Apenheul — Attraction in Apeldoorn

Terrible experience!

I recently visited Apenheul Park with my wife and our four-year-old son, and what should have been a delightful family day out turned into a distressing experience. While walking through the park, my son was enjoying his ice cream when, out of nowhere, a staff member approached us in a very rude and aggressive manner. She told my son that he couldn't have his ice cream there and that we needed to go back. We were unaware of any such rule and would have gladly complied if we had been politely informed.

When I asked where we could dispose of the ice cream, I was curtly told to go back, again in a very unpleasant tone. As we were trying to follow their instructions, another staff member aggressively followed us, further scaring my son, who started crying uncontrollably. Despite my polite requests to be left alone, he continued to follow us, adding to my son's distress.

We tried to move past this upsetting situation and headed to the restaurant area to finish the ice cream. However, as we attempted to leave the park using the same route, the same female staff member confronted us again, this time accusing me of being moody and insisting that I needed to speak more politely to her colleague. This was unnecessary and unprofessional, especially as my son was once again traumatized by the interaction.

What was meant to be a joyful family outing turned into an emotionally damaging experience for my son. I am extremely disappointed with the behavior of the park staff, who seemed to lack basic courtesy and empathy, especially when dealing with young children.

I do not recommend Apenheul Park to families with young children. The staff's aggressive and unkind behavior completely ruined our day and left my son...

Not recommended. Very nice place but I will certainly never return there: Parking: A big plus for the staff who directed the traffic so that drivers did not behave like locusts. I have no complaints here. Overall, I have no complaints about the organisation. The downside is that it is not possible to buy a parking ticket on the website (officially they do not have any parking). Parking costs a little over 1 euro for 20 minutes! Immediately buy a day ticket to avoid big costs. Animals: Quite a few species, we had nice weather and most of them were visible. Flora: Nicely maintained park. One could relax if not for the biggest downside of this ‘Attraction’. The biggest downside of Apenheul is the stupid unattended children who are perpetually shaking and running around bumping into people. By the middle of the park you won't feel like watching anything because you can't hear your own thoughts. You are standing in a crowd of people with prams. You can't walk, you can't turn around, you can't cross. The children are squealing all the time and you want to move on as quickly as possible. And then you bump into another shaking group of children and even stupider parents. The children try to catch the little monkeys from the beginning of the park, the parents don't react. You can't even stand still for a moment, because you are immediately accosted by children shouting at the top of their lungs. The monkeys are a bastion of culture and peace next to them. Never again. I have been to Beekse Bergen several times at different times of the year and have not experienced...

On May 28, 2017 I went to vist Apenheul. Apenheul is one of the worst animal zoo in the world. There are almost no monkeys to watch at all. Many of the sightseeing points are empty. Unlike what these Dutch people say that there are hundred different species of apes, you will find about 3-4 types only. e.g. chimpanzee, orangutan, small monkeys with white hair and black face(dun know their names). There is NO gorilla in this zoo but their web site shows that they have!!! The small white mickeys are the most common species in the zoo. All animals are unhealthy, sad and dying in this zoo. The only 4 chimpanzee in this zoo are losing hair, weak and lying on dirty floor. The glass cage is very small. Children are terrorizing small animals and their parents are laughing and encouraging them. Orangutans are lying in open field and not moving. There are only 3 of them. I think that they are dying soon. All the display windows of animal shelters are full of dried liquid, fingerprints, hand palm stains and scratches at all. The Dutch people and the tourists are abusing these animals daily but they are making 10 millions euro every year(yearly income listed in their web sites). The web sites list 28 sightseeing points but many of them are children playground of wooden houses and bridges hanging in the trees. Mechanical carousel at site no. 28 is the final point without apes, too. Finally the entry price is too expensive for...