheeky. She’ll take them," he laughs. As the kids hang back, the orangutan reaches for my hand and before I know it she’s pulling me close to her and holding both my hands with her leathery palms, her feet resting on my stomach gently before she pushes off and swings along the rope a little.

At one point she breaks away, darting over to the nearest table scattered with someone’s breakfast remains, and grabs a croissant. The keeper moves quickly to reign her in; this kind of monkey business is not allowed.

Slowly, the kids edge forward and take hold of her leathery hand too. Their faces beam, filled with wonder at being able to touch this animal with which we share 97 per cent of our genes.

3. Feed the elephants

Two Sumatran elephants arrive in the courtyard. For a few dollars, we purchase some nutritious snacks to feed them: corn, bananas and carrots. The guides counsel us to hide them behind our backs, then stand up straight with the food in our hands high above our heads and open our palms.

Quick as a flash, the food has been retrieved and deposited into their mouths and we are left with the thrill of having been so close to such a huge animal. Elephant rides are still very popular with the Asian market here, but the zoo is phasing them out over the next few years, to come in line with the worldwide push to refrain from animal tourism of this kind.

Elephant bali zoo — Feed a Sumatran elephant

4. Lush gardens and locals

Shelter from the sun in the pretty green gardens maintained by locals. The zoo is built on land belonging to Singapadu village, and the management committee is committed to providing jobs for members of the community. Over 70 per cent of staff comes from the local village, and all food for the animals is purchased from the fields belonging to the villagers.

5. Water fun park

Kids can break up the day with a splash around the water fountains of the aquatic playground. When the sun is high overhead, you’ll be grateful for a pair of swimmers and a rest under the umbrellas while the kids frolics under the spray.

6. Savannah in 2020

The road takes us past the site of the new Savannah enclosure which is due to open in 2020. Giraffes, bears and tigers have been located and will be delivered to the zoo in time for the opening. It’s quite cool for the kids to see that, like any garden, the habitat required for zoo animals can be created from nothing more than a bare patch of earth.

snake encounter bali zoo — Get up close with a snake encounter

7. Spa

Wildlife and wellness make a perfect match in Bali. There’s never a time when a massage is not a good idea so the Bali Zoo has an onsite day spa, The Sanctoo, to encourage wellbeing and relaxation. Enjoy a massage treatment or soak in the spa and rest your eyes on the verdant jungle which surrounds the sanctuary.

8. Stay the night

The one-bedroom Sanctoo Villas are popular with honeymooners due to their idyllic location. Choose from a garden or river view and wake up to the sounds of lions roaring, birds screeching, tigers growling and orangutans laughing in the jungle. It is surely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

9. Food

The zoo has three restaurants and a snack bar, and visitors will definitely not go hungry here. The Wantilan seats up to 300 guests and the Wana bar, restaurant and lounge is also an expansive space. Adjacent to the lion’s den, it offers observers a unique vantage point for watching lions at play as well as some yummy local food. The Gayo has a simple international menu with some interesting options; tacos, chilli dogs and even Canadian poutine grace the menu alongside more traditional Indonesian dishes.

wana restaurant Bali zoo — Wana restaurant offers a unique perspective

10. Meet the ‘Tiger Mommy’

The day we visit, my guide introduces herself as “The Tiger Mommy" and invites me to feed the Sumatran tiger. I immediately decline. I have images of people patting sedated tigers and my mind skips ahead to game hunting and the awful trophy photographs that poachers/hunters will take post-kill. Obviously, my tiger is alive but I am scared and definitely not thrilled at the prospect of being in a tiger’s lair.

The Tiger Mommy laughs at me. She’s brought an esky containing chicken carcasses and spears one on to the end of a steel pole for me. “Just hold it up," she says, pointing it to the high bars of the cage. I do as I’m told and the tiger leaps at the meat. The carcass remains so he jumps a little higher, his whole body pressing up against the fence in front of me. It’s thrilling and scary in equal measure and I can’t wait to get away.

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11. Support the rehabilitation programs

In the years since the zoo opened in 2002, many species have been studied, nurtured and rehabilitated on the grounds of the Bali zoo. 50 Oliver Ridley sea turtles were released into the ocean in 2016, and nine Javan porcupines were also released in Pura Batu in Silakarang, Tabanan. Five Javan deer have been released in West Bali National Park and, in July 2019, two silvery gibbons, endemic to West Java, were let back into the wilderness after being acclimatised and educated at the zoo. Conservation is always part of the zoo’s agenda.

The facts:

Getting there: Transport is available and included in some ticket packages. Otherwise, ask at your hotel for a taxi service.

Tickets: General admission is IDR 355,500 (AUD $37).

Spa and wellness treatments at the Sanctoo Spa start from IDR 605,000 (AUD $63).

Animal experiences are extra. Breakfast with Orangutans is IDR 720,000 (AUD $75). There are a range of packages available. See website for details.

What to bring: Sunscreen, hats, water bottles.

Address: Jl. Raya Singapadu, Sukawati, Gianyar, Bali.

Wellbeing means different things to different travellers. Here’s how to pick a hotel that gets it right for you.

The best wellness holidays aren’t necessarily spent wrapped in a spa robe. Sometimes they’re found around a dinner table in Cambodia, on a hiking trail in New Zealand or after finally beating jet lag on the other side of the world. The hotel you choose is what makes them happen.

