Port Lympne Restaurant in Shepway

Our visit to Port Lympne today was excellent, until a deeply disappointing experience at the gift shop, which left us feeling frustrated and disrespected. Our group consisted of 10 disabled adults and 4 carers, all with concession tickets, and we tried to visit the shop around 4pm. When we arrived, the doors to the shop were abruptly closed in our faces by a staff member, who explained that it was “too dark” for us to enter so the shop was closing after three separate doors were closed on our faces. However, we noticed that one member of our group was allowed entry through a side door with the instruction to “be quick.” Confused, the rest of the group attempted to follow and were met with rude shouts that the shop was closed. A carer asked why only one person from our group was allowed in, while the rest were turned away. The staff member’s response was dismissive and rude, claiming that everyone could enter but needed to hurry. This response completely disregarded the fact that our group consists of adults with disabilities who require additional time and support—rushing them was simply not feasible. The overall tone was unhelpful and insensitive, leading us to decide to leave the shop entirely. We understand that there may be operational challenges, but treating disabled visitors with respect and understanding is essential, especially when they are paying customers. This experience was not only unpleasant but also alienating. We hope Port Lympne will consider how to better accommodate all visitors, particularly those who need extra time and support, in a more respectful and accessible manner in the future.

Visited Port Lympne for the day to enjoy the safari experience and afternoon tea. I can't recommend it enough! Huge site, very clean and good facilities (although maybe a few more bins further out are needed, ending up carrying an empty coffee cup almost round the whole place 😅) The safari experience is a must! You'll see animals and areas you can't get to on foot. Penny was our safari driver and host and was fantastic, truly passionate about her job. The afternoon tea is also a must! They catered for my partners dislike of currants in the scones and even swapped the carrot cake for something else. Something I didn't even consider when I let them know about the scones! The service was great and my partner got a complimentary drink for her birthday, they made her a mocktail which was great. Food was super, fresh and plenty of tea. Sausage roll and quiche came out warm too. For those reviews that complain about not seeing animals or empty enclosures, remember this isn't a zoo. They have space to roam and not always in view and if it's cold, much like humans, they'll be sheltered!

I visited here for the first time with my family for my 10-year-old birthday. We had a fantastic day here and got to see a lot of the big cats and wolves, which my kids were mostly interested in. The staff were very nice and helpful but I would suggest taking a packed lunch especially for kids, personally I found the food options for kids lacking. Highly recommend the safari it's brilliant. We didn't use the hotel or its services at all, but it looked absolutely stunning as we walked through.

A fantastic day at the zoo. We enjoyed the animals, especially the tapirs and the tiger. The zoo aspect of the visit was excellent Just a shame that the catering and shop staff let the side down with early closures and disappointing attitudes.

We had the zoo visit with safari included in the package. The Safari was 1 hour long and was worth it. You can take a stroll before or after the Safari depending on the time you've booked it. They don't show the animals on the left side of the safari so that's what you should cover by foot mainly the Lion, Tiger and the path leading down. It was a sunny day so we got to see most of the animals. Overall a good experience, highly recommended.

Be prepared for a lot of walking. We went to visit at the end of October, not a lot of refreshments/lunch options at this time. Not a lot of animals to see either!

We visited today, I was bought the Red Panda experience as a gift. It was really good, getting to feed them with half hour in the enclosure. The park guide we had as well was very knowledgeable and great at hosting. This was definitely the high point of our day. What is fairly awful is the Red Panda experience doesn’t include admission to the park, that was an extra £60 for two of us on top of the £134 for the experience. The rest of the park was quite a let down. Comes across very dark and dingy. The walk around the safari park, is horrendous. The hills are mental, don’t see how anyone with disabilities or young kids could get around the place. The safari truck ride, last about a hour and you do get to see abit, that’s when you’re not being thrown around on the back of the lorry. I wouldn’t expect luxury, but that is an awfully uncomfortable hour of your life. The prices of the food and beverages is beyond ridiculous, taking a family there and eating will cost you an absolute fortune! All in all it took us just under 3 hours to do the entire place. I wouldn’t return personally, isn’t worth the money payed. Is essentially a cut rate West Midlands Safari park ( which is genuinely top class ) but for the same price.

