Paradise Wildlife Park
Latest Reviews
I went here not really knowing what to expect, I'm not keen on the idea of zoos but it was just up the road and we wanted to take a friend to cheer her up after some difficult times.
Firstly, we are a couple in our late 30's, no kids and really into wildlife and the great outdoors. Our friend, in her early 60's is passionate about animal welfare and big cats and has an interest in zoology.
I want to write a balanced view here, but it's going to be hard because parts of this place were great, but parts of it were so awful that I came away feeling quite upset, despite the fact we had a nice day with our friend. It will probably be easier to deal with each thing as I remember it, rather than try to divide into good/bad. To give this review perspective we visited on a Saturday in mid May.
On arrival you drive down a road into what looks like a theme park. This place is clearly geared towards kids and the sort of families that need to be "entertained". I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach as we got out of the car as it all looked very tacky and commercial with huge plastic meerkats and bright signage as the main focus. I could hear loud tacky fairground style music pumped out from beyond the car park and I took a deep breath. It certainly didn't give the impression of "Paradise" or "wildlife".
Anyway, we paid our money and used a 20%off voucher that we found online just by googling, this was a smooth transaction and we entered the park and were given maps. We went in the cafe by the entrance for a quick cup of tea, which was alright, nothing special but large cups and reasonably priced. There's a huge ball-pit style attraction in here, which made me wonder what sort of people would bring their kids to a wildlife park with lions, tigers etc as the main attraction then spend their time sat in a cafe with the kids in the ball pool. We are about to find out...
Upon leaving the cafe and entering the park, we noticed that everyone had several unruly kids and was about 22 stone. We seemed to be the only people not wearing polyester branded sportswear.
We realised on looking at the map that the park is divided into two with the wildlife bit at the back and the entertainment/theme park the first bit you have to go to to get to the animals. I am not exaggerating here when I say that this first part is like entering the seventh circle of hell. Loudspeakers playing that godawful theme from "Frozen" and various slides, rides, amusements and later a stage with various workers dressed as animals leaping about like they were on on acid. We sat waiting for our friend to use the loo observing the scene around us. Lots of people shouting at their kids with fags hanging from their lips while on their mobile phones shouting at whoever is on the other end. The theme from Frozen has gone now, replaced by Blame it on the Boogie and then bizarrely some gangster rap and I don't know what else because we didn't stick around long enough to find out. Our thoughts at this point being let's just see the animals and then we can get the hell out.
At this point you cross a road into the animal bit. There's still garish signage everywhere and again it's all aimed at kids and very commercial. There's a sign pointing at something you think is an animal enclosure off to the left but in fact is a set of slot machines. There's a little kiosk selling animal feed for £1 a bag so we get two and are dismayed to discover each bag contains half a finely chopped carrot. We are about to lose all hope when we go round a corner and are met by the sight of a majestic white tiger looking straight at us! It's still not that busy as everyone else seems to be at the amusements so we are able to spend a good amount of time observing at a close distance before he wanders off.
We then go into a building and watch a talk given by a young lady with a voice like nails down a blackboard. During the talk lots of small animals are brought out including rats, a skunk, an owl and some ferrets. It's mildly interesting but all very dumbed down and patronising and delivered in that childrens TV presenter on speed style everybody hates, especially children. The kids in the building are all getting restless at this point because they just want to go back on the rides and not listen to the screechy lady with the distressing voice. The good thing is the owl is flown around and lands on perches very close to the audience, it's possible to get right up close to the animals if you sit down the front and the animals all seem to be well looked after and healthy. Obviously none of the kids are watching and the parents are all telling them off. It's at this point that they decide to play a video at full volume about Hero Rats and it has a very annoying song, again in children's entertainer style high pitched shrill about the poor little suicide rats that are used to detect land mines. I'm rather horrified by this piece of propaganda and we are then asked to give money to the rat which has been trained to put it in the money box. Hmmmm I hope not all the "talks" are like this.
So on to the next talk, which couldn't have been more different. We're at the cheetah enclosure and the speaker is an elderly gentleman who is very interesting and engaging and we see the cheetah being fed by hand by Ian the keeper and another keeper who are inside the enclosure. Fascinating stuff and in complete contrast to what we've just endured. Only thing is all the overstimulated brats and their parents are all shouting at each other, which ruins it a little.
We then wander around the rest of the zoo part, which is rather nice. I'm surprised by how well kept everything is and by how close you can actually get to the animals and they all seem quite happy. We watch more talks including the otters and the red pandas, again fascinating and engaging stuff marred by the whiny brats and their shouty parents. Everyone here seems to have the attention span of a goldfish. And they are everywhere.
