The next attraction on our itinerary was Baluarte which showcases a mini-zoo housing some endemic and foreign animals like the 800-lb Bengal tiger whom you can take a picture with and the Burmese albino python which stretches to about 20 feet long.
You can also find here a resort complex surrounded by mountains and rocky terrain, plains and hills. This is a private estate being developed by the incumbent Governor Chavit Singson of Ilocos Sur and definitely a landmark to visit.
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| Baluarte |
Inside Baluarte, you will have the chance to interact with the animals - feed them and pet them - and get real close to them as in you could see them face-to-face with no barriers in between. For most of the harmless animals, they have the freedom to go out of the fences and explore with the tourists.
However, some of the really risky carnivores are kept in cages despite the fact that they are tame, it is still quite dangerous especially if they are in a bad mood. All the same, they are quite playful and fun to be around.
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| Deer and ostriches |
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| Huge, scary ostrich |
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| Wotcha lookin' at? |
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| Some geese |
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| A parrot. It doesn't talk. |
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| A white parrot? It honks loudly. |
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| A Bengal tiger sticking its tongue out |
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| Blehh. |
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| Oh, humans. How bothersome. |
Those were just some of the animals that you would be able to see in the mini-zoo. They also have a butterfly garden where you can take pictures with beautiful butterflies of different species and try to chase and catch them in the palm of your hand.
They also feature an animal show where the audience can participate and volunteer to play a game where you would get really personal with some of the animals. By the way, you can take a picture with the tiger for 150 pesos for a 5R-sized photo or 250 pesos for an A4-sized photo.
You can also take some more pictures with the other landmarks and statues inside the zoo or you can also ride one of the miniature horses which is for free and go around the plains.
You may also choose to visit the manor of Governor Chavit Singson which is quite an extravagant structure or his multi-storey house overlooking the city of Vigan and the West Philippine Sea.
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| Dinosaurs! |
Artifacts found inside the Baluarte
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| A yellow submarine model |
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| Blast from the past: some Spanish-era cannons |
Here is the miniature "
calesa" or horse-drawn rickshaw which is for free and you will be toured around the plains and around the sandy terrain to see the animals up close.
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| More like a pony |
The Singson Manor
It feels good to have the opportunity to be one with nature through this tour in Baluarte. Being able to interact with the animals and see them face-to-face can give you a different perspective on nature and life.
It was also a refreshing stroll around and getting to know these animals in depth especially from the experts and caretakers of this complex.
I am hoping that the development of Baluarte would continue and that it would become more interesting with a lot of exotic and endemic animals and hopefully, they would give tourists and visitors more chances to interact with the animals and see them in their natural state.
I love this endeavor that they are doing and hopefully they would improve it all the more so that people will see the beauty of my country.
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