Philip's Animal Garden, Aruba

If you’re in Aruba and need a break from the beach, make a stop here.

It's an animal habitat located on the North side of Aruba, about 10-15 minutes from the hotel district.

If you visit the island, it's a must-see, without a doubt!

Obviously, one of the best parts was seeing the animals up-close. It's not often that you get face-to-face with a bull or a 20 ft. boa constrictor that requires 6 men to lift it!

But another perk was the tour guide who walked us through the park giving a little history of each animal, its origins, how it was rescued, or details of its finicky temperament. 

Here's what else we loved: 

- admission comes with a baggie of food for the animals (which leads us to the next thing)

- you get to feed the animals!

- the tour guide we had, AB, was hysterical! He really made the tour interesting, not just for parents, but also for the littles

Here are a few tips:

- the park is outdoors and Aruba is HOT! Make sure you dress lightly, lather up with sunscreen and make the littles wear a hat/sunglasses

- pack some water

- bring cash, the park doesn't accept credit cards

- don't tease Mister Spitty, the alpaca​

- be sure to check out the crazy goats: Mike Tyson (bangs against the bars), Lebron James (opens his mouth to be fed) and Willie Nelson​ (long, blonde goatee)