Lovely afternoon tea and safari. Beautiful place, good customer service and knowledgeable guide.

We booked last minute to take our family of 3 boys here at the end of the summer holidays. One of our boys is a full time wheelchair user, staff could not be more helpful in trying to ensure we got the best out of the park down to blending foods for us and giving us a helping hand up the steep hills. Our youngest son was a little too young to feed the Gorillas, only a few months shy, but staff at the park once again went above an beyond to ensure our experience was the best it could be, Concierge Freya organised a guided tour by Rae who knew all there was to know about the primates and answered every question our son had and found us a fantastic viewing spot to see the gorillas up close. Freya and Rae truly made our stay at Port Lympne the park was amazing the staff especially Freya and Rae, fantastic would highly recommend and would love to do it again! Might invest in a poster pack for son’s wheelchair next time 🤣

Outstanding every minute was a joy what memories for the future ❤️

I'm disabled came here on a mobility scooter, it's very hilly! Battery died getting up a hill. Staff picked me up and took me to a minibus to get back to the exit. Fantastic service.afternoon tea delicious and very filling amazing frescos in the wall in the manor house. A special treat for the day. Safari was informative knowledgeable driver and spectacular views of the surrounding area and the animals!

Great day. We had the amazing afternoon tea too. Safari 1hr was informative if a bit bumpy. Mansion grounds enjoyable. Reccomended

Had an amazing day. Casey Ranger was so knowledgeable and made out visit very special. Also Mat who did guided talks today was entertaining and full of interesting information. What an incredible place. Walked miles.

Nice experience but the safari Truck was waste of money and time. The ride lasts 1 hour however there was camels in front of the truck so we were waiting for them to move for 40 minutes so our time was up and the truck went back coz our time was up. Only saw the giraffes, rhinos and camels in that 1 hour!!! You could still walk around and see the other animals though

Absolutely shocking. Spent £130 on 4 tickets. I don’t know what I was booking tickets for. Not an animal in sight, animals are pacing up and down in their enclosures clearly stressed. No zoo keepers to even ask questions or be present. Children working there, not to make the zoo welcoming but to drive the buggeys around messing around with other workers and reversing around the zoo being completely unaware of children and what they are actually being paid to do….DO NOT BOOK. DONT WASTE YOUR MONEY !!!!!

We didn’t stay over. We did have a game drive at the Safari park by a very knowledgeable and passionate lady who you could hear really loved her job, she made it lovely. HOWEVER if you have little ones and a pram, just DO NOT Bother! It is way too long and too hilly to expect preschoolers to trek that whole place, utterly ridiculous!!!. The hills with a pram will be the death of you. We all left miserable and in tears. Food is overpriced, no where to sit at the restaurants, people literally hogging or grabbing chairs. The play park has damaged equipment so only played on some lame parts. For the price, Just DON’T DO IT. Unless you’re staying over and have access to the “golf” buggies. Don’t do it. Take them when their older.

Visited for a day trip and it was fantastic. Staff were lovely and helpful. Our safari truck ride was brilliant, lots of information given about the animals we saw and good timing to stop for pictures. Lovely walking around after all the animals. Although some are not out due to it being colder now ( which is understandable). Lovely little play parks on the way round. Very hilly but the shuttle back to the top was great. We found food/drinks very expensive, which we understand for an attraction but £28 for 2 donuts, 3 coffees is a lot. We spent 5 hours here, so well worth it. Toilets are clean and lots available around the site.

A great place to visit. Opted not to have safari ride but walked around. Discovered that I couldn't make it back up the hill to shop so a minibus came to collect us. Great service.