Anyway, there's a lot of really good stuff here. The enclosures seem well kept and roomy compared to other zoos I've been to, and views are enhanced by raised walkways and viewing platforms. There's a white leopard that we see in a small enclosure pacing about, we're concerned about him and ask a keeper. Apparently he is in there while the females are fed so he doesn't steal their food. He will be let back out very soon. Perhaps a sign stating this would be a good idea? We weren't the only ones who found this alarming, but most people wouldn't have asked about it and left with the wrong impression.
Throughout the afternoon we are pleasantly surprised by the rest of the animal park, the rainforest house is really nice with the little Tamarins and we see a good selection of animals who all seem very happy and well looked after. By now we have learned to try to filter out the thousands of people who take their kids out in public to shout at and humiliate them.
We then go and look for the bird section, but can't find it. Twice we are given directions then discover a very narrow path with no signage at the back of the gift shop. This leads to the birds. Upon arrival we are invited into the Lorikeets house where we are given a little pot of nectar and an elf'n safety brief before we are lead through and they all land on us to drink the nectar. This is a highlight of our day, it's £1 extra but well worth it. We come away having taken lots of nice photographs of the beautiful birds on each other's heads and it didn't feel rushed or scary. Very pleasant. The rest of the bird part we have mixed feelings about - some fabulous birds but all the enclosures look a little small and in need of updating, is also has a feeling of being tucked away from the main attraction. Mind you with all the shouting that's probably a good thing, for the birds at least. There's also an arena in the middle where they do bird displays but there was nothing on at the hour we visited.
Following this we make our way back for the lion feeding, we notice a lot of people have left and we get a good view from the platform as the lions are given their dinner. Again the elderly gentleman is giving the talk, which is really interesting but unfortunately a lot of the kids are moaning they are bored and they want to go home. Then the parents are moaning that the kids are moaning. There's three lions eating a horse about 18 feet in front of us and a man who has known them since they were cubs and has worked with lions for many years is telling us about the time he slept next to one and all these miserable excuses for humanity are starting to wander off. At this point I wonder what is wrong with these people. Why do they come here? Then I remember the funfair style attractions and I believe therein lies the problem.
I don't know if I would come back here. The lions, tigers, leopards etc are amazing. We really enjoyed some of the talks and chatting to the keepers afterwards. This part is really nice, but you have to dodge all the overstimulated brats and their horrible parents shouting into their phones. Perhaps it would be better on a school day?
It's such a shame that it can't just be a peaceful wildlife park/zoo and they need to have the nasty entertainment to draw the crowds, I wonder if they took it away, got rid of the plastic and dumbing down kiddy focused nonsense and made it more about the animal experience, made that more engaging, would they attract a different sort of crowd that wouldn't make it so unpleasant for serious visitors who just want to come to "Paradise" wildlife park to enjoy the magnificent animals? I do worry about the effect all the noise and stress has on the creatures, whose hearing and sensory perception is far greater than ours. Maybe they could bulldoze the theme park style attractions and make the animals the main gig? We'd certainly come back then, and frequently.
Firstly, we are a couple in our late 30's, no kids and really into wildlife and the great outdoors. Our friend, in her early 60's is passionate about animal welfare and big cats and has an interest in zoology.
I want to write a balanced view here, but it's going to be hard because parts of this place were great, but parts of it were so awful that I came away feeling quite upset, despite the fact we had a nice day with our friend. It will probably be easier to deal with each thing as I remember it, rather than try to divide into good/bad. To give this review perspective we visited on a Saturday in mid May.
On arrival you drive down a road into what looks like a theme park. This place is clearly geared towards kids and the sort of families that need to be "entertained". I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach as we got out of the car as it all looked very tacky and commercial with huge plastic meerkats and bright signage as the main focus. I could hear loud tacky fairground style music pumped out from beyond the car park and I took a deep breath. It certainly didn't give the impression of "Paradise" or "wildlife".
Anyway, we paid our money and used a 20%off voucher that we found online just by googling, this was a smooth transaction and we entered the park and were given maps. We went in the cafe by the entrance for a quick cup of tea, which was alright, nothing special but large cups and reasonably priced. There's a huge ball-pit style attraction in here, which made me wonder what sort of people would bring their kids to a wildlife park with lions, tigers etc as the main attraction then spend their time sat in a cafe with the kids in the ball pool. We are about to find out...
Upon leaving the cafe and entering the park, we noticed that everyone had several unruly kids and was about 22 stone. We seemed to be the only people not wearing polyester branded sportswear.
