Animal adventures in Friesland
Sanjessafari: the animal adventure for little Freek Vonk fans!
We all love Freek Vonk! His enthusiasm is contagious, and especially children can't get enough of this famous biologist. Through an audio tour, you can join him in De Alde Feanen (unfortunately temporarily unavailable). Do your children love to see animals up close and maybe even pet them? Then they need to be at SanjesZoo! We’re testing this animal park to see if it's right for your little biologist!
Sanjessafari is located between Feanwâlden and De Westereen. This animal park is best described as a children's farm plus. There are no lions, elephants, or tigers, but there are other surprising animal species such as meerkats, coatis, alpacas, squirrels, and ostriches. In addition, there are the animals you would expect on a children's farm: goats, sheep, cows, a horse, donkeys, guinea pigs, rabbits, and much more.
On a Monday morning, my daughter and I head to Sanjessafari. An extremely fortunate time, as it turns out. We can quietly follow the route through the park and view all the animals. At some enclosures, it’s a bit of a challenge to find the animal in question, but once you spot the owl, you can be sure that you can count on your child’s enthusiasm!
Sanjessafari has recently been blessed with a number of births. We spotted a baby donkey, baby goats, and quite a few tiny chicks. It’s beautiful to see all that young life!
To Sanjessafari
A whole day of fun
Sanjessafari is an interactive animal park. By following little footsteps, you pass by all the animals. In addition to the animal park, there’s also the Natuurmuseum Bruinenberg. This can be found on the first floor above the animal enclosures. There’s a fun treasure hunt for children around 4 years and older.
If your children aren’t tired after their wild animal hunt, it’s advisable and fun to head to the Sanjessafari play park afterwards. Even little biologists want to play too! You pay one entrance fee for Sanjessafari. It has an indoor play area with a large monkey cage for bad weather, and a traffic park with an outdoor playground for better weather. There’s plenty to do for smaller children as well. Sanjessafari also offers food and drinks. Parents can relax on the terrace (with free WiFi).
If you go to Sanjessafari, you can count on a whole day of entertainment.
Other animal adventures
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To AquaZoo
The most well-known: AquaZoo near Leeuwarden. Here you can see monkeys and polar bears, and from the summer of 2017, even four Nile crocodiles! If that doesn’t excite little Freek Vonk, what will?
To AquaZoo
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To the children's farm
In Dokkum, you’ll find the children's farm Anna Zijlstra Hoeve. There are plenty of animals to see and a large playground. It’s a small-scale children's farm, so it’s very easy to explore.
To the children's farm
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To de Alde Feanen
There are many more animal-related outings in Friesland. For example, did you know that Freek Vonk is very enthusiastic about Lauwersmeer National Park? Freek Vonk has mapped out two boating routes there. Download the audio tour in advance (unfortunately temporarily unavailable), take your phone or tablet with you, and get an explanation from Freek about everything you’ll see in this beautiful nature reserve!
To de Alde Feanen
Another great place to visit is:
Insect World DoeZoo in Leens, Groningen, is a great place where you can view animals up close! For example: snakes and frogs. Not far from Leens, in Pieterburen, there’s a seal sanctuary that’s also great to visit.
Then there's also the children's farm Naturij in Drachten, which is the largest children's farm in Friesland! If rabbits and cows aren't really your thing, and you prefer trout and fish, you can also visit De Forelpoel. In just about half an hour’s drive, you’ll find Kollumerzwaag around the corner!
Blog by Johanna Kommerie
Johanna is a copywriter, blogger, and a resident of Northeastern Friesland. Traveling is one of her biggest hobbies, but she is also in love with the province where she lives. She has a passion for the water, the forests, the Fryske Wâlden, the eleven cities, and the Wadden Islands, but especially for the people who bring this province to life.