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Ilocos Photo Diary IV: Meet and Greet with the animals in Baluarte, Ilocos Sur
Let's take the tour up a notch with a smile plastered on our pretty faces, shall we? What more could we ask for? We had sand and breeze, magnificent churches, a world famous old city that the old me could only gaze behind a flat screen TV and pot making. Now here\s some more and it includes a big RAWR, literally cause Baluerte in Vigan has a lion and a tiger for that.
The Baluarte or fortress is a must-see attraction for first time visitors, and even for those who have visited Vigan before. The reasons for its being on the list of places to visit are two. First is that it has a mini zoo with animals from other countries and others endemic to the Philippines. It is a private collection and is therefore continuously being improved. The second reason is that it is owned by Mr. Chavit Singson, a well-loved son of Vigan and well-known to most Filipinos and foreigners who follow the Philippine political scene. The resort complex lies in hectares of land that stretches from the rolling plain towards the hills, where the former governor’s multi-storey house sits with a grand view of Vigan and the South China Sea.
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| This is my friend, Diane, while holding the python. Don't worry it is supervised so it is totally safe! |
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| I couldn't find a picture of the whole length of this snake but seriously, as I remembered it almost 7-8 people were holding the whole length of the snake. You can just imagine how long it is. |
Okay, let's make this quick with some simple pros and cons.
PRO
It's free. It's interesting. It's really great for kids. The animals here are in some variety. Applause for the animal presentation show.
CONS
It's free, so don't put your expectations up too high. And although admission is free, other activities within are not.
It's interesting. It really is great for kids. However, I'm not a kid though so...
The animals here are in some variety. "Some" being the key word. The variety is not that wide for a "zoo" or a "safari" or whatever. And in some instances (like the other reviews in this place) it may seem like the whole "zoo" is somewhat a showcase of a Filipino Politician/Celebrity's wealth. You know, humble showoff. But you know, maybe the intention was not that, but to give back to the people. I'm human, people are human so you know judgements will never be avoided.
OVERALL
Maybe if you are within the area or if you have a lot of time on your tour, I will not hurt to visit the place. But if you plan to travel for how many hours to purposely visit the place, maybe it's not such a good idea. It's a nice side trip though.
Check out my other photo diaries to know other destinations. Click the link below.
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