Absolutely disappointed. It Would be better to go to Colchester zoo. It was my Finance birthday today. I done some research not knowing the area or the animal park. I thought it was enough but clearly not.. I spoke to a member of staff on Thursday 24th regarding our visit and the safari and if there would be spaces available once we arrive at the park. I was told there would be spaces and that no pre booking was required. So being excited we took a 4 hour drive down and to then pay for the tickets on arrival. We was told no safari booking was no longer allowed as they was fully booked along with a donation fee. I was very disappointed and felt very let down by the parks staff and very disappointed as that’s what my partner was looking forwards too. We still got charged 2x adults tickets with safari also although we wasn’t going on it. Once being charged full price we started to walk around the site. We was shocked on how many animals wasn’t in there enclosure or was closed way. I have seen more animals in and around Norfolk than I have done in this place. The park doesn’t tell you this and you would think if they are keeping the animals inside and not on show the tickets should be half price but still we got charged £32 each We also noticed the price of food is not great especially if you have children and are a family of 4 wanting to eat there. - zoo keepers not many where around to stop unsupervised children throwing things at the animals. - Enclosures also very overgrown and difficult to see animals Very disappointed. Very unhappy. Won’t be visiting again. Don’t waste your money. No a good day out

Had a brilliant day trip to Port Lympne Safari Park for my birthday. The best highlight was our Safari experience. It lasted for ages and we got to see so many animals up closer. My only negative points from the visit was how difficult the map was to read and understand, the animals are spread out quite far so there is a lot of walking, particularly very steep hills most of it. Unfortunately many of the enclosures in the main bit were empty too, or the animals weren’t out, this was gutting considering how much we paid. The cost of food and drink there is extremely high too, 2 bottles of coke was £9.

Beautiful place, views from Tree houses are amazing, staff are lovely and helpful.

There were no negatives about my experience at Port Lympne. We had the best time seeing lots of new and exciting animals. And by staying in Hog Deer Creek, we got to hear lots of animals day and night and also got to explore the Safari park at anytime. We will be returning and look forward to it.

Arrived yesterday for the day very excited after watching all the instragram/utube posts to feeling very let down. Hardly any animals to see on the jeep safari except Deers and Giraffes and the Giraffes were all shut up not at the jeep windows for photos as it shows on instragram. Food and drink very expensive. Not a great gift shop either. Sorry but this Safari isn't a patch on West midlands.

Truck safari and ranger are excellent. Was amazing to see all the animals xx

Very unhappy not many animals .expensive seem to be more happy driving lorries about.left early

Fab day out here , loads of walking and hills but worth it Loved the safari drive 🙂 can you tell me favourite is giraffes

We visited the safari park yesterday for my birthday and i want to leave this review for all the members of staff that we met!! Firstly the lady at the ticket desk, so sorry i never got her name, but she was so kind, she helped us with a map and directions and explained everything we needed to know for our truck safari ride! She was so helpful kind and polite!!! I also asked about wheelchair hire, she said she would sort this out and it was free of charge!!!!!! Other zoos we have visited we have had to pay so the fact it was free of charge was incredible! She even wished me a happy birthday so our day had already started great once meeting this lady, we then went to the cafe outside and met a lovely young lady who was telling is about the zoo and she was so helpful and rang for assistance when we needed help getting my dad to the safari truck ride!! I waited with my dad and this is where we met Mike!!!! He was soooo kind knowledgeable and understanding of my dads needs, he drove us down to the truck and explained everything we needed to know about where we had to go and what would happen next!!! Next up we met Ant who came over and asked about my dads ability to walk on to the truck, he said he would park the wheelchair up and we would collect it after the truck ride!! We got on to the truck and was given the most amazing tour of the park, Ant gave an exceptional commentry of the animals we were seeing and the surroundings, he drove the truck down so very difficult tracks but kept us all safe and the whole experience was outstanding!! We then asked Ant how we get back up to the main zoo and he called again for assistance, and once again we met Mike!!!!! He was a really genuine nice man who drove us around the park, he waited for us whilst we looked at the animals and gave us more knowledge on the park and animals! The safari park really does have the WOW factor but most of all the staff made our whole day even more amazing!!! I had the best birthday and i made even more amazing memories with my parents and my sister!! Thank you to each and everyone of the staff we met!!! We look forward to seeing you again next year!!!!

