Aruba » Oranjestad

Aruba Animal Sanctuary: feed ostriches & exotic animals

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Free cancellationExcellent quality

1/7

Duration4h

GroupUp to 25

LanguagesEN · NL +1

PickupAt your hotel

Can you really hand-feed an ostrich in Aruba?

You visit three animal sanctuaries in one afternoon: an ostrich farm with 80 birds, a donkey rescue founded by volunteers, and an exotic animal garden with over 50 species. Hotel pickup, all admission fees, water, and a guide are included. You're back by early afternoon.

Step-by-step itinerary

Tour Aruba Ostrich Farm
Visit Donkey Sanctuary
Explore Philip's Animal Garden
Hotel drop-off

The Experience

What happens when you spend a few hours around animals that most people only see in photos or on a screen? That's the shape of this half-day tour in Oranjestad — you move through three separate sanctuaries, each one built around a different rescue story, and the guide walks you through what you're actually looking at instead of you just standing there guessing. The Aruba Ostrich Farm comes first, and yeah, there are 80 of them, which is a lot more than you'd expect on a small island. You get a guided walk through the farm where the birds aren't behind glass or at a distance — you're close enough to see how they move, how they react, and the guide explains their behavior and survival instincts as you go.

After the ostriches, you head to the Donkey Sanctuary, which has a different weight to it. The donkeys aren't exotic; they're part of Aruba's actual history. For 500 years they were the main transport on the island until cars showed up, and then in the 1970s an illness nearly wiped them out entirely, leaving only about 20 wild ones left. The sanctuary, run entirely by volunteers since 1997, saved them. You get to interact with the donkeys here — it's less of a tour and more of a chance to spend time with them, and the guide fills in the context so you understand why this place matters to the island. Then comes Philip's Animal Garden, which is the biggest stop. Philip Merryweather has been rescuing and rehabilitating exotic animals for years, and the garden now holds over 50 species from around the world. This is the interactive part — you can touch and even feed some of the animals, which is the kind of thing that sticks with you.

The whole thing runs about half a day, and hotel pickup and drop-off are included, so you don't have to figure out transport or timing. Admission to all three places is built in, plus bottled water and a professional guide — some guides speak multiple languages, so check when you book. A portion of what you pay goes back to the sanctuaries themselves, so the money isn't just moving you around; it's supporting the places you're visiting.

What’s included

Your afternoon includes hotel or port pickup, a professional guide, entry to the Aruba Ostrich Farm, the Donkey Sanctuary, and Philip's Animal Garden, bottled water throughout, and hotel or port drop-off at the end.
Some guides speak multiple languages.
A portion of your payment supports the sanctuaries.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyInfant seats availableInfants must sit on laps

Operated by El Tours & Transfers

Is this one for you?Right for families or anyone curious about animal rescue work and willing to spend a few hours moving between three stops. The tour is paced for all fitness levels and works with infants and small children, though you'll be on your feet walking around each sanctuary.