- lun mag 05, 2014 6:31 pm
#305901
Questo è il resoconto della visita al parco da un giornalista americano : 5 *****
If you think that Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Florida is the ultimate animal park featuring rich themed environment, I invite you to think again. Today we’re leaving amusement parks to visit a Belgian zoo that’s having an incredibly positive word of mouth for a few years. Quality Control review season is open, and we’re starting with Pairi Daiza!
Located in the former estate of the Abbey of Cambron-Casteau, the park opened its gates in 1994 under the name of Paradisio. In the beginning, most of the bestiary was just birds, but step by step, the offer has been expanded over the years to become the complete zoo that it is today. The arrival of two pandas this year was incredibly hyped here in Belgium, however it should not make us forget the originality of the rest of the ‘animal line-up’. There are the ‘classic’ ones: lions, giraffes, monkeys, rhinos, otters, bats, kangaroos, zebras … There are those that we see les often in zoos, such as lemurs, giant turtles, buffalos … And then there is this massive collection of birds.
I loved the close poximity between you and the animals. Many spaces are actually designed to come very close to them, like the squirrel monkey island , the bat cave or the large aviaries where visitors are invited to litterally enter the habitat of animals. Interaction, amazement and giggles guaranteed! Also, many beautiful birds roam and fly freely in the park, which makes the park look a bit more like real life, not just animals in cages.
But the real uniqueness of Pairi Daiza – which means Enclosed Garden in old Persian – is actually not the animals. The real treasure of the park is the immersive and authentic theming. The Africa and Australia themed areas are amazing and very exotic. The areas dedicated to Indonesia and China are absolutely tremendous. You can see a rice plantation on a big hillside over here, authentic religious temples over there… I insist on the word ‘authentic’, because for most of them, the buildings are not vague copies or cheap imitations, as it is common in theme parks in general. In Pairi Daiza, when a Chinese garden or Indonesian temple is built, craftsmen from China or Indonesia come to build these in respect to the rules and traditions of their culture.
As a result, I have never seen anything so authentic in a park than in Pairi Daiza. Even the incredibly detailed environments of Disney’s Animal Kingdom - although they are the result of a deep research and reconstitution work – do not compete with the sense of authenticity that you can feel in Pairi Daiza. Nothing seems fake. Wood is wood, not sculpted concrete. A tree is a tree, there’s no need to add gimmicks everywhere to create hundreds of wow effects. In short, Animal Kingdom wins on creativity and Pairi Daiza wins on authenticity. Carefully highlighted, nature and world cultures become a show that needs no pop artifice in Pairi Daiza.
It must be said that all areas do not provide the same level of immersion and realism. Older areas clearly do not play in the same league as recent ones, but it seems obvious that the entire park will eventually be themed in the future. The good news is that the park can’t stop investing (work in progress is visible here and there – white tigers are set to arrive as soon as this summer).
Also, old buildings have been preserved from the original site. There is a crumbling tower from the old abbey, an actual castle and a small farm. Having them maintained and integrated contribute to the feeling of authenticity. Nevertheless, safety nets have been put on the crumbling tower, which is not beautiful at all. As in Disneyland Paris, they should do what needs to be done to remove these ugly nets. From the outside, the castle looks untouched, but from the inside, it has been beautifully converted into a ‘Nautilus’ theme and offers a tour of dozens of aquariums. Can you believe that I thought this beautiful building housed offices?
Pairi Daiza is full of good ideas, such as The Office of Dr. Yu (this name is just perfect!) Where fish pedicure can gently take care of your toes, in a beautiful traditional Chinese building. Or this gigantic monkey bridge that comes from an aviary to a watchtower for a breathtaking, overlooking view of the park. Or this Chinese tearoom on stilts. Or the large tree house up in giant trees? (where can I book a night?)
Another interesting element is that the park’s amenities and installations do not overprotect visitors as it is the case in most amusement parks, where the smallest water pond needs walls or railings – ‘cause you never know: a child may drown in 5 inches depth… none of that here, and it feels great. Also, promotions are not excessive or intrusive. Not a single advertising billboard giving away a free children’s menu or a season pass in the entire park. That’s a game changer to me.
Pairi Daiza does not take its visitors for idiots or walking wallets. This is unfortunately very rare in amusement parks. I take this opportunity to reaffirm how much I love the new, incredibly neat brand identity of Pairi Daiza. It has been used since 2013 and was designed by Stoëmp Studio in Brussels. So much style and simplicity is dramatically rare in the amusement industry and it completely matches the product. Hopefully this design is here to stay.
I’d like to conclude on an anecdote. At the end of the day, we fell in love with the park so much that we searched information on how to get an annual pass. We did not find any information, no billboard, nothing – until we asked for it at the information desk. Maybe this is the ultimate proof that an amusement park focuses on quality: I want to return because your product convinced me, not because you bribed me to purchase a season pass five times on a single day.
Però ho visto che c'è un acquario