We realised on looking at the map that the park is divided into two with the wildlife bit at the back and the entertainment/theme park the first bit you have to go to to get to the animals. I am not exaggerating here when I say that this first part is like entering the seventh circle of hell. Loudspeakers playing that godawful theme from "Frozen" and various slides, rides, amusements and later a stage with various workers dressed as animals leaping about like they were on on acid. We sat waiting for our friend to use the loo observing the scene around us. Lots of people shouting at their kids with fags hanging from their lips while on their mobile phones shouting at whoever is on the other end. The theme from Frozen has gone now, replaced by Blame it on the Boogie and then bizarrely some gangster rap and I don't know what else because we didn't stick around long enough to find out. Our thoughts at this point being let's just see the animals and then we can get the hell out.
At this point you cross a road into the animal bit. There's still garish signage everywhere and again it's all aimed at kids and very commercial. There's a sign pointing at something you think is an animal enclosure off to the left but in fact is a set of slot machines. There's a little kiosk selling animal feed for £1 a bag so we get two and are dismayed to discover each bag contains half a finely chopped carrot. We are about to lose all hope when we go round a corner and are met by the sight of a majestic white tiger looking straight at us! It's still not that busy as everyone else seems to be at the amusements so we are able to spend a good amount of time observing at a close distance before he wanders off.
We then go into a building and watch a talk given by a young lady with a voice like nails down a blackboard. During the talk lots of small animals are brought out including rats, a skunk, an owl and some ferrets. It's mildly interesting but all very dumbed down and patronising and delivered in that childrens TV presenter on speed style everybody hates, especially children. The kids in the building are all getting restless at this point because they just want to go back on the rides and not listen to the screechy lady with the distressing voice. The good thing is the owl is flown around and lands on perches very close to the audience, it's possible to get right up close to the animals if you sit down the front and the animals all seem to be well looked after and healthy. Obviously none of the kids are watching and the parents are all telling them off. It's at this point that they decide to play a video at full volume about Hero Rats and it has a very annoying song, again in children's entertainer style high pitched shrill about the poor little suicide rats that are used to detect land mines. I'm rather horrified by this piece of propaganda and we are then asked to give money to the rat which has been trained to put it in the money box. Hmmmm I hope not all the "talks" are like this.
So on to the next talk, which couldn't have been more different. We're at the cheetah enclosure and the speaker is an elderly gentleman who is very interesting and engaging and we see the cheetah being fed by hand by Ian the keeper and another keeper who are inside the enclosure. Fascinating stuff and in complete contrast to what we've just endured. Only thing is all the overstimulated brats and their parents are all shouting at each other, which ruins it a little.
We then wander around the rest of the zoo part, which is rather nice. I'm surprised by how well kept everything is and by how close you can actually get to the animals and they all seem quite happy. We watch more talks including the otters and the red pandas, again fascinating and engaging stuff marred by the whiny brats and their shouty parents. Everyone here seems to have the attention span of a goldfish. And they are everywhere.
Anyway, there's a lot of really good stuff here. The enclosures seem well kept and roomy compared to other zoos I've been to, and views are enhanced by raised walkways and viewing platforms. There's a white leopard that we see in a small enclosure pacing about, we're concerned about him and ask a keeper. Apparently he is in there while the females are fed so he doesn't steal their food. He will be let back out very soon. Perhaps a sign stating this would be a good idea? We weren't the only ones who found this alarming, but most people wouldn't have asked about it and left with the wrong impression.
Throughout the afternoon we are pleasantly surprised by the rest of the animal park, the rainforest house is really nice with the little Tamarins and we see a good selection of animals who all seem very happy and well looked after. By now we have learned to try to filter out the thousands of people who take their kids out in public to shout at and humiliate them.
We then go and look for the bird section, but can't find it. Twice we are given directions then discover a very narrow path with no signage at the back of the gift shop. This leads to the birds. Upon arrival we are invited into the Lorikeets house where we are given a little pot of nectar and an elf'n safety brief before we are lead through and they all land on us to drink the nectar. This is a highlight of our day, it's £1 extra but well worth it. We come away having taken lots of nice photographs of the beautiful birds on each other's heads and it didn't feel rushed or scary. Very pleasant. The rest of the bird part we have mixed feelings about - some fabulous birds but all the enclosures look a little small and in need of updating, is also has a feeling of being tucked away from the main attraction. Mind you with all the shouting that's probably a good thing, for the birds at least. There's also an arena in the middle where they do bird displays but there was nothing on at the hour we visited.
