Earlier last January 2018, I went to visit Cebu Safari & Adventure Park with some friends and it was awesome.

As soon as we got there, my best friend and I looked at each other and blurted out the same thing – "It reminds me of the Singapore Zoo." This was something that we will both be said to each other all throughout the day as we explored the Lhuillier-owned estate. Some days later, we read that the park was in fact inspired by the said zoo.

Near the entrance to the park is a water fountain with statues of different animals. A little further past is a giant dome-shaped aviary where you can go in and see different species of birds. I had to take my picture from across the street so I could get the whole dome in the frame because it was quite big (it even has trees inside).

The aviary (left) and the fountain (right).

Back then, going to a zoo meant seeing a collection of animals in cages. Nowadays, animal enclosures are designed to more closely resemble each animal's natural habitat. This way, animals don't feel too far removed from their homes and there won't be much change from their normal behavior if they were in the wild. At Cebu Safari, they even wanted to run with the concept of "placing the humans in a caged vehicle" while the lions are free to roam (as they do in African safaris). The lion is not yet open for public viewing but this was the plan and it is something they are already doing with some of their animals.

We hopped on a big truck and saw free roaming zebras, waterbucks, impalas, and wildebeests.

It took us an entire day to explore the place. We didn't even get to fully explore Michel's Garden with its 1.2 MILLION orchids. Here are just a few of my favorites:

The huge crocodile pond with a steel bridge/walkway (not for the faint of heart).

We spent so much time feeding the gibbons and watching them interact with each other.

The meerkats were at one of the pavillions where we had lunch.

They had black swans and white swans majestically floating on ponds with other species of birds. They didn't have a real enclosure that restricted them from escaping but none of them seemed interested in flying away.

This East African Crowned Crane was so playful and kept hopping towards my friend's son!

Who doesn't like giraffe's, right?

Other animals that we saw were tigers, cheetahs, hyenas, lemurs (like King Julien from Madagascar), emus, cuddly giant rats capybaras, etc... I tell you, there is so much to see and do, one day is not enough. There were some other animals that were already there but weren't ready for public viewing yet (kangaroos, wallabies, lions, camels, etc.). There was a big auditorium (similar to the one in SG Zoo) for animal shows but they didn't have any shows yet. Also in the works are other attractions like a roller coaster and a zipline. The guide also told us that there were plans to build a hotel on site. Once these grand plans come to life, I think it would be worth my while to come back and explore the place again. (Heck, the place isn't done and I'm already willing to pay to go back!)

How to get there

Cebu Safari & Adventure Park is located in Carmen (north of Cebu City). We drove to Carmen and from the main road, we turned into a small road and from there, the drive up to the site was about 30 minutes. They're not fully opened yet but you can visit if you make reservations ahead of time. We made our reservations about 2 weeks prior.

Fees

We paid 800PhP to get in. This included a sumptuous lunch buffet. (They might charge more in the future once the park is officially opened with all the animals and attractions.)

I hope you enjoyed my post! I hope you also get to explore the park soon :)

To end this, here's a selfie taken with my favorite animals -- the llamas!!!