Taman Indonesia Zoo — Attraction in Steenwijkerland

tl;dr: Live music, small area, age category 0 -10/ 60+, food good, staff alright, location remote, price expensive.

Dear readers,

My first of impression of the zoo was alright. It seemed cozy and there was live music playing. When i entered the the area, There were a lot of stands that sell food. And i saw a lot of elderly people. This made me think that a lot of this was based on nostalgia.

The parks size is small. It was rather small compared to most zoo's I have seen in the Netherlands when i was still a kid. There was the main area, a restaurant, the zoo area.

The age category was most likely 0 - 10 / 60+ . Even while I was there, I only saw kids and elderly people. Which was kinda sad to see. Given the cultural theme of it.

The food was good. There were lot's of typical Indonesian foods. You did have to pay with cash at the stands. We bought snacks and a plate with rice and meat from these stands. We ate with 5 people and we payed approximately €30,- . The quality of the food was alright for the price payed. The snacks bought from the restaurant were also alright and were about €2,50. The snacks were alright at the restaurant and could be bought with either cash or by using pin card.

The staff was alright. There was no distinction between workers and visitors this is not a real problem especially since the area is small. Other than that the only staff member was the girl behind the counter of the restaurant whom was very nice. And a man playing the drum instruments with us. Whom was also very friendly.

There were a lot of animals. It was very cool to seem them all up close. The animals had enough space and was not to cramped. The birds could be fed with worms or seeds. They had 2 to 3 animal workers the way i saw it. So i hope they maintain the animals well.

The music was good. I really liked the Indonesian music. It even gave me some nostalgia. It was nice that you could eat Indonesian food while listening Indonesian music. People were allowed to dance up front, and to even sing.

The location was ok. It was kinda remote but it is doable while using navigation. There was a bus stop at the place so it would be possible to go there with public transport.

The price was expensive. It was expensive although the area was pretty small. And after you've seen the animals it's only the music that could entertain the visitors. One ticket for one adult is €8,50.

Overall, it was fun yet very expensive. I liked seeing those animals and I also liked the Indonesian foods and music. It was really driven by nostalgia. It was really small so people from far should consider if they really like nostalgia or if they came to see a few animals. I hope the place will eventually grow and attract younger people with Indonesian decent. For now I chose 3 out of 5 stars because I think there are a lot of improvements to be made.

Like my review if it...

Very disappointing ... Maybe they had a bad day .. I was born in Indonesia and had to leave the country like so many other Dutch-Indonesian citizens - I was 8 years at that time - old enough to remember - Upon entering the store i was asked to pay 9,50 euros entrance fee even though I was not going to visit the Zoo (it rained so hard) - They reluctantly allowed me to stay .. I noticed the restaurant across the terrace and wanted to have a look , perhaps get something to eat.. I was craving authentic Indonesian food- In order to get to the restaurant one has to cross the terrace .. I was asked to pay 9,50 euros to do so - no food included or anything, just to get to the restaurant ... it was still raining ... they allowed me to go inside and acted as if they had done me big favor - I bought my snacks and left .. These people are not authentic indo's -- no hospitality, warm welcome or anything that they are famous for ... The lady from the restaurant was sweet - she got a big umbrella so i stayed dry going back - i am 70 years , am a bit restricted in walking and was by myself .. Soedah...

Bij aankomst waande ik mij in Indonesische sferen. Thuiskomen in de cultuur waarmee wij waren opgegroeid. Een welkomstdrankje met spekkoek en een fijne snuffelronde in de cultuurdelende snuisterijen. Wij begonnen onze trektocht door een indoor volière met prachtige vogel exemplaren en verschillende kruiden. Daarna een buiten volière met praatzame grotere vogels. Wij kwamen aan bij de pauwen en toen viel ons op dat de pauwen hun prachtige staart veren, waarom ze bekend staan, nauwelijks in tact waren. Mogelijk jonge pauwen? Ik ken de groei niet van deze mooierds.

Verder lopend naar de zoogdieren en aankomend bij de stekelvarkens schrok ik mij een ongeluk. Het verblijf leek alsof een wervelwind had huis gehouden. Enorme diepe kuilen met stoeptegels en een ijzeren raster ( zo een die gebruikt wordt om een cementen vloer over te gieten) waren zichtbaar en gevaarlijk. Deze beestjes hadden hun stekels uit, schudde eens flink en er vielen zeker een hand vol stekels uit. Ze leken alles behalve relaxt. Om nog over de marter en zijn/haar verblijf te zwijgen. Een mooi informatie bord over hoe deze marter zijn manier vind om het fruit uit de bomen te halen. Zijn verblijf vol met schrikkeldraad, losse planken en puin, pal naast een kersenboom. Het beestje had een alles behalve relaxte blik en bleef herhalend het zelfde rondje lopen. Over andere verblijven vol met groeiend onkruid, niet in de diepte te gaan. Ik lees hier reviews van 11 maanden geleden waarin jullie aangeven, Taman, zorg te besteden aan het welzijn en de verblijven. Hierbij een dringende reminder ofwel kritischer te zijn in wat voor zorg er dan al wel besteed is in die 11 maanden sinds uw geschreven reactie.

Wij hebben het, ondanks de schrik, heel fijn beleefd. Het eten is authentiek lekker, de mensen vriendelijk en alle mooie getoonde stukken deden veel jeugdherinneringen en daarmee...