The last time we visited Zoo Negara was back in 2008. I think it was the end of that year since both my boys were in their matching red England jersey then. And we still had our old maid with us. We lived quite close by, and during weekends, the place was full most of the time, putting us off from going there.
So, when the boys asked us to head over there during the recent Thaipusam break, I got interested. At least, I would be able to wipe off the cobweb on my 7D which had hardly been used since I got the X100, and the the X-Pro 1. Zoo Negara it was.
For a public holiday, the place was relatively empty. We were still to find a parking spot at the main carpark despite turning up close to 2 pm. It was also a bright sunny day, a Sunday. We were prepared for a long day, queues and all. But we didn't have that.
There were a few reasons for that. The entrance fees had just been hiked up from RM 20 to 30 for locals. And then you had to pay for almost everything. A simple little paper maps would cost you RM 2 and a ride on the tram - which was previously free would require a ticket purchase. RM 2.50 I thought.
But all the price increase did nothing to improve the sorry state of the zoo. In fact, it had gone downhill since our last visit. Shameful really, as this was supposed to be one of the main tourist attraction for the foreigners. Those visitors would be astounded at how bad things were there, and as local, I wouldn't impose such a trip to any of my friends coming over from abroad. A far cry really from Singapore Zoo. Even Zoo Taiping was in a better shape. And they charged a pittance to get in.
Continued in Part 2.
