The Panda Castle in Taman Safari – Bogor is the park’s newest addition, which welcomed giant pandas Hu Chun and Cai Tao last year on a 10-year loan from China.
The Panda Castle, the highest point in the park, sits at 1,800 meters above sea level and is surrounded by lush forests.
In 2017, Taman Safari opened its Panda Castle – a Chinese-style pavilion – to accommodate special guests from China.
Giant panda bears Hu Chun and Cai Tao share the home with four red pandas named Shing Shing, Mey Mey, Pai Pai and Hao Hao.
To get there, visitors must catch the shuttle bus, as it is forbidden to drive up to the castle area. If you’re prone to carsickness, note that while the drive is short, it take you up along a steep and winding road.
Once there, visitors can enjoy the fresh mountain air, with temperatures averaging 15-24 degrees Celcius. The cool climate is deemed a suitable environment that resembles the pandas’ natural habitat.
Don’t forget to take in the view, as the castle is surrounded by lush forests and mountains.
One of the Taman Safari’s main draws points is the Safari Journey. Here, visitors can see, interact and learn about various animals from the comfort of their vehicle.
A wide range of animals roam the open grounds, and guests are strictly forbidden to exit their vehicles. Visitors can get close up to elephants, emus, giraffes, hippos, wildebeests and crocodiles, among other animals.
Along the way, several sections are also safe for visitors to feed various animals, who would approach the car window for a munch, such as deer and zebras. To know when it is appropriate for a feed, pay attention for signs that say “Feeding Starts Here!”, with a picture of a hand holding carrots, along with images of the animals that may be fed.
Clusters with dangerous predators, such as tigers, lions and bears, are gated separately. Inside these areas, visitors must keep the windows closed at all times. There are always zookeepers overseeing each cluster to ensure the safety of both visitors and animals.
The Safari Journey also provides a night adventure, which is only available on Saturday evenings.
With so much ground to cover and so many things to see, it’s unlikely visitors can explore the entire park within one day.
Those who are curious to see everything the park has the offer could opt to stay inside the Taman Safari complex, as it provides a Safari Lodge for accommodation, with options ranging from a treehouse to a caravan and a bungalow.
Guests staying do not need to pay for another entrance ticket.