It was my first time here, and I really enjoyed the offroad tour. It's a long walk up the hill, and you can imagine how I felt when I was later told there was a shuttle bus that could take you there instead of walking. But still, it was a really good day out!

This is one of the TOP worst places I've ever been too, if you could leave a review with no stars I would, but unfortunately you have to leave stars. I don't think Port Lympne is worthy of one star. Where to start. Their prices, £7.25 for a bacon roll. Yea right. Wake up and smell the coffee, no one in their right mind is going to pay £7.25 for a bacon roll. Especially when it tastes like you have warmed it up from the day before. Management wake-up call. Your staff are not happy and in return are rude to the visitors. A member of staff who we spoke to today had said the changes that had been made there is unbelievable and now they are unhappy working there. Your staff shouldn't be telling visitors that. One member of staff didn't seem very happy about making 5 hot chocolates. And the Safari was the quietest one ever! The member of staff was clearly only speaking when they had too. Had better Safari's in the past. The gift shop, I've seen a rubbish site sell better items and for cheaper. Your prices throughout the park are absolutely disgusting, your staff have no customer service experience. Your staff are rude and unhappy, your prices are disgusting, and you clearly have lots of hard work ahead of you to improve. There are much better places out there, and remember its the visitors you get that are keeping you there and in a job, no visitors no port Lympne. Wake up. And the management are no better. Would i recommend to anyone. ? NO! would i come back? NO! would i re new my tickets? NO! And I would suggest that other people think very hard before buying tickets for port Lympne.

Our recent visit to the safari park left us feeling a bit underwhelmed. When we made our booking, I specifically inquired about the time of year and how it would affect our chances of seeing the animals. I was assured that it wouldn’t be an issue. Unfortunately, this turned out to be incorrect. If you’re hoping to see giraffes in a safari setting, you might be disappointed, as they were in their enclosure due to their sensitivity to the UK's colder climate. The safari featured mainly an antelope and deer. As we wandered around the site, we noticed several enclosures that were either empty or featured various cats and monkeys. While we were excited to see a diverse range of wildlife, the selection felt limited. We had also booked an afternoon tea, which was enjoyable; however, despite the promise of unlimited hot drinks, we were never asked if we would like refills. Overall, our experience did not meet our expectations. While there were some nice aspects to our visit, the limited animal visibility and service issues detracted from what we had hoped would be a memorable day.

Hello, on the occasion of the birthday of the little boy, we decided to come here, it is the 2nd and last time, after the safari ride we went to the dinosaur forest and then to eat a pizza, at the babydoll's restaurant, we seated at the table, the menus were brought, I ordered half of what I wanted and after 10 min. later to be asked if we have a reservation (we are staying on campus) we answered that we do not and that we are visitors for 1 day, 2 minutes later we were told to leave the restaurant or to serve outside (there being nothing arranged for to eat) in the restaurant being 5-6 free tables. We decided to go home. I mention that we were not informed of this campus rule. I do not recommend a very ugly and discriminatory gesture on the part of the Management.

It was a very wet and windy day and there are no indoor places to eat a picnic. There are very few places to shelter in the rain. We had a group of 12 girls with us and we gave up on half of it because it was not suitable in the rain. We left early and was given a return another day offer which was very kind, but it needs to be used within a month. Unlikely to return unless guaranteed good weather.

Called to explain that my partner has CANCER and asked to rearrange. This wasn't an issue for them and told me I would have to lose £1400. Terrible

Great day out. Large selection of animals. The safari jeep route was excellent. We also had afternoon tea in the mansion. Lovely setting, attentive staff, nice menu. Highly recommend except for those unable to walk long distances / steep inclines

Amazing Experience at Port Lympne! We had an unforgettable stay at Port Lympne after winning a prize for a stay at the wonderful Rhino Lodge, which included a safari tour and giraffe feeding. The accommodation was cosy and set in the heart of nature, and the safari tour was a fantastic way to see the wildlife up close. Feeding the giraffes was an absolute highlight! We also booked an extra night at the beautiful mansion, which gave us more time to soak in the incredible surroundings. The staff were welcoming, and the entire experience was exceptional. Highly recommend a visit to this remarkable place!

