Exploring Baluarte: Animal Encounters in Vigan

Baluarte, located in Vigan, is a privately owned area with a zoo, a resort, and a hotel, where visitors can enjoy animal encounters. While the experience can be exciting, it can also be concerning how some animals are kept in poor conditions. Despite this, Baluarte is a tourist destination in Vigan worth visiting.

We went to Baluarte early in the morning on our second day in Vigan in December of 2021 for our post-Christmas vacation. From Fiesta Garden Hotel, we hailed our rented van and was driven to Baluarte with our tour guide.

There was a wide parking space available for private vehicles at Baluarte. But because it was peak season and hour, our driver still found it difficult to get a parking space. So, he dropped us off at the entrance then we headed off to line up at the entrance gate.

From the entrance, we rode a shuttle to go around the area.

The Safari Gallery in Baluarte

Our first stop was at the Safari gallery. Here we saw an exhibition of the owner’s taxidermised animals and his photos with the animals at the time of collecting them, to put it mildly.

I have a torn opinion about the Safari gallery. It was amazing to see these animals in life size and up-close without fear for safety, however, I cannot help but think of how they were hunted and gunned down as part of a hobby.

Animal Encounters in Baluarte

After our tour of the Safari gallery, we then went to see living animals around the zoo. This one I have to say is the most enjoyable part of our tour in Baluarte.

Giraffes

We climbed up an elevated stand and on reaching the top, the staff handed us the leaves. After a few moments, we saw the giraffes approaching until their faces were literally right at ours– we were standing face-to-face with them! They were all reaching out to the leaves to have their meal. I wanted to pet them because they looked so gentle, but I held back out of fear of scaring them away. Of course, we took a lot of pictures and videos with the giraffes.

After feeding the giraffes, we left and rode our shuttle again. And while on our way, we passed by the hotel and the resort.

Deers

Then we had a second round of animal feeding. This time with the deers. And like the giraffes, they seemed tame. But we still kept our distance. We fed them grass provided by the staff. My cousins and I squatted down to level with the deers’ faces and took pictures with them.

Zebras

Our last stop for animal feeding was with the zebras. They were kept in a spacious fenced area like the giraffes. They also looked tame but none of us dared to pet the animals, fearing it would startle them.

The animal feeding activity was really enjoyable as it gave us a chance to have a safe and close encounters with them. It’s something I would recommend especially for a family or a group travel to Vigan. Both children and adults will appreciate this unique experience.

A Few Reminders

Here are a few reminders when visiting Baluarte:

• You must wear comfortable clothes and footwear when going around. It can get really hot, especially at high noon.
• Even though the animals are tame and used to human interactions, it’s still best to be cautious. Don’t leave children unattended when they interact with the animals.
• Don’t bring drinks and food while going around so that animals won’t be attracted to your food or worse, your trash. Feed them only what was provided by the staff.
• Respect the animals and other guests. Don’t hurt the animals and be respectful of the staff and other guests. Everyone, including the animals, deserves to enjoy their time.
• Throw your garbage in proper places to help keep the grounds clean and prevent animals from eating your garbage.

Other part of the Zoo

Nearing the end of the tour, we were brought to a smaller part of the zoo. Here the large and wild animals were kept chained or caged in tight and poorly maintained spaces. We did not stay long at this zoo area as it was concerning to see them in that condition.

Mixed Opinion and Experience

My opinion and experience in Baluarte are mixed. Feeding the animals and having safe and close encounters with them was exciting. But there is an area where some of the other animals were kept in poorly maintained cages and spaces. Some were even chained. There’s definitely a need for Baluarte to make some improvements in that area and in that aspect. But overall, Baluarte is still a good tourist destination in Vigan for your group or family tour.

*Not a paid or sponsored post.