Rotterdam Zoo (Diergaarde Blijdorp)

The Blijdorp Zoo is supposedly one of the most beautiful museums in Europe. It is a little expensive for my taste (18.5 euros, no student discount), but it is definitely worth the time. It's HUGE and it is beautiful. I had never seen toucans, rhinos, flouresecent blue butterflies, nor baby elephants. I was a little disappointed that the polar bear exhibition was not available, and the gorilla's were hidden somewhere in their habitat, but the butterfly exhibit and the oceanium made it better. Here are some photos:

Getting there with no car is a bit of a hassle. You have to get to Rotterdam Centraal, then take the bus that goes towards the Rotterdam Airport (it's either 33, 44 or 40), get off on the Blijdorp stop, cross the street, and then walk to the entrance. There is no direct metro/subway and I didn't see any tram around. Same thing when getting back.

TIPS: I recommend you wear comfortable shoes (it is a long walk inside the zoo). Most of the exhibition is inside, but still bring an umbrella and several layers of clothing for the unpredictable Rotterdam weather. I got really hot walking around the Oceanium or inside some other exhibitions where the temperature has to be warmer for the animals sake, but then stepping out to the cold to continue with the next area was quite a shock. Also, I found food to be quite expensive (about 4-5 euros for poffertjes, seriously?) so bring your own lunch. Although there are several vending machines and small cafés inside.

So, in a nutshell, Blijdorp zoo is definitely a great way to spend the day in Rotterdam. But if you don't have enought time and you want to experience more traditional parts of the Netherlands, skip it. This is not the only zoo in the world.