Following this we make our way back for the lion feeding, we notice a lot of people have left and we get a good view from the platform as the lions are given their dinner. Again the elderly gentleman is giving the talk, which is really interesting but unfortunately a lot of the kids are moaning they are bored and they want to go home. Then the parents are moaning that the kids are moaning. There's three lions eating a horse about 18 feet in front of us and a man who has known them since they were cubs and has worked with lions for many years is telling us about the time he slept next to one and all these miserable excuses for humanity are starting to wander off. At this point I wonder what is wrong with these people. Why do they come here? Then I remember the funfair style attractions and I believe therein lies the problem.
I don't know if I would come back here. The lions, tigers, leopards etc are amazing. We really enjoyed some of the talks and chatting to the keepers afterwards. This part is really nice, but you have to dodge all the overstimulated brats and their horrible parents shouting into their phones. Perhaps it would be better on a school day?
It's such a shame that it can't just be a peaceful wildlife park/zoo and they need to have the nasty entertainment to draw the crowds, I wonder if they took it away, got rid of the plastic and dumbing down kiddy focused nonsense and made it more about the animal experience, made that more engaging, would they attract a different sort of crowd that wouldn't make it so unpleasant for serious visitors who just want to come to "Paradise" wildlife park to enjoy the magnificent animals? I do worry about the effect all the noise and stress has on the creatures, whose hearing and sensory perception is far greater than ours. Maybe they could bulldoze the theme park style attractions and make the animals the main gig? We'd certainly come back then, and frequently.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Fantastic!
We went to the Big Cats Breakfast yesterday and just had a brilliant morning. ALL the staff at the Park are helpful, professional, hard-working and fun. Particular thanks to Ian (Tour Guide), the 2 ladies that looked after us at the Meet & Greet and the 2 ladies at the breakfast. Tour was excellent, love the animals and the breakfast at the end of the tour. Food was really inviting, fresh and tasty. And great location to get to from where we live. We'll definitely go again on another day. And a couple of our friends with children have also visited and loved it.
We went to the Big Cats Breakfast yesterday and just had a brilliant morning. ALL the staff at the Park are helpful, professional, hard-working and fun. Particular thanks to Ian (Tour Guide), the 2 ladies that looked after us at the Meet & Greet and the 2 ladies at the breakfast. Tour was excellent, love the animals and the breakfast at the end of the tour. Food was really inviting, fresh and tasty. And great location to get to from where we live. We'll definitely go again on another day. And a couple of our friends with children have also visited and loved it.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Went for a special speedway luncheon in a lovely marguee and enjoyed the food, a top class buffet by any standard. The Speedway Museum is very good too. But the animals and the play areas are the main attraction. On a lovely sunny day lots of people enjoying themselves, and the owners invest - a newish car parking area was evidence on arrival. Recommend this as a day out, the speedway element is a small but welcome bonus.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
A nice day out.
Loads of animals.
The missus wanted to see predators - theyve got lions, tigers, leopards and more!
I wanted to feed the sheep and goats at the farm!
We ended the day with a round of mini golf - loadsa fun!
Although she beat me...😒
We would definitely recommend it especially for families with young children.
Loads of animals.
The missus wanted to see predators - theyve got lions, tigers, leopards and more!
I wanted to feed the sheep and goats at the farm!
We ended the day with a round of mini golf - loadsa fun!
Although she beat me...😒
We would definitely recommend it especially for families with young children.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Wow....... I brought this experience for my wife and went along as the second person, boy am I glad I did.
We were greeted with a warm smile at the Discovery centre and were given a hot drink and biscuits as a starter.
We were led by a keeper called Joe to the meerkats enclosure, this was a private affair withn only the two of us and Joe.
We were led into the enclosure and sat down on a rock and a tree trunk, almose immediately the Meerkats were upon us, what a joy!
The Meerkats were so friendly and so agile, I think this is one of the best experiences I have ever had with any animails.
Dont hesitate, if you like Meerkats, spend your money here as you will not be dissapointed with your time in with the Meerkats, they are lovely!
The Meerkats are inquisitive so expect them to go through your pockets, down your top if they think they can see something and to scratch away at your pockets if they cant get in them, yes all of this happened to us in the 30 minutes we were with them!
Once your experience is finished, you are then free to explore the rest of the zoo
We were greeted with a warm smile at the Discovery centre and were given a hot drink and biscuits as a starter.
We were led by a keeper called Joe to the meerkats enclosure, this was a private affair withn only the two of us and Joe.
We were led into the enclosure and sat down on a rock and a tree trunk, almose immediately the Meerkats were upon us, what a joy!
The Meerkats were so friendly and so agile, I think this is one of the best experiences I have ever had with any animails.
Dont hesitate, if you like Meerkats, spend your money here as you will not be dissapointed with your time in with the Meerkats, they are lovely!
