This is the second article about our road trip in the Vienne department (86). In the first article, I invited you to discover the cultural side of the Vienne, and this time I’m taking you on more unusual roads to explore the region’s wilder side.
I suggest you join me in visiting two beautiful animal sites/parks in the department: the Vallée des Singes and the Planète des Crocodiles.
As a bonus, we filmed a video with my favorite photographer to help you better experience and feel these discoveries alongside us.
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Table of Contents
La Vallée des Singes
This place is absolutely incredible! I must admit that my favorite photographer and I were a bit skeptical about visiting this park, but we were completely enchanted!
The Vallée des Singes is home to no less than 34 primate species, totaling over 450 monkeys roaming freely in a natural, wooded environment covering 18 hectares. They each live on their own islands without cages or barriers.
This site, which opened in 1998, is entirely private and run by a team of enthusiasts. Here, there’s nothing like what I hate in zoos: seeing animals caged and unhappy. All the monkeys live in conditions close to their natural habitat, and it’s rather we who feel like we are entering their territory, not the other way around…
I highly recommend checking the feeding times indicated on the flyer you receive at the entrance when you arrive. It’s really worth attending, as it’s also a great opportunity to meet the park’s animal caretakers, get carried away by their passion, and listen to all the super interesting information they have to share.
We were especially touched by the very human gaze and mischief of the Barbary macaques, who are real rascals. Don’t hesitate to go and visit them…
The park also places a lot of emphasis on the threats facing primates and how we can help them. Visiting the park is also a way to fund the conservation and awareness-raising role of the Vallée des Singes.
I also recommend visiting the little farm in the park to pet a few goats; they are so cute, I almost left with one (see it in the video).
A little extra:
You can eat inside the park, either at the picnic areas or in one of the two dining areas. For our part, we had lunch at the Case des Chimpanzés, which has an indoor area as well as a large terrace.
Menus from €5.20 to €17
La Vallée des Singes Le Gureau 86700 Romagne site open from February 18 to November 5, 2017 (see detailed hours on the website) Park rates: €19 for adults / €13 for children aged 5 to 12 / free for children under 5
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La Planète des Crocodiles
To enter this world of reptiles, you step under a tropical dome that houses crocodiles, turtles, monitor lizards, chameleons, piranhas, birds, and more. The sight is impressive, and I think it was the first time I’d seen crocodiles from so close!
You will see this for yourselves in the video below, which captures the atmosphere and the uniqueness of these species.
I highly recommend asking for information upon arrival, again, to attend a demonstration and a feeding session; it is very impressive (there’s a great example in the video of chicken being thrown to alligators, yes, really…).
Rates: €12 for adults / €8 for children
Planète des Crocodiles Route du Fond d'Orveau, 86320 Civaux open from July 1 to August 31 from 10 am to 7 pm (and night sessions on Wednesdays from 8 pm to midnight) and the rest of the year from 10 am to 6 pm
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Our video of the stay in the Vienne on the nature side
New video (by Nicolas Diolez, my favorite photographer) for the blog that tries to convey the atmosphere of these animal visits and make you want to experience them for yourselves.
Don’t hesitate to tell us what you think in the comments, and there will be videos in all or almost all of the articles about our stay in the Vienne!
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I hope that with all this I’ve made you want to discover or rediscover the Vienne department, and if you also have your recommendations and good addresses for this department, don’t hesitate to share them in the comments!
Find all my travel articles below:
⇒ All my articles on the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region
⇒ All my articles on the Vienne department
MY ARTICLES ON THE VIENNE
⇒ City guide to Poitiers
⇒ The Vienne: wellness and gourmet
⇒ The unusual Vienne
⇒ Nature and wildlife in the Vienne
⇒ The cultural Vienne
⇒ The Futuroscope
Photo credits: Nicolas Diolez Photos are not royalty-free, photographer's authorization required before any use
