I came back from San Diego in January 2007 and I was very impressed, its right on the border with Mexico and Tijuana, a day trip to Tijuana is an experience in itself.

The city is very clean and modern, the climate is really wonderful.

I so enjoyed the Zoo, which offers a guided tour bus that traverses 75% of the park. There is an overhead gondola lift called the skyfari. It was built by Vonroll ltd of Switzerland. It is the famous Vonroll type 101. It provides an aerial view of the Zoo and is a quick way to move between opposite ends of the Zoo.

Exhibits are often designed around a particular habitat. The same exhibit features many different animals that can be found side-by-side in the wild, along with native plant life. Exhibits range from an African rain forest (featuring gorillas) to the Arctic taiga and tundra in the summertime (featuring polar bears). Some of the largest free-flight aviaries in existence are here. Many exhibits are “natural” with invisible wires and darkened blinds (to view birds), and pools and open-air moats (for large mammals).

The San Diego Zoo also operates the San Diego Wild Animal Park, which displays animals in a more expansive condition than at the Zoo. Animals are regularly transferred between both parks, as well as other zoos around the world, usually due to Species Survival Plan recommendations.