The Meerkats are inquisitive so expect them to go through your pockets, down your top if they think they can see something and to scratch away at your pockets if they cant get in them, yes all of this happened to us in the 30 minutes we were with them!
Once your experience is finished, you are then free to explore the rest of the zoo
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
We stayed over at the zoo and fed the tigers on the morning, the keeper took us for a tour around all the big cats and was very informative. The tiger feed was a special experience - felt priviliged to be so close to such a big animal. The champagne breakfast was brill, there was just us two in the cafe with plenty of choice. The park its self was great plenty to do, would highly recommend the experience and the park to anyone!
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
The park was clean and the staff were very helpful. We had a mix of ages and one disabled person, the zoo was perfect for everyone. Great value for money. Will be going back this year.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Plenty to see and do, very clean and well laid out. Glass panels on mostly all of the animals so small children can see too. Fantastic zoo! Food in Sam's was delicious and served very quickly. Plenty of places to sit for a picnic too. Kids throughly enjoyed themselves as did the adults. Will be recommending and visiting again very soon.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
A gift from our eldest Son and his partner, we went to meet and feed the wolves. The experience begins before the park officially opens so it is an early start. On arrival we went to the Discovery centre, where we were given coffee and biscuits. We met Pia our guide for the experience, who gave us information on the wolves and what we would be doing. She obviously loves her wolves and is very knowledgeable. We visited two enclosures housing two and one respectively. This is one awesome experience being so close to a top predator and feeding them by hand. It was quite astonishing to find the food was taken in a very gentle manner. Some they ate straight away and some they took to cache for later. The wolves are very comfortable with Pia, which in turn meant that they were very comfortable with us. This was a morning that we will never forget. After feeding we returned to the Discovery centre, more coffee and biscuits and a good long conversation about the wolves and the care they receive, and while we prefer to see our wildlife wild, it is good to know that those in captivity have people like Pia looking after them. We spent the rest of the day looking around the rest of the park which was very busy with plenty of children having a great time looking at the animals and enjoying the different facilities on offer to them. Even if you cannot take an experience, the park is still a great day out for all age groups.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Such a wonderful wildlife park!
The animals are amazing.... and clearly loved and cared for.
The viewing areas have been built to maximise viewing for lots of people.
All the staff are friendly and helpful.
Lots for kids to do and you can easily spend a whole day there.
The animals are amazing.... and clearly loved and cared for.
The viewing areas have been built to maximise viewing for lots of people.
All the staff are friendly and helpful.
Lots for kids to do and you can easily spend a whole day there.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Perfect place for kids lots of play areas and extra activities (soft play, sand pit, splash area) zoo part isn't very big but very nice. Definitely worth of visit.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
we spend lovely dey during term time so it was really quiet. My 2 year old loved all play areas and soft play. We brought a picnic with us where there were many outside places to have our lunch but I could see there were plenty of cafes we could have bought food at if we wished .The viewing areas allowed clear photo opportunities for all the animals, and there were lovely walking areas to get away from the busier areas. Definately worth a visit
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Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
My husband, 2 year old daughter and I came on a lovely summers day during term time so it was really quiet.
The animals were all beautiful and appeared happy and well cared for.
We brought a picnic with us where there were many outside places to have our lunch but I could see there were plenty of cafes we could have bought food at if we wished.
My 2 year old was in her element, they are very well catered to young children. There are lots of parks and play areas that she could get stuck in to, she loved the little train too. The best part for her was the paddling pool so if it is a sunny day don't forget their swimming costumes.
Absolutely fantastic and we will certainly be returning.
The animals were all beautiful and appeared happy and well cared for.
We brought a picnic with us where there were many outside places to have our lunch but I could see there were plenty of cafes we could have bought food at if we wished.
My 2 year old was in her element, they are very well catered to young children. There are lots of parks and play areas that she could get stuck in to, she loved the little train too. The best part for her was the paddling pool so if it is a sunny day don't forget their swimming costumes.
Absolutely fantastic and we will certainly be returning.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
My partner and I always visit the zoo whenever we go away, and I have to say, Paradise is by far the best I've ever visited.
The keepers who were walking around the park were happy to tell us more about the animals, and there were even some you were allowed to feed (the reindeer being my personal favourite) The viewing areas allowed clear photo opportunities for all the animals, and there were lovely walking areas to get away from the busier areas.
We don't have children, but there are plenty of additional activities for kids (just make sure you bring your wallet as there were a few games you would have to pay extra for) and there's even a small paddling pool type space for the kids to cool off on a hot day.
