I love our Honolulu Zoo. It’s big enough that there’s more than you can comfortably see in one trip. We usually head in and go to the right past the lemurs and gibbons. They often put on a great show swinging and leaping from tree branch to bamboo scaffolding on their water-surrounded island. Then we continue on along the right to the African Savanna. You see lots of beautiful birds as you enter. The giraffe, cheetah and meerkats are always highlights for us. The hippo exhibit can be really fun if the hippos are active (feeding times are best). They will swim right up to an underwater viewing area… and if they open their mouths on the way by the kids watching will all squeal!

A lovely place to sit and cool off is the Manyara Bird Sanctuary, where you get to go inside the aviary. If you sit quietly, the birds will come quite close… a great place for photos.

They have a petting zoo that little kids will enjoy, and summer fun programs where participants get to feed the animals.

We always try to go as soon as the zoo opens and we bring a picnic lunch to enjoy on the lawn (picnic benches available too) as the snack bar is really only OK for drinks, but they do have shave ice. A late afternoon visit can be fun too as the animals get very excited near closing time.

Worth a visit!