We are annual pass holders but can never get on the safari

Amazing place to stay, we had a cabin right next to the wolf enclosure!

Really good zoo! The animals have massive enclosures and the safari is really good! Would 100% recommend. I'd advise taking your own food and drink as it's very expensive onsite.

Very good Zoo. My kids loved it. Lots of walking just to be warned.

Absolutely Amazing! I would highly recommend the safari Park. We all had a brilliant time. The safari truck around the park was also really good. Olivia had a brilliant knowledge of all the animals. The only downside would be that the café on site is really expensive.

Staff were very friendly and helpful.

Absolutely beautiful park. We stayed in the hotel and it was amazing, there's so much history behind this building and the decor in the rooms is so interesting, i couldn't stop looking at everything. Food was great and service was really good so we will definitely be back! The only downside is that it is very steep so you need to be ok with walking up lots of hills or hire a buggy, but you can't use these in all areas so there will still be some walking required. You also have to go on ur safari to view a whole section of the park, this takes about an hour and is so worth it!

I’m not sure what this place is like if you choose to stay, but for a day trip it’s absolutely awful. Just navigating this place is a total nightmare, there’s literally no signage in the car park and you have to walk really far to get to the actual entrance. The car park itself is just a field with no hard standing so prepare to either slip over or get stuck. The zoo itself is okay but most of the enclosures are really poorly maintained with brambles and weeds all over the place. I understand they want to make it natural but if you can’t actually see the animals because of how overgrown the enclosures are then what’s the point? The staff seemed fairly unbothered by our presence and didn’t really know how to communicate to people which to me seems like a slight issue. I came with my partner but with kids this place would be an absolute nightmare. Loads of hills and long walks between enclosures. The safari tour was okay but there was lots of waiting around and again, didn’t really see a whole lot. I would not recommend a visit here, if anything it’s just boring with little to do and see and an underwhelming experience overall, that is if you can find your way round.

We went here for a girls night away. We stayed in thd bear lodge and it was brilliant. Restaurant was next door who delivered our food! In the morning we booked the safari and had a day at the zoo.

safari and afternoon tea was fantastic

I visited over the weekend 6 adults and 1 child. We can’t say we were overall impressed. 4 of the adults stayed in the hotel, and 2 adults stayed in Pinewood Lodge. My mum tried to have a bath (in the hotel) the water was stone cold. Pinewood lodge- the bed was rock hard, the sofa was very small and again hard. Wasn’t all that clean in the corners of the bathroom. We booked in for dinner in the garden room. 3 of my party had the roast beef which was very tough. My boyfriend found there wasn’t much options for the starters that he liked. So he ended up just with a main. (The beef) with the beef being very tough he didn’t want a pudding. Unfortunately there was only a 2 course option to which we couldn’t just pay for the main course. Which we were disappointed with. So we ended up having to pay £35 for a 2 course meal to which we didn’t want. We found the park lay out wasn’t brilliant, you couldn’t see many animals with the lay out of the park. We understand many animals will be inside when the weather is bad, however with not being able to walk to things like the giraffes enclosure etc it was disappointing. I then went to breakfast the next morning and this was just ok- I had to pay £22.50 (extra) as my family got breakfast included and I didn’t. I had avocado on toast and added eggs, the eggs were hard and the entire meal was stone cold. We then went to the sister park, which wasn’t very impressive either. As it was a Monday no cafes were open (just the pavilion on the other side of the park) which was hard to find. I then ended up paying £10 for a panini and a bottle of water and my boyfriend paid £6 for a small cheese sandwich. Over all my family probably paid way over £1000 for the 2 days we were there, and we don’t feel we got much for our money. We feel it was a very expensive 2 days which was just ok.. quite disappointing really.