1. Easy access to good food

meals from Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20 — Taste delicious meals at Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20.

One of the quickest ways to derail healthy habits on holiday is to spend half of it working out where to eat instead of digging into the culture around you. Thankfully, Novotel has done much of the hard work already, with chefs building menus that lean into the flavours, ingredients and traditions of each destination.

In Sihanoukville, Cambodia, Korkor soup – often dubbed ‘Cambodian ratatouille’ – sits alongside raw blue crab dressed with lime and chilli, best enjoyed with views across the Gulf of Thailand.

In the lovingly chaotic city of Bangkok, the presence of food cranks up the sociability. At Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20, you can settle in with mango sticky rice and stranger-turned-friends beside the pool at Sky on 20 rooftop bar, or bring them along to tackle river prawns and stir-fried crab with holy basil at the buzzing Crab Paradise Dinner Buffet.

Then Novotel Dubai Al Barsha welcomes you with a laidback twist on the level of indulgence the Middle Eastern city is best known for up on Deck Se7en. Looking towards Burj Al Arab, the rooftop lounge has everything from Mediterranean-style dishes like seabass ceviche to Italian prosecco sundowners.

At the other end of the scale, in the hills that surround the Novotel Bali Ubud Resort, calm comes from nature. At Siralada restaurant, Balinese traditions shape the menu while thunder rumbles over the surrounding jungle – proving the setting is as nourishing as the food itself.

While at Novotel Nha Trang, chef Kieu Thi My Hanh and her team showcase Vietnam’s knack for balancing freshness, texture and fragrant herbs. Pho remains a favourite, while seafood salad with pomelo and mango brings those flavours together in one bright dish.

It’s all an approach backed by partnerships with expert food creators such as Alfie Steiner, whose plant-forward recipes prove healthy food should never taste plain.

2. Better sleep options

Novotel Bali Ubud Resort room — Sleep deeply with Novotel.

There are few travel experiences more disappointing than arriving in a new country, determined to seize the day, only to fall asleep fully clothed by 3pm.

For Australian travellers, jet lag is often an unavoidable part of the journey. That’s one reason Novotel runs sleep-focused initiatives that help guests adjust quickly without compromising on health. We’re talking partnerships with Sydney-based sleep specialist Olivia Arezzolo, known for her advice on everything from better sleep habits to beating jet lag, alongside features like pillow menus, in-room yoga content and tailored sleep guidance.

The sooner you’re operating on local time, the sooner you can get back to more pressing matters – like deciding which spa treatment to book.

3. More ways to move

woman hiking around queenstown new zealand — Stay at Novotel Queenstown Lakeside and explore local hiking trails. (Credit: GettyI mages/ naruedom)

Every place in the world has its own way of getting you moving: whether that’s hiking up ice-bitten mountains before a sauna or gentle stretching by the pool before a facial. From fitness centres to spas, Novotel recognises that wellbeing rarely looks the same.

At Novotel Queenstown Lakeside, activity is inescapable. Here, hiking trails, ski fields, bungee jumps, and white-water rafting have made the region famous. The hotel’s location on the shores of Lake Wakatipu means less time spent organising yourself and more time out there experiencing them. To top it all off, you can book a private hot tub for the evening before heading back into the wilderness tomorrow.

Bali, of course, takes a softer approach. At Novotel Bali Ubud Resort or Novotel Bali Nusa Dua, movement is less about conquering a mountain and more about a dance class between the tropical gardens and lagoon pools. Afterwards, the spa takes over, with traditional treatments like a Lulur body scrub: a combination of rice, turmeric, sandalwood, ginger and jasmine that’ll soothe muscles already relaxed by the Balinese heat.

4. Better connections

Kids will love a stay at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh.

One of the best things about travel is that it gives your family stories you’ll be telling for years. Novotel helps create them with activities that bring everyone together, whether that’s trying something new, learning a local skill, or simply spending more time together.

Go for a distinctly Thai twist at Novotel Phuket Vintage Park, where many of the family activities draw on local culture. Kids can try everything from beginner Thai boxing and language lessons to umbrella painting and – a pastime beloved by children the world over – pool foam parties. Everyone is welcome to join in, whether that’s getting splashed, covered in paint, or simply watching their children discover a new side of Thailand during the dedicated Family & Kids Day.

A different adventure awaits at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh. Kids could be perfectly content with discos, drawing classes and new holiday friends, but the Red Sea has other ideas. Sitting on the edge of Naama Bay, days here might involve snorkelling colourful reefs, taking a boat trip to Ras Mohammed National Park or heading into the desert by quad bike or camel for a Bedouin-style dinner beneath the stars.

5. Location is everything

Surin Beach, Choeng Thale, Thalang District, Phuket, Thaiföld — Explore Phuket’s gorgeous beaches. (Credit: Bence Biczo)

Everyone’s idea of wellness looks a little different. With more than 600 hotels across 65 countries, Novotel gives guests the freedom to choose the destination that suits them best. Whether that’s a beachside escape in Phuket, an alpine expedition in Queenstown or a city break in Bangkok, there’s a good chance a Novotel isn’t far away.

All that’s left? Choosing your version of wellbeing.

Discover stays to inspire your everyday at novotel.accor.com.

11 reasons to visit Bali Zoo