Kids love animals. So what better way to entertain them by visiting one of the best Zoos in the country, Whipsnade Zoo. This was actually a recommendation from Jermaine, a friend of mine and in pirate radio terms a ‘silent listener’ to the blog lol.
We arrived at Whipsnade Zoo at 11am on a half-term Friday and initially thought we had made the wrong choice of date. Our daughter isn’t at school yet so there was no real reason we needed to visit during the busy half term! But Whipsnade is so big that it wasn’t a problem at all. The vast amount of land far surpasses that of most Zoos. We couldn’t believe how much space there was! And this is what I think makes the Zoo such a good experience. Going to Whipsnade is more like experiencing a safari than a zoo. As you walk around all the greenland and take in the beautiful views you ‘ll come across all types of animals. Our daughter loved being able to run around on the grass and play, then see some of her favourite animals she had only ever seen in her books, she was in heaven!
The Zoo is split into different parts, Asia, Africa, Europe and the base park. And within these different areas you’ll see Tigers, Lions, Giraffes, Elephants, Meerkats, Otters, African hunting dogs and just about every other animal you could wish to see at a zoo. There are scheduled animal talks throughout the day where the staff talk to you about how the animals live, their history and their likes and dislikes!
The animals seem to be happy and well taken care off. This was a concern of ours prior to visiting the Zoo as my wife had last gone to a zoo in secondary school and seen an Elephant being made to dance before getting food. She felt this was mistreatment and hadn’t visited a zoon since in fear of seeing something similar. But Whipsnade is not like that at all. The animals are all left to exist as they wish and they have adequate space and the right environments to do so.
As you’ll know, what can make or break a family day out is often the basic things. Like toilets and car parking! Whipsnade caters primarily for families so it’s clear they have thought about these things. There are loads of toilets (all clean!) and with those all important baby changing facilities. The car park is massive (and free!) and right next to the entrance which makes your whole experience alot more enjoyable. Inside the Zoo there are plenty of cafes with good food and drink for you too enjoy. And guess what, all the cafes have microwaves!! Before becoming a parent I never would have thought that having access to a public microwave would be so important. But you’ll all know what a pain it can be to try and heat up baby food in a restaurant. The small things in life aye lol.
Be prepared for a full of day of exercise when you go to the Whipsnade. A couple of tips; wear comfy shoes and pack water! The vast amount of land and the scale of the park means you’ll do alot of walking. This is great as it guarantees the kids will sleep well at night lol. As you walk around you’ll spot loads of things to keep the kids entertained, like climbing frames, slides, swings and storytelling classes for toddlers.
Whipsnade Zoo is great value for money. Tickets cost around £22 per adult and £16 per child when you book in advance. There are also family discounts if you book for 2 children and 2 adults. For a whole day out, it’s great value. Make sure you get there early to really enjoy the whole day. We loved Whipsnade Zoo and to be honest, can’t wait to go back!
Written by Elliott
Disclaimer: we were given free tickets to the Zoo in exchange for this review but rest assured, all views are completely honest and solely our own opinions.