After breakfast at our hotel, we headed to the Desaru Mini Zoo, which is the top-rated attraction in Desaru on Google. It’s easy to see why—my husband and I had a blast! Keep reading to see what you can expect at the zoo.

Oh, and the Desaru Mini Zoo is pretty close to Super Lobster Village, so you might want to grab some seafood for lunch after your visit.

How to Get There: Directions and Where to Park

It took us about 35 minutes to drive to the zoo from The Westin Desaru Coast Resort. On the main road to Pengerang, heading towards Desaru Mini Zoo, just watch for the zoo sign and the side road that goes up a slope. Here’s a Google Map image to help you out:

Turn left where the motorcyclist is and then turn right up the side road. You can park along the road if you want, but I suggest driving past the zoo entrance a bit further up, where there’s an open space for parking.

After parking our car, a staff member handed us each an umbrella to shield ourselves from the hot midday sun. You’ll be out in the open most of the time, so wear light and comfy clothes.

Getting Ready for Fun: Admission Info

As soon as you enter, you’ll see the counter on the right where you pay the entrance fee of RM20 per adult. You can also buy food to feed the animals—it’s RM20 for a basket of feed. If you prefer, you can buy individual items to feed specific animals. Each basket comes with a set of all the food ingredients and a feeding sheet that shows you what to feed to each animal.

Peacock Surprise: Who Knew They Came in White?

First up, the white peacock. It was our first time seeing one—honestly, I didn’t even know white peacocks existed, lol. Too bad it didn’t open its feathers for us to admire. We did get to see a regular peacock, though, posing in full glory.

Checking Out the Fish Tanks

We also saw tanks filled with different types of fish.

Feeding Frenzy with Thousands of Fish

Next up was the Koi pond. We were flabbergasted to see so many koi all at once. When we asked the staff how many koi were in the pond, she said there were 2600 fishes in there. Oh my, talk about overcrowding, lol.

The moment we approached the edge of the pool, the fishes came near us with their mouths open, as if they immediately knew we were going to feed them. Many even climbed on top of each other, that’s how desperate they were for food. Normally, I love feeding fish—it’s therapeutic and fun, like when I stayed at the Grand Hyatt Bali. But here, because there were so many fishes, the moment I threw the fish feed in, they just disappeared, and I couldn’t figure out which ones managed to get the food, haha. It was too spectacular to feel satisfying at all.

Oh, and be careful, because when the koi start snatching food, they splash water. My shorts got wet as a result!

Moving further in, we entered the next tent where there were even more fishes. Here, you could use a net to catch fish for 20 minutes, which costs RM10. Afterward, you can choose 5 fishes to bring home.

There were so many small tilapia, including baby ones, and catfish too.

Feeding the Big Birds

The ostriches were pretty aggressive, so we grabbed one of the handle pails provided. Broke the long beans into small bits and fed them to the ostriches.

Barnyard Buddies

These cows were just chilling out, seeking shelter and lazing around.

The donkeys were super tame and adorable. They couldn’t get enough of the baby corn!

You can even do horseback riding here, though I’m not sure if it’s just for kids because that’s all I saw riding.

This camel was incredibly gentle and friendly. At one point, when I was taking a photo of it, I swear it looked like it was smiling at the camera, haha.

And those miniature horses? Oh my gosh, they were so cute!

We spotted some baby goats, and there was a sign saying not to feed them as they drink milk. However, some kids couldn’t resist sneaking them a treat anyway.

Petting Time with Guinea Pigs, Ducklings, and More

Under a tent, there were all sorts of small critters you could touch and pet. There were guinea pigs, hedgehogs, lizards, chicks, ducklings, baby birds, and even snakes. They were pretty chill and used to human touch, but some of them seemed sleepy, especially the hedgehogs and lizards, probably because it was too hot at noon.

Chill Time with Coconut Milkshakes

The weather was scorching hot, so we had to take a break at one of the refreshment stations. I ordered the Original Coconut Milkshake with no sugar, and it was the perfect refreshing treat. However, my husband’s Avocado Coconut Milkshake was too sweet for my liking.

A tip for anyone visiting Malaysia: if you don’t like your drinks too sweet, always ask for “kurang manis” (less sweet). Otherwise, you’ll find that drinks here are made as if sugar is free!

Continuing our tour in the zoo, here are the animals that we came across:

Feeding Feathered Friends

We also found an area with all kinds of fowl. In each cage, there was a tube at the corner, so you could pour corn bran to feed them. They also loved the pieces of bread we threw in for them.

Deer Drama: Meeting the Picky Eater!

In the deer section, we encountered Mr. Fussy Pot who didn’t want long beans, preferring baby corn instead, haha.

Alpaca Hangout: Making Friends with These Fuzzy Cuties

There was also a room where the alpacas were kept. They were so cute and good-natured!

All in all, it was pretty fun because, you know, it’s not every day you get to pet and hold little animals like that. The whole place had this rustic, village vibe to it, which was cool. It’s not huge, so you can wander around pretty quickly. We hung out for about 1.5 to 2 hours, including taking breaks for coconut shakes. Honestly, I’d say it’s a must-visit if you’re in Desaru. Whether you’ve got kids or not, it’s just a fun spot for animal lovers to kick back and enjoy nature.