First-time at the Chiang Mai Night Safari

Porcupines. Wild boars. Hyenas. Tigers. Lions. One by one these animal species appeared in the glass-enclosed arena as part of an informative and entertaining show on the Night Predators.

The porcupine is hungry.
The porcupine is hungry.
A white raccoon.
A white raccoon.

This is the Chiang Mai Night Safari. Located in the Hang Dong District in Chiang Mai, the safari is 12 kilometers from the city center. They are home to thousands of animals. Visitors can camp out at the Night Safari by staying in one of the lodges inside its compound.

As we arrived in the afternoon and a bit early for the night zoo, we watched the Night Predators show where the animals really did their part on cue. A lion and lioness captured the audience with their fierceness. The tiger wowed the crowd as it swam into the pool to prey on the food it spotted.

The Night Predators show.
The Night Predators show.

We also lingered at the entrance area, which has a magnificent view of a lake. There we amused ourselves by feeding the porcupines and what appeared to be a white raccoon. The Asian elephant was also around to steal the spotlight from the spectators.

The Asian elephant.
The Asian elephant.

But not for long. Performers clad in colorful costumes walked at the open area to do a bit of dancing and gather the crowd.

A few steps away, dinner was waiting for us at the Huan Wari Kun Shorn, a Lakeside venue that can fit in about 80-220 people. It has a terrace that gives immediate access to the swan lake. The dinner was also the closing ceremony of our familiarization trip hosted by the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) and organized by the ever helpful men and women behind Bangkok Writer and The Amiris.

One of the performers.
One of the performers.
The swan lake.
The swan lake.

The buffet dinner was superb. Each of us also got a scarf and a white tiger stuff toy. Then an announcement beckoned us to the terrace for the musical fountain with water screen where a welcome message for us delegates was flashed. Multi-colored lights and a light show through the water fountain were projected.

Colorful lights brightened the lake during the water fountain show.
Colorful lights brightened the lake during the water fountain show.

Finally, it was time for our tram ride. No flash photography was allowed but the open tram had a spotlight that gave us ample light to view the animals inside the zoo. We even fed the zebras and giraffes up close. But as we started enjoying it, we were back at the tram station. The ride was too short for me though because I would have wanted to spend more time with each animal and capture them while they were resting.

Feeding time.
Feeding time.

And since we didn’t want to end the night yet, we opted to do some shopping at Chiang Mai’s Night Bazaar where I hunted for souvenir items that my sister asked me to bring home for her.

Capping the night by shopping for souvenirs at the Night Bazaar.
Capping the night by shopping for souvenirs at the Night Bazaar.

One Comment

  1. nice place for visit. thanks for posting nice views.

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