Even on a grey drizzly day it was a great day out

Won a trip here and stayed in one of the shepherd huts, right next to the lion enclosure. It was amazing here them call out as the sun went down. The park itself is great too, did the safari tour and enjoyed the views that offered. We had breakfast in the bear lodge which was ok, a little overpriced for what we got, but a good location on the site.

Brilliant day out. Would highly recommend 👌

First time here and it was a brilliant zoo. The carpark was dreadful however with cars getting stuck in the mud and no real direction. However inside the park was incredible. Friendly staff, very clean and happy looking animals. Their enclosures were large and full of things for them to do, the safari truck trip was good, although would be better if the speakers inside the trucks were louder and we could barely hear the driver talking about the animals, but overall very good.

Was a lovely afternoon here .the hour long safari was really nice, we really enjoyed out time here .

Unfortunately we had a really disappointing stay here. We had booked a leopards creek wigwam, and were really excited for our anniversary night away. On arrival, it became clear the leopards are in a small enclosure behind the wigwams - this was not clear in any marketing. It rained heavily during our stay, and the wigwam we were in began leaking onto the bed which carried on throughout the night. We also had other maintenance issues with our room, such as a broken coffee machine and a broken bed frame (picture included). We were disappointed in the customer service and compensation we received as a result of these issues. If you’re unlucky with the weather like us, there’s also little to do here and accommodation isn’t cancellable. The food was also sub-par for the price. For nearly £700 a night, I would be expecting top class service but this felt like a family attraction trying to tack on luxury accommodation and failing. Overall, I would really advise against staying here if you’re looking for a special night away. To end on a positive, the ranger tour we did was great and I imagine on a sunny day this would be a fun day trip destination but I won’t be returning.

I love this place, the animals have a lot of space and it looks like their natural invironment. The staff is very friendly and helpful, food is good but the most important is the animals look happy, not like in the ZOO.

First time here but wont be the last. Arrived early plenty of car parking which is being improved. Our first staff member we met when we showed our tickets was superb and a great credit to the park. We were a group of four with everything wrong, age, Health and injuries, not a problem for them. We were advised it is very rough ground, and uneven and hilly, He then advised us to make our way round and when we got to the lowest point we were happy with, if we didn't want to climb our way back up to see a team member and they would bring us back up with a minibus which is what we did. We will 100% be returning. Practically Book before you go, arrive early the park is massive, Book the safari it was an extra £2 on our ticket prices and is an hour ride on the back of a lorry, Seated, with a guide around some of the areas you cannot walk through and a great view and experience with animals some of whom are very close and wandering free. Wear sensible shoes, a lot of the ground is not concrete but natural. Be prepared for a lot of walking. Drinks etc are high priced, (£3.50 for a bottle of coke £4 plus for coffee) but it is for a good cause. Next time we will be looking at staying and having the use of a golf cart. Thanks for a great day!

Absolute waste of 4 to 5 hours and money if your doing the walking because the hills are to steep for mobility scooters and when spoke to someone about it all they reused with oh well supposed to be fun and enjoyable not horrific and stressful especially to people who are not able bodied

We had the best time! Would highly recommend getting there in the morning and making a day of it! The safari truck ride was amazing saw loads of great animals with knowledgeable speaker overhead. Will definitely be returning and looking to stay the night 🌙

Brilliant birthday night away with family

What a fantastic experience! We had a wonderful day at Port Lympne Safari Park. So much thought has gone into the park. The animal enclosures were spacious with great viewing galleries and positions. A great variety of animals from around the world that looked well looked after and loved. The mansion was beautiful and the restaurants and cafes were lovely. Try the wood fired pizzas at Babydolls. Very nice! As it was a special family occasion we paid for the ultimate safari experience which was so immersive that at times you forgot you were in southeast England and felt more like the Masai Mara, Kenya. Getting to feed rhinos and giraffes was an amazing experience. A special mention must be made to our tour guide Alex. He was passionate about conservation and you couldn't help but be fascinated with his knowledge on animals and the environment. Great memories and the experience left me feeling inspired about conservation.

