Pairi Daiza, Part 4

One of the best things about Pairi Daiza is its attention to details in maintaining the integrity and authenticity of the worlds it tries to represent. In each region you can find the indigenous animals as well as architectural representations, and a window into its art and culture: The garden’s charm is in all the quirky things like a downed …

Pairi Daiza, Part Three

The slogan for Pairi Daiza is Un jardin des Mondes and the brilliant landscaping designs of this world garden definitely lives up to that motto as they take you on a trip around the globe… from China (La Cité des Immortels)… to Indonesia (Le Royaume de Ganesha)… to Africa or home of the Big Five (La Terre des Origines) which …

Pairi Daiza, Part Two

As much as I would prefer to encounter animals of all species roaming in the wild as opposed to being paraded around in captivity, for me this visit to Pairi Daiza was a real treat of seeing and touching some animals that I would otherwise only get to see on TV or in magazines. In Part Two of our visit …

Pairi Daiza, Part One

In old Persian pairi daiza means closed garden, an early reference to the idea of paradise. In today’s entry I’m taking you on a photographic escape into Pairi Daiza, a private 140-acre zoo/botanical garden in the Hainaut province of Belgium. This place was once a sanctuary of a different kind, a Cistercian abbey–Abbaye de Cambron to be exact: In Part …