Best of Oahu Activities: Honolulu Zoo

The weather wasn’t perfect for the beach one day so we decided to go to the zoo (151 Kapahulu Ave, Honolulu). This was our biggest ‘splurge’ attraction on the whole trip at $14 a ticket, but it was worth it because we ended up having a blast! We put two hours in the meter at the parking lot right next to the zoo and it was a perfect amount of time for us. This zoo is big enough to be worth the entrance fee and small enough so that you can see everything and it isn’t a whole day affair. You’ll find all the big favorites and a lot of little interesting creatures as well. Take a map at the door and get going. We started off at the Australian birds which were really interesting. I have always been a big nature lover and get super excited when I find a new type of animal I’ve never heard of, and I did in this section! The tawny frogmouth caused my excitement, a curious looking bird not to be confused with an owl. We saw the endangered nene goose, endemic to Hawaii. There is an enclosed area where you can actually walk around with birds flying free. The Galapagos tortoises were enormous and it was a real treat to see one eating a leaf. The rhinos and cheetahs were very active (we even got a meow!!). The ground hornbill was walking around with a little dead carcass in its mouth, just like the picture on the informational panel, it was awesome! I was too slow to capture the moment, but it is an incredible looking bird. The primates were all sorts of amazing. One of the old orangutans was sitting right up by the glass having a moment with three small children, it was really precious. The gibbon were making absurd noises and just having a hoot. All of the animals seemed to be in good spirits and most had friends, something that is really important to me when thinking about a zoo. Lots of learning and fun to be had here!