Very good place for holidays, good price and grate service.

Incredible place, really well maintained, lovely staff and the wildlife was unbelievable. Strongly recommend.

Safari with ranger was very interesting. She gave information about all the animals we saw and answered any questions we had. It also enabled us to see areas that we wouldn't have seen on foot.

We stayed 2 nights in Tiger lodge 1 (known as Zemo) and wow!!! we had the experience of a lifetime!!! There are no words to do it justice!!! both tigers spent alot of the time day and night by the window of our lodge which gave us some awesome photos and videos that we will treasure forever. The lodge comfortably sleeps 4 adults in a double room with a view to the sea through the trees and a twin room with a huge tiger enclosure window. The living area has a huge tiger enclosure window with log burner, smart TV, locally sourced complimentary drinks fridge, locally sourced complimentary snacks and locally sourced complimentary sparkling wine on ice upon arrival. The bathroom has a walk in shower, WC and basin. The garden has lots of outdoor seating and table with a outdoor wood fired bath with a huge tiger enclosure window. We had hot weather so never used the bath, however I would love to come back and try it when the cold dark winter months return. Included with this package is a 5 star highly efficient park concierge service, the staff are polite, helpful and exceptionally knowledgeable, nothing is too much trouble and your enquiry will be attended to immediately. A complimentary battery powered golf buggy is yours for the entire length of your stay together with a sat nav type map system, believe me you will be thankful for the golf buggy as getting up and down the steep hills in this large safari park can be quite a challenge. We had our complimentary full English breakfasts in the Garden restaurant, all the produce was high quality and had a real locally sourced feeling about it. The first night we dined at "The Baby doll" restaurant, which is a Italian pizza pasta restaurant, we both had beef tagliatelle, garlic chibatta and chips with chocolate brownie and honey comb ice cream all very nicely cooked and presented, again the staff were very attentive, polite and helpful. The second night we dined at Bear lodge restaurant, which is a gourmet burger restaurant, we had chicken burger and all the usual trimmings and a delicious Eton mess cheesecake to die for mmmmm, again the staff were first class, attentive, polite and helpful. On a slight down side, I feel the paper park map supplied and signage around the park in places leaves alot to be desired and having booked the last safari ride of the day which was expected to be about an hour long was rushed by the driver, no photo opportunity short stops were allowed so the entire ride lasted only 40 minutes that's with the giraffes blocking the road for ten minutes and not letting the truck and trailer pass by. I got the distinct feeling it was get home early driver day.

Good park and afternoon tea is exceptional, nice staff and food.

We had the best stay, the service was just next level, every single staff member was so helpful and happy! I was super impressed, 5 star service all round, we stayed in a Treehouse and it was great, the park is stunning and the safari tour was so informative and interesting, we will be returning

Had great day very nice staff, went on range safari for 2 highly recommend was nice to hear extra information about the animals. Staff very knowledgeable. Nice shuttle bus for disabled and wheelchair users to help get around.

Brilliant place to visit. The safari bus is a must - bumpy but you get to see animals in open spaces.

Brilliant, nice to see all the animals.

Excellent day out. Safari experience. Staff amazing.

Just gave 3 starts as I think is very overpriced specially being a activity loved and made for families. Shame that is cheaper to get flight somewhere than do things in UK. Vouchers and promotions should be given to customers to make it more appealing

We had a very good time, luckily the weather was good and we saw lots of animals. I’m surprised by the negative reviews posted although admittedly not cheap. We found the staff very helpful.

Our family absolutely loves this zoo! We've stayed twice and it's such a special experience.

Spent the day here for my son's birthday and it was fantastic from start to finish! We did the safari tour ride which was the best thing we could have done. The park is huge and so much to see. The Gorilla's were our highlight. You can tell the animals are really cared for. The dinosaur park was an added bonus and my son loved it. There is a free shuttle to top of the park once you have explored. We brought a packed lunch which is the best idea as its pretty pricey if you have a few kids ro pay for. Staff were lovely, will definitely return.

