What to do and where to go with four kids in tow? I took a cue from my friend, The Phenomenal Woman, as I found inspiration from her family's Paradizoo experience. So, here's the second installment of our 2009 holiday album.
After checking-in at Taal Vista Hotel and a hearty Pinoy lunch at
Leslie's resto-grill, we then drove our way to Paradizoo Theme-Farm in
nearby Mendez, Cavite. It was a 20-minute drive from Aguinaldo
Highway. The farm is operated by the same owners of the popular
Residence Inn & Zoo, another tourist destination in Tagaytay.
The farm was not all that spectacular and scenic, but more of having a provincial rustic charm. Very organic in every sense. So don't expect a modern theme park ambiance as it is really a working farm where a variety of plants and fresh produce are on offer.
First to greet us on the tour was this large dromedary camel. What distinguishes this camel from the ones we usually see in the movies crossing deserts is that this one only has one (1) hump on it's back. Unfortunately, I didn't get a good angle to shoot it's profile to show the single hump. Just for fun, read through the sign below and you may find yourself doing a spell-check ;)
With a friendly guide leading us up and down the path and around the farm, we were introduced to a number of animals we don't commonly see in the city zoo. The tour gave us a better knowledge and appreciation for these friendly creatures as well as the flora and the produce grown on the property.
Mooo, Wagyu -- beef of Japan!
So this is the famous, and pricey, wagyu -- the melt-in-your-mouth beef cubes / steaks. Sorry, couldn't help but think of the steak when I saw the sign. It described them as a pure Japanese breed of cattle dating back to 1830, and can live up to 20 years. They are dark, chocolate-brown colored cows that are relatively smaller than their heavier dairy cow brothers/sisters.
'What are they looking at?', you may wonder. Well, we were all waiting for the arrival of the famous Voltes-5!
I'm serious. Really!
Meet Voltes-5, the cow. So, what's so interesting with this cow?
Look closely...closer...closer...
Voltes-5 has a 5th leg!!! This so-called freak-of-nature cow has an extra leg and hoof dangling on the right side of his front leg. Thus the name.
We also passed by several goats and kids, hogs and pigs in large pens, geese and chickens freely walking about. Can you spot the shy kid below?
As we cross the field, we spotted a lone scarecrow. I had my sister-in-law pose for a souvenir shot (",)
The farm nurtures a variety of flowers, and grow assorted vegetables for agribusiness. A few caught my eye, like this 'Mickey Mouse' plant. Also known as Nipple fruit, it has chemical and medicinal properties, and decorative as well. It looked to me like it's from the tomato family, and seemed like plastic fruits up close.
Getting this close to a bee was a first for me and I was so glad I was able to capture this one as it was pollenating, I guess.
Now correct me if I'm wrong here, but is my imagination running too wild when I thought this looked like The Grinch screaming and pointing a finger towards the sky as it gets frozen as a tree monster?
There was an afternoon drizzle and these cousins still managed to continue with their curious discoveries.
And more wonderful discoveries along the way...
Can you believe these lettuce were like 2 feet high?!
Sss...slithering reptile was camera-ready to pose over our necks when we got to the farm's log cabin. Well, we did not pose with this one if you're wondering.
We all took a breather from the walking tour and the kids opted to circle around the cabin on rented bikes.
One of the elements in the farm that also caught my eye was their use of solid, natural wood for their tables and chairs, just like the ones found at the log cabin and cafe. The distressed and antique look of these furniture reflects the Filipiniana theme.
A golden tree of dried ears of corn stand proud in the field. Pure ingenuity.
These are my favorite shots from the whole trip. Pure emotion captured. My girl was pretty excited to catch a butterfly in the tent but quickly got so scared when it flew straight towards her, not knowing it landed directly on her cap!
Seeing this worm reminded me of one of my girl's favorite book by Eric Carle, "The Very Hungry Caterpillar".
And on we went to the bee farm...uhmmm, it was actually a gallery where we got to see and touch a honeycomb. There was also a viewing window of a small colony of bees.
The PerPETual Park, or pet cemetery, was totally unexpected yet logical since this is a farm with lots of animals. A most wonderful way to commemorate our dearly departed animal friends. Sadly, we lost our own pet poodle Sushi when we got home the day after our visit. Was this coincidence? Creepy.
One of the cutest and most adorable animals I saw in the farm is this miniature pony (?).
Fresh from the farm's wide lettuce patch are these bountiful harvest of crisp greens. Beside it was a crate of firm green tomatoes also on offer.
Paradizoo Theme-Farm proved to be the perfect choice for our live-wire gang of four, leaving everyone with a fun and unique learning experience that will surely be remembered for a long time. Even for just a day, the bonding time of the cousins are truly priceless.
And now they all went quack-ing out of the farm and ready to head back home for some downtime. Goodbye Paradizoo, we had an awesome time. 'Till our next visit!
As soon as we left the farm, my parents, my brother and his family drove back home to the city. As for my crew, we headed back to our hotel for more R & R. To be continued... (",)
Move on to Album 3.
Check out our Album 1
Paradizoo Theme-Farm
Km. 63 Panungyan Mendez, Cavite
Tel.: (046) 413-1244 / 860-2238
Makati Office:
Tel.: (632) 898-3695
Admission:
Adult - P149
Kids - P99
For tours and inquiries:
Zoomanity Group
3rd Foor, Yupangco Building, 339 Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue
Makati City, Philippines
Tel: +63917-8351111
Email: info@zoomanity.com.ph
