Ostrich Valley

Located around a 40 minute drive from the city, on your way there you’ll have your first taste of semi-rural Ukraine. As you leave the main highway to Zhytomyr, the roads will get progressively worse and signs become rarer. Google maps is your friend here assuming you have a phone signal!

Once you get inside you’ll be greeted with some murals of Ostriches doing unusual things like riding a bike and drinking cocktails. The territory itself is free to walk around and has a small zoo, children’s playground, a Ukrainian car painted in the colours of the national flag and a rather friendly camel.

To see the ostriches you need to find the shop/restaurant and order a tour. They happen quite regularly throughout the day and the cost is fairly low, however they don’t speak English so you are best going with someone Ukrainian to translate for you. The tour is only 30 minutes but you see various ostriches from young to old and hear about these unique animals and the history of the farm.

Afterwards visit the on site restaurant and have an ostrich egg omelet or a try one of their ostrich meat dishes which are all very tasty. There is also a shop where you can buy farm produce at reasonable prices.

It’s not the easiest place to get to if you aren’t travelling by car, but well worth the effort for an afternoon of farm life.