Walking past the geods at Pairi Daiza is a marvel (Mandy Mills)

“May-awe.”

My ears perk up and my friend and I smile like two kids entering a candy shop. We are walking on marble past paleolithic fossils and sizeable geodes. Yellow daffodils and purple, pink and red tulips bloom all around us as we get our first glimpse of the park. If we go left, we will find our room for the night, but in every direction, there is a new world to explore.  

“May-awe, Ke-ow.”

We hear the cry of the exotic bird, closer this time. A white peacock rounds the corner and pops its feathers out just as the sun sets.

Walking into Pairi Daiza feels like walking into another world (Katie Wells)

We are staying the night in the giant river otter room at the Pairi Daiza Zoo in Brugelette, Belgium. As guests of the resort, we have all-night access to walk around, as well as early-morning access to other attractions before the crowds of visitors arrive.  

As we head to our room, we stop to coo at the cuteness of two red pandas curled up in a tree and we peek into an aviary with bright pink flamingos. A shadow passes overhead. I see a wide wingspan and large beak wrapped around long blades of grass. For a moment I feel like it’s a pterodactyl and this is Jurassic Park. We move closer, and I squint through the fading light to see that it is a stork building a nest on top of the flamingo aviary netting.  

Red panda’s sleeping in the trees at Pairi Daiza (Katie Wells)

Walk upclose to the flamingos in their aviary at Pairi Daiza (Katie Wells)

Storks build nests on the flamingo aviary at Pairi Daiza (Katie Wells)

That night, we dine at the underwater restaurant, The Abyss, with sharks and fish, then stay up late to watch for our otter neighbors through the bedroom window. It feels like the ultimate sleepover.

Our room had a window with a view directly into the giant river otter enclosure (Mandy Mills)

Pairi Daiza Zoo has 10 worlds, each with impressive architectural design and landscaping that made me feel culturally immersed. My personal favorite was the Islands of the Rising Sun. It was a little island that felt exclusive as I walked through its red gates. Petals from the cherry blossom trees floated down, and there, right in front of us, were sika, a type of deer native to Japan. My heart melted when a young boy scooped up a petal and thoughtfully held it out for a sika to nibble before charging on to the next neat animal to look at. We spotted other animals like raccoon dogs and water buffalo.

The Islands of the Rising Sun at Pairi Daiza (Katie Wells)

Pairi Daiza has impressive archetecture like the Middle Kingdom where you can find red pandas. (Katie Wells)

My friend’s favorite world was the Land of the Cold, where we saw enormous walruses doing back flips off rocks and plopping into the water, polar bears playing with toy traffic cones while swimming and plenty of penguins. Each land had something incredibly unique; even the petting zoo had wallabies.

See peguins upclose in the Land of Cold at Pairi Daiza (Katie Wells)

When our magical overnight at Pairi Daiza came to an end, it was difficult to say goodbye to the animals as we walked past the flowers and white peacock, back to normal life.

If you think a baboon is staring at you, he is— at least in our case. Our room also faced the baboon enclosure. As we watched them in the trees that night, we got the feeling that one was watching us right back and joked about it seeing us in our pajamas. The next morning, as we explored Edenya from above on the suspended walkways, we realized that you can, in fact, see into the rooms. The good news is that there is a curtain, and while you don’t have to check out until closing time, you must vacate the room (your bags will be sent to reception) by the time the area opens to all visitors.

Rooms at Pairi Daiza overlooking the pygmy hippos, monkeys and giant river otters (Mandy Mills)

From the suspended walkways you can see a great view of Edenya (Katie Wells)

Edenya is the newest part of the zoo, which just opened in February 2026. The massive greenhouse spans 4 hectares. It is the largest of its kind in the world. Visiting in the spring was the perfect reprieve from the chilly weather; however, there is cool mist and ventilation to help regulate temperatures during the summer months as well. While exploring Edenya, expect to enjoy:

The Abyss, and underwater restaurant at Pairi Daiza (Katie Wells)