Have you heard of Triperna.com? If not (because they’re practically new), you must have heard of Cobone. Yes? I think no one in Dubai/UAE has not heard about Cobone, the UAE’s most popular deal site. Cobone Destinations has rebranded and now called Triperna – with focus on providing customers with a single source of affordable holiday packages. Triperna’s where I got the one night stay at a standard chalet at Emirates Park Zoo, Abu Dhabi for AED399 (2 adults, up to 3 children under 6. Children over 6 pays AED100 extra).

Updated: Triperna has since closed down. Check Cobone.com for deals.

I’m going to spend a few minutes to tell you why it is a good deal and why you should really go for it.

For on, there is a zoo that children will definitely enjoy. The entrance to the zoo looks like one of the attractions inside Tokyo Disneyland, according to my daughter.

It took us about an hour and a half drive from Deira to the resort but note that this is on a Friday morning when almost everyone is still asleep. But I think it’s not really that far away from Dubai even if there is traffic. It’s just before Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.

Don’t want to spend the whole day in the zoo and too tired to drive back? They have a solution for that! Not many people know there’s an accommodation within the zoo. And you can stay overnight to unwind.

Chalets within the zoo? THIS.

The place is very safe, secure, clean and green. We loved it. Children can roam around free and our kids even played with other children.

Each chalet offers living room with a sofa, a flat-screen TV and a wardrobe. The kitchenette includes an electric kettle and kitchenware. The bathroom was nice and included a rain shower above you and the bed was very comfortable, clean and bed linen and towels smelt just laundered!

 When you stay in one of the chalets, this is what greets you in outside your door. 

It was hot at midday when we entered the zoo but the kids were so happy, they didn’t mind at all. Because, where else can you get close to these amazing, beautiful giraffes this close?

I mean, really, really close.

The face of this kid says it all.

There were many other animals inside like camels, different kinds of monkeys, goats, fishes, amphibians, tortoises, birds, tiger (we didn’t see it!) and others. But the giraffes certainly take center stage.

We love that there are places where you can rest under the cool shade of trees.

There is one main restaurant at the resort that could get really busy during lunch hour. They serve Arabic food which was really good and quite affordable. We had chicken biryani, Lebanese mixed grill, Iranian mixed grill, lentil soup, 3 fresh fruit juices and moutabal and paid around AED170. 

It’s such a special place to see the giraffes most, especially before going to sleep, seeing them there in the middle of the night and to wake up to them in the morning! This is where we saw how giraffes sleep: sitting down but with necks still upright! Must be exhausting, don’t you think?  In the morning the kids were excited to wake up and see the animals. It was amazing! We went out at 7 am to feed the giraffes and zebras, Pristine absolutely loved it.

Some observations/tips when you go to Emirates Park Resort:

• You can bring your own food if you don’t want to walk all the way to the restaurant and if you don’t want to eat Arabic or Subway which was the main food inside.
• The breakfast options at the main restaurant is less than stellar with just standard toasted bread with butter, jam and honey, orange juice, eggs and sausages. (Subway serves breakfast too at 9:00 am. Yep, he’s one of the few who can get away with a Subway for breakfast!)
• The new Deerfields Mall is a short drive away in case you want to have your meals there during your stay.
• There is no hair dryer. 
• Chalet numbers 216 onwards do not have direct view of the giraffe enclosure so book a chalet number other than these. (Ours was 218 – it was ok, we can still walk to where the animals are, it’s not far at all)

• The shower room is small. I was able to fit in but I suppose many might have difficulty? I hope the resort changes this.

THIS: Honestly, I expected to wake up to some sort of animal waste smell in the morning but there was none!

If you are a family with kids, the resort/zoo is a great place for a short getaway. It’s a refreshing change from the big city life and seeing animals this close will excite any child. Hey, it even excites me! I can go on and on and rave about our great experience at the resort but really, it was a superb outing, kids will enjoy! 

~ Benjamin laughed and laughed when the zebra did this ~

Also here’s one thing worth mentioning: The animals at the park actually look happier and contented because they are looked after to very well by the zoo staff. I could never patronize a zoo that maltreats animals!

Sorry for the long post – It’s almost the weekend again, don’t forget to make great and AFFORDABLE family memories together without going away far (and preferably before the real summer kicks in)! I know we’ll be booking another getaway soon.

A little more about Triperna:
Triperna provides holiday packages within the UAE so you can unwind without flying abroad. The site offers exciting packages for local and international travel that covers excursions, hotel stay airline tickets, airport transfers, and more. Customers will be able to choose destinations and packages by regions or themes.  

Updated: Triperna has since closed down. Check Cobone.com for deals.