Felt like abroad - unbelievable experience walking and driving around the grounds - really friendly, pleasant, and helpful staff - worth every penny.

A wonderful place, where the animals are cared for beautifully.

It was amazing! Good animal reserve that has goals to protect the animals in hopes of releasing them back into the wild. The place is huge!

Really welcoming and helpful to older visitors

Easy to get to, staff were very friendly. Even on a rainy day the staff managed to make the safari enjoyable and informative. Price is well worth it and would return to stay in the rooms

I think it has grown into a very wonderful place. Good staff and nice atmosphere. Difficult to achieve in a big area. Well done.🙂

We stayed in Giraffe Cottage for an overnight stay, beginning and ending with private safaris with a very knowledgeable ranger (Will). We saw giraffes up close and personal, rhinoceros, zebras, eland, wildebeest, painted dogs and lechwe to name a few in and around the savannah plains. Our package included a delicious 3 course evening meal and breakfast prepared by Thomas and Bakesh (sp apologies). We spent the remainder of the second day in the zoo park and saw many more animals. Our grandson loved it as did the adults in our family. Be prepared for a lot of walking. The access minibus, however, is a real asset for those that require it. A brilliant experience and would thoroughly recommend.

We didn't stay in the hotel but had a safari ride around the park and had afternoon cream tea as it was a gift from a family member Great day thoroughly enjoyed it. Would love to go again, as not many animals were out as it was too hot.

Such a lovely place to go to had a excellent experience with family

We saw virtually every animal kept at this wonderful park, where the animals are kept in vast, impeccably kept enclosures. The whole experience was top class.

Park is great! Happy and healthy animals! We were really impressed

Amazing experience, we stayed in the Wigwam at Leopard Creek and the room and quality of the furnishings was spot on. Really lovely little touches and extras. It was very hot when we stayed and the air con just about cooled the room to make it bearable. We also used the buggy to get around which added to the special experience. Seeing the zoo at the end of the day when it was quiet was truly unforgettable!

We stayed here for our 1 year anniversary and it was the most perfect spot. The lookout bubble really set the spot for watching the stars at night and was blessed with clear skies and having the most romantic evening. We had a glass of Prosecco upon arriving which was a nice touch. The golf buggy came with the room which was so nice driving around looking at the animals especially when the park was empty and all the big cats woke up in the evening. The staff was very friendly and helpful and the food in the mansion house/garden room was delicious. The highlight for us was feeding the tigers the next day. However if you didn’t book an experience waking up super early you can see the Zoe keep feeding them and also all the animals come out. Overall I would definitely come back here and we both really enjoyed staying with the animals, watching sunrise and hearing the animals at night.

Absolutely fantastic ! Definitely worth booking the guided safari for £35pp an hour and half safari with a very knowledgeable guide, KC .... They do fantastic conservation work returning animals to the wild... Highly recommended But there is a LOT OF WALKING involved, so comfortable footwear essential !

Not happy at all, we went there today and we came from a long distance we expected a nice restaurant or at least something we could sit and eat something before we start our journey in the park, but there wasn’t nothing apart from olives and nuts, both cafes have poor menius, just olives and nuts and some dried sausage rolls, we had to walk half way of the park hungry… and we left at some point as couldn’t enjoy it as there wasn’t much to see, it’s more forest than animals. We did get lost at some point and we just walked around for ages without finding something to drink at least. Very poor looking after customers and animals also, just bear in mind if you take your children’s with you. Won’t last more than half an hour there. It’s a no come back from us. We’ve been in better places. I did find it today as an horibble day.

Less visibility of lions.. Kept on showing Rhinos, Buffaloes and Giraffes.. It is better to walk around the safari then go by their trucks

Family outing today. Quite expensive for an average day of overgrown vegetation, very overpriced beverages. Pleasant day out but wouldn't go again.

Currently on a day out here and have just