Ponderosa Adventure Park — Attraction in Pijije

We loved our time here at the Ponderosa adventure park! Apparently we booked a more “VIP” package (from what we were told) with Teekesia and we were given personal help and instructions from the staff about the attractions. We were also there when the park was completely empty. We only saw another couple and then a small family throughout the day, so it was nice not having to wait for anything!

General info: Great activities for families and couples. Most activities were totally fine for me at 13 weeks pregnant in case anyone reading this is expecting but unsure about having to sit out certain things. For our package, we did the safari, zip line, lazy river tubing, and the waterfall swimming, and I only sat out of the zip line because of the harness pressure.

Lockers are available to rent for $4, but you are also allowed to go between your car and the park. Changing rooms and showers are available. There is a shop to buy food for the animals for the safari ($2 per bag and they recommend 2 bags per person). No water shoes needed for tubing (they let us go barefoot), but you do have to walk back on the path alongside the river once you hit the end of the ride, so bring some if you want protection on the walk back.

Safari: Our guide on the safari tour, Emmanuel, was awesome! He was very knowledgeable and friendly and gave us plenty of time to interact with the animals at all the different stops. The zebras and giraffes were so cute eating the carrots. One of the giraffes would stick his head and neck right over my husband to try to get closer to the carrots we had in the middle of our seat. The ostrich was very quick snagging his share of carrots. Be careful when feeding this one! I had the carrot in the palm of my hand and he still kind of missed and snagged the side of my hand a little on the last bite.

Zip line: My husband really enjoyed the zip lining here! The guides said it was beginner friendly where they help you brake at the end. The path even goes over the waterfall at the end and you have the option to ride upside down. I wish I could’ve joined him on this one because I love zip lining!

Tubing: A short and generally quiet ride for the most part. Some parts have some currents and other parts are seemingly really shallow with very little current. We had a guide helping push us through that part. There is one section where you float one at a time through this rocky framed path where the currents are. One major dip where the guide will stand and help you not flip over as you pass. Nice little thrill at the end as you pick up the pace. If you want to bring your phone for pictures, I recommend having it in a waterproof cover with a lanyard or wrist strap just in case because we did bump into some of the rocks quite a bit!

Waterfall: So peaceful and beautiful! There’s a ladder with a rope by the falls that you can swim to and climb up/jump off, but make sure you grab a life jacket from the life guard first. My husband swam all the way over and then the life guard blew his whistle and made him come back to get a jacket. We stayed there for a while, took some pictures, and swam until some rain...

I wanted to take a moment to share my sincere appreciation for the exceptional experience my family and I had at Pandarosa Adventure Park and the hotel at Teekesia. While we originally planned our visit to see the animals, we ended up staying at the resort as well, and from start to finish, we were thoroughly impressed with the level of service, attention to detail, and genuine hospitality provided by your staff.

From the moment we arrived, Jose Hernandez at the front desk made us feel truly welcome—like we were part of la familia. He immediately ensured that our luggage was taken care of, even though we arrived slightly early and our room was not yet ready. Understanding our excitement to start exploring, he arranged for our bags to be handled promptly so we could begin enjoying the park without any hassle. He even made sure we were well-hydrated and had everything we needed before setting off on our adventure.

The safari experience was absolutely incredible, so much so that we went twice—two days in a row. Our guide, Byron Brizuela, was outstanding. His knowledge of the animals, his excellent English, and his ability to engage with our two-year-old son, Joshua, made the experience unforgettable. Byron went above and beyond, taking the time to answer all of my questions in detail, offering to take family photos, and ensuring that my son had an amazing time. Joshua was so thrilled with the experience that he insisted we go back the next day before we left.

The lunch provided with the safari was another highlight. The traditional food was delicious, with generous portions and a variety of options that suited my entire family. I personally loved that I could eat as much as I wanted, and the fact that non-alcoholic drinks were included was a nice touch.

Beyond the safari, every part of the park exceeded our expectations. My son loved the water park, and visiting the waterfalls was an incredible experience—especially the thrill of jumping off one myself! Even in the evenings, Jose continued to provide excellent service by offering recommendations for local restaurants, providing English menus, and even arranging for a driver to ensure our food was delivered at a fair price. It’s these small details that truly set Pandarosa Adventure Park apart.

I want to express my gratitude for the extraordinary effort that Jose and Byron put into making our trip so special. Their dedication to guest satisfaction was evident in every interaction, and I made sure to get the correct spelling of their full names so they could receive the proper recognition they deserve. Employees like them are what turn a great experience into an unforgettable one, and I hope they receive the acknowledgment they have earned for their outstanding service.

We will absolutely be returning to Pandarosa Adventure Park, and our son hasn’t stopped talking about all the amazing animals he saw. Thank you once again for such a wonderful stay—we can’t wait to visit...

Not worth the money at all. Very misleading "safari" adventure. The "safari" ride goes fast and all we saw were antelopes, a buffalo, giraffes, ostrich, zebras, goats that made ALOT of noise, and, crocodiles that were "sleeping" or heavily sedated. No lions, tigers, bears or other animals that you would expect to see in a zoo or "safari." The cool thing that you get to do are feed the zebras, ostrich and giraffes with carrots that you have to purchase. That was a cool experience but I expected to see ALOT more animals. They also had a lot of statutes resembling idols that was a bit bizarre. Definitely a very UNDERWHELMING experience. The lunch was nothing short of absolutely DISGUSTING. The rice was hard. The beans had no flavor. The pork chops that my father ordered was "tough" as he described and he is not a picky eater at all. The lunch made most of us sick. Just nasty! Horrible!!!!

Ponderosa: You need to do better. It has alot of potential as a tourist attraction. Also, I recommend diversity and inclusion training for your employees. I definitely felt like as a Black family, we were treated differently than your White visitors. Our monies spent are just as important as the White families so we should feel...