Once in a while, the Urban Roamer makes it a point to get away from the urban jungle and explore some new place fora change. It was fortunate that I got to that recently thanks to the good folks at Zoomanity Group who provided this chance to go down south to two rising tourist destinations: Paradizoo in Mendez, Cavite and Residence Inn in nearby Tagaytay.
Managed by the same people behind Zoobic Safari, not to mention the recently-visited Zoocobia, as can be expected in Paradizoo and Residence Inn, animals are the star here and much more to offer as well.
Paradizoo
The first stop was Paradizoo, a theme park that showcases farm life in a fun and educational way. Thus, one can see various livestock animals like horses, goats, carabaos, as well as other animals like rabbits and even an ostrich. There is also a butterfly farm, as well as a bee farm where the farm gets to produce its own honey. I suppose this place has been deemed as an animal haven that one can even find a pet cemetery there.
Apart from the animals, Paradizoo is also proud to showcase various flora in its gardens which is currently being developed. But perhaps what’s more impressive is the vegetable garden being grown in the premises, where one not only get to learn about various vegetables and crops, but you also get to purchase some of them as well.
The whole park itself is self-sufficient as such that everything is grown and cultivated within. They even use their own special, non-chemical formula to make their plants grow. Paradizoo has come to acquire so much knowledge on sustainable farming and ecological management that it does not hesitate such knowledge to others who wish to learn about these things.
Paradizoo is a place that kids as well as adults can enjoy. In fact, there is a playground and an events venue where one can celebrate special occasion in the midst of a rural theme park landscape. Some may not see much in this place but developments are still being made. It will be interesting see what will be up next.
Residence Inn
Our next stop was a short drive away from Paradizoo: Residence Inn which is a hotel with a mini-zoo which boasts a view of Taal Lake and its famed volcano. Like many structures in Tagaytay, especially those overlooking the lake, Residence Inn reminds you of those cabin houses like the ones seen in the US and in Baguio too.
If enjoying the lake view is not enough, Residence Inn also has a zip line to take that viewing experience on a different level. But if you would like to be adventurous but not feeling comfortable with zip lines, there is also a cable car option to give you a more relaxed but exciting still kind of view.
And of course, being part of the Zoomanity Group means the experience here would not be complete without the animals. The mini-zoo has a number of animals being showcased here from reptiles to birds to miniature horses, and even ferocious felines like lions and tigers. One can also find a number of souvenir shops all lined up just outside the hotel; it is interesting to see much sights here being packed in this venue.
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With the problems of traffic and a possible looming overdevelopment being faced by Tagaytay and surrounding areas, it is nice to know there are still venues like Paradizoo and Residence Inn that still serve as worthwhile getaways from the city. These are places worth checking out at least if you are in the Tagaytay/Southern Cavite area to unwind and have fun, especially with the family.
Acknowledgements to the good people of Zoomanity Group, as well as to Ms. Grace Bondad-Nicolas for the opportunity to visit their parks