The keepers who were walking around the park were happy to tell us more about the animals, and there were even some you were allowed to feed (the reindeer being my personal favourite) The viewing areas allowed clear photo opportunities for all the animals, and there were lovely walking areas to get away from the busier areas.
We don't have children, but there are plenty of additional activities for kids (just make sure you bring your wallet as there were a few games you would have to pay extra for) and there's even a small paddling pool type space for the kids to cool off on a hot day.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
I adopted my fiancée a penguin via Red Letter Days for xmas and as part of the offer we got free tickets to the Wildlife Park. I will be honest we were probably the oldest people there but it was great. His name is on display on the adoption board which he loved! But it was great to feel like a kid again and see all of the animal....lions, camels, tigers etc! Definately worth a visit however we went in December so it was very cold!
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Took my A level students to look at the park as a business. Staff couldn't have been more helpful and the talk was incredibly useful to my students for their forthcoming exam. Arrangements were straightforward and everything went smoothly - we were even offered drinks and given biscuit!. The guided tour was well targeted to the age of the students and the man really knew a lot about the park and the animals. I'd recommend anyone to take their students - they can cover a range of subject areas and will tailor talks so that they're more useful. The park has a lovely 'family' feel but with a wide range of animals. We all really enjoyed our visit.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Absolutely loved it today so much to do lots of animals soo beautiful the snow leopards 😍😍 great things to do for different ages. They have free things also to do inside the park ie park, bouncy castle bits they also had some fun dancing songs on over lunch like 'big fish little fish' which was a giggle! Feeding the reindeer was lovely! Watching them stroke Rocky the hand raised tiger was lovely as last time we went was in Jan 13 and we saw the gorgeous hand raised lion which sadly passed away 2 months after we went. You can see the animals are cared for and the habitats are clean. Train ride is £1 per person! All the little food & drink places are expensive £2.10 for a bottle of apple juice!!! And none of them take card 🙄🙄🙄 toilets & baby changing is also clean best time to get there is 9:30 when it opens also if you can book online and print ticket i would have saved a tenner today if i had a printer!
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Been a couple of times over the last 6 years. Taking my older daughter to the pics to see captain America so to stop my own civil war decided to take my youngest out. Her choice however not forced as I like this place.
Got a voucher for 20% off but for adult and child was £24. Still expensive but as it goes towards upkeep of animals happy to pay but these trips are treats.
Wanted a full day so got there for 0930 when it opens. Worth it as it was nice and quite and got to see all the animals without having to get push around. The place is not huge but it's well designed. Trying to think of a place where you are so close to tigers, cheetahs and leopards. We spent till 1130 walking and looking at the animals. Took in the penguin and red panda feeds but they have loads during the day. The cheetah feed is another good one. I love red pandas so for me it's well worth it as when they feed them they are so close you get to see their cute little faces with no glass between you.
Took our own food and have loads of picnic tables to use. Had another run around the animals and then when to the other side of the park where they have a large play area, woodland walk, little train more animals (foxes and wolves) and a paddling pool. Daughter loved all of it.
I would recommend to anyone with small kids. They have a lot of high risk walkways so with a buggy is a pain - as I remember it - but it's quite compact so easy to get around. Never eaten there so unsure if that's good but prices are as expected.
I will return and can't say fairer than that.
Got a voucher for 20% off but for adult and child was £24. Still expensive but as it goes towards upkeep of animals happy to pay but these trips are treats.
Wanted a full day so got there for 0930 when it opens. Worth it as it was nice and quite and got to see all the animals without having to get push around. The place is not huge but it's well designed. Trying to think of a place where you are so close to tigers, cheetahs and leopards. We spent till 1130 walking and looking at the animals. Took in the penguin and red panda feeds but they have loads during the day. The cheetah feed is another good one. I love red pandas so for me it's well worth it as when they feed them they are so close you get to see their cute little faces with no glass between you.
Took our own food and have loads of picnic tables to use. Had another run around the animals and then when to the other side of the park where they have a large play area, woodland walk, little train more animals (foxes and wolves) and a paddling pool. Daughter loved all of it.
I would recommend to anyone with small kids. They have a lot of high risk walkways so with a buggy is a pain - as I remember it - but it's quite compact so easy to get around. Never eaten there so unsure if that's good but prices are as expected.
I will return and can't say fairer than that.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
We took our two grandchildren (2 and 5) to the Park during a school inset day and were therefore fortunate the numbers on site were low so our experience may differ from others on busier days.
The Park was easy to reach by road and car parking was FREE and easy. Note there are overflow car parks on opposite side of the main road which look at though they have just been resurfaced. As the weather as uncertain we paid on the day rather than book in advance BUT it is £1 each cheaper if you buy on the internet.
