Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Go If You Must, but Don't Tell Anyone
If you are traveling with children, you know that the caves and trulli will
only hold their attention for so long, and endless winding roads in the
back seat are no picnic. There is a diversion, but only in an emergency. The
bizarre Zoosafari e Fasanolandia
9
(Fasano exit off Hwy. 16, south of
Bari; % 080-4413055; www.zoosafari.it; hours vary, see website; 13,
free for children under 4) is just what the kids ordered, but may leave
adults aghast. Here on the Puglian plains is Italy's only driving-safari com-
plete with lions, tigers, and bears, not to mention elephants, ostriches,
penguins, camels, and zebras. There's also a dolphin and otter show in the
main lake and a reptile house and butterfly exhibit in the zoo. If that's
not enough, there's a children's theater, a water slide, a full playground, a
sprawling amusement park, and a fully stocked junk-food paradise for the
kids. The highlight (close your eyes here, Mom and Dad) is the monkey
train on which spectators crowd into caged cars and ride through the mon-
key pen in a strange, reverse zoo effect while monkeys clamor all over the
cages to look inside.
In theory, this is somewhere between a Mediterranean version of Sea
World and a real African safari—but it's basically a zoo run by carnies. The
pens are somewhat rusty and the animals are crowded, but the kids will
love it and you can probably get a lot of very good behavior in exchange.
There is easily enough to do to spend the entire day here, but, please, only
in an emergency.
houses are so tiny that it is common to see residents either dining at a table out-
side the kitchen doors or visiting with friends on chairs in the alleyways.
There are very few restaurants to choose from in Alberobello. Il Poeta
Contadino (Via Indipendenza, 21; % 080-4321917) is on the expensive side,
starting at
€€€€
25 for a large plate of pasta, water, and cover charge. The ambience
is warm and the food is very good.
Its exact opposite is the greasy spoon down the street, 3M (Via Indipendenza,
9; % 080-4325432), where the pasta starts at 5, with no table charge at all. You
can even ask for your water all rubinetto, straight from the tap, for free.
If you are looking for gifts to take home, duck into Tholos Wine Bar di Luigi
Minerva (Via Monte S. Michele, 20; % 080-4321699; www.trullodelgusto.it),
where you can sample some wonderful local wines, salami and cheese, and local
confections. They will package and ship gifts for you.
Don't overnight in Alberobello unless you are dying to sleep in a trulli. (And
even then, there are many self-catering trulli farther from town, in the country-
side.) You should be able to find a trulli for about 75 a night, or 450 a week,
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