As you enter the park there is a small cafe with 'soft play' and play area with swings, bricks, cars and plenty to have the children run off a bit of steam. NOTE there are also plenty of picnic tables some of which are under cover. My one complaint there are TOO MANY arcade rides which all cost £1, not just here but also in the Zoo area. I know these are common these days but having just bought a family ticket is it really necessary? However to balance that the play area is good. There is also a small railway (£1 each which the children enjoyed at the end of the day).
You cross the entrance driveway to enter the zoo and the animals all looked well kept and the enclosures all easy to view. There are raised walkways and glass viewing areas which makes it easy for everyone to see. Children can feed animals in the small pets area (food can be bought £1)
A good selection of animals with the penguins getting the favourite vote from the children. There are advertised feeding times and talks which were interesting and ensure the animals are seen. I suspect viewing may be harder on busy days but we managed to easily see all of the animals on display.
Grumbles TOO MANY £1 extras and we ended the day buying the children an ice cream from the soft play cafe. £2.20 for a small Smarties pop up ice cream. Really!. Food in cafe was normal theme park type selection and prices so best to take own food and drink if possible.
Good things. - Plenty of open space, Zoo staff friendly and helpful. There is a small lagoon area with water for children to play in. A good option on a warmer day so remember to put a towel in the car! Plenty of photo opportunities.
TIPS - Buy tickets in advance if possible (note there are annual passes available which look good value if you live nearby). Take a picnic and drinks to save money. Take a bag of £1 coins or explain to the children the machines cannot take contactless payments !!
Get there early and utilise the whole day to get your full value from the tickets
Overall an enjoyable day.
The Park was easy to reach by road and car parking was FREE and easy. Note there are overflow car parks on opposite side of the main road which look at though they have just been resurfaced. As the weather as uncertain we paid on the day rather than book in advance BUT it is £1 each cheaper if you buy on the internet.
As you enter the park there is a small cafe with 'soft play' and play area with swings, bricks, cars and plenty to have the children run off a bit of steam. NOTE there are also plenty of picnic tables some of which are under cover. My one complaint there are TOO MANY arcade rides which all cost £1, not just here but also in the Zoo area. I know these are common these days but having just bought a family ticket is it really necessary? However to balance that the play area is good. There is also a small railway (£1 each which the children enjoyed at the end of the day).
You cross the entrance driveway to enter the zoo and the animals all looked well kept and the enclosures all easy to view. There are raised walkways and glass viewing areas which makes it easy for everyone to see. Children can feed animals in the small pets area (food can be bought £1)
A good selection of animals with the penguins getting the favourite vote from the children. There are advertised feeding times and talks which were interesting and ensure the animals are seen. I suspect viewing may be harder on busy days but we managed to easily see all of the animals on display.
Grumbles TOO MANY £1 extras and we ended the day buying the children an ice cream from the soft play cafe. £2.20 for a small Smarties pop up ice cream. Really!. Food in cafe was normal theme park type selection and prices so best to take own food and drink if possible.
Good things. - Plenty of open space, Zoo staff friendly and helpful. There is a small lagoon area with water for children to play in. A good option on a warmer day so remember to put a towel in the car! Plenty of photo opportunities.
TIPS - Buy tickets in advance if possible (note there are annual passes available which look good value if you live nearby). Take a picnic and drinks to save money. Take a bag of £1 coins or explain to the children the machines cannot take contactless payments !!
Get there early and utilise the whole day to get your full value from the tickets
Overall an enjoyable day.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Seeing the bright sunshine made a sudden plan to visit the paradise wildlife park.... which was a wise plan☺
My husband and i wanted to visit a farm and a big cat animal family for sometime.... surprisingly this had both in one location which was added bonus.
The best highlight was... the big cat family members were located at the beginning of the park rather than too far.
Also feeding the farm animals was great. Thankfully got rid of my fear of feeding animals☺.
Walking by foot inside is not too tiring nor too much to walk as it's a reasonable size park.
My husband enjoyed clicking pics of the animals☺.... rare moments of animals to capture.
Food in the restaurant fresh, tasty and reasonable.
Worth the time and money☺👍.
My husband and i wanted to visit a farm and a big cat animal family for sometime.... surprisingly this had both in one location which was added bonus.
The best highlight was... the big cat family members were located at the beginning of the park rather than too far.
Also feeding the farm animals was great. Thankfully got rid of my fear of feeding animals☺.
Walking by foot inside is not too tiring nor too much to walk as it's a reasonable size park.
My husband enjoyed clicking pics of the animals☺.... rare moments of animals to capture.
Food in the restaurant fresh, tasty and reasonable.
Worth the time and money☺👍.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
This place had a bit of doing up since our last visit some years ago. The carpark is a lot better and the whole site is tidy and well kept. Plenty of animals to see and loads of slides, swings, bouncy castles for them to use. We used Tesco vouchers for most of the fee, and this took the sting out of the price, as it was pricey overall for what it was. If we had to pay full whack I would of felt a little ripped off, however this place is well worth a look and will keep the kids happy for a day.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
We came for the half hour Red Panda experience and arrived to Broxbourne by train from London. Once at the station, we called and requested a shuttle. Very quick, easy and the driver was friendly.
We were driven to the visitors center and introduced to Sam. She explained when to be where ,offered us refreshments and we left to tour the park.
The park was very clean, animals look very well. (Clean fur, well fed, happy) Enclosures are nice and are well proportioned to the animals size. Here's the problem. On one hand, the park itself is small and very easy to walk through. You don't get tired in the middle or figure out that you missed a whole section on the way to the parking lot. On the other hand, it's small. They do such an amazing job with the animals, it would have been nice to see more species.
The Red Panda experience was unforgettable. We were taken with Connor to grab their food from the kitchen, and then on to the enclosure. Connor was friendly, knowledgeable and patient.
He even let us have an extra 10 minutes with the Red Pandas!
Gift shop was a bit disappointing. Almost none of the souvenirs had anything to do with the animals in the park itself.
Would highly recommend going there for a Meet & Greet experience. Worth the money.
Not sure I'd go all the way there by train from London JUST to see the park.
We were driven to the visitors center and introduced to Sam. She explained when to be where ,offered us refreshments and we left to tour the park.
The park was very clean, animals look very well. (Clean fur, well fed, happy) Enclosures are nice and are well proportioned to the animals size. Here's the problem. On one hand, the park itself is small and very easy to walk through. You don't get tired in the middle or figure out that you missed a whole section on the way to the parking lot. On the other hand, it's small. They do such an amazing job with the animals, it would have been nice to see more species.
The Red Panda experience was unforgettable. We were taken with Connor to grab their food from the kitchen, and then on to the enclosure. Connor was friendly, knowledgeable and patient.
He even let us have an extra 10 minutes with the Red Pandas!
Gift shop was a bit disappointing. Almost none of the souvenirs had anything to do with the animals in the park itself.
Would highly recommend going there for a Meet & Greet experience. Worth the money.
Not sure I'd go all the way there by train from London JUST to see the park.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Having a free entrance for a year is a great perk so can't comment on value for money but plenty to see for sure and a great choice for a sunny weekend when in Herts. I keep recommending to all my friends!
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
For my 23rd birthday I went here with a few friends I'd invited. Firstly before even arriving, the tourist attraction signs were not that easy to understand on the route there. Then upon getting there, we had a slight issue with the lady at the ticket office over voucher codes and how they were 'meant' to be used, which wasn't explained in the vouchers themselves.
My reasons for visiting the park were down to the selection of animals - the biggest collection of wild cats in the UK, my favourite species Red Pandas, and wolves. What I wasn't aware of was the age range the zoo is actually aimed at: very much 5yrs to 13yrs old. Which is fine, I could bypass the play equipment for the animals.
Unfortunately, the animals themselves were not in decently sized enclosures. A small group of Mara were given a bigger enclosure than three Zebras, who should be given a Savannah range. Half of the animals were not visible in their enclosures due to inadequate foliage placement inside. The Wolf enclosures were both dire, and the Big Cats themselves were all in areas way too small for what they should be allowed.
I understand the zoo has been constantly improving itself, but it really needs to focus more on meeting basic wild animal standards before trying to participate in conservation projects that involve breeding these animals. It was a shame, really.
My reasons for visiting the park were down to the selection of animals - the biggest collection of wild cats in the UK, my favourite species Red Pandas, and wolves. What I wasn't aware of was the age range the zoo is actually aimed at: very much 5yrs to 13yrs old. Which is fine, I could bypass the play equipment for the animals.
Unfortunately, the animals themselves were not in decently sized enclosures. A small group of Mara were given a bigger enclosure than three Zebras, who should be given a Savannah range. Half of the animals were not visible in their enclosures due to inadequate foliage placement inside. The Wolf enclosures were both dire, and the Big Cats themselves were all in areas way too small for what they should be allowed.
I understand the zoo has been constantly improving itself, but it really needs to focus more on meeting basic wild animal standards before trying to participate in conservation projects that involve breeding these animals. It was a shame, really.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Lots to see and do, lots of animals and play areas to keep the kids happy. There was also some shows available, although we didn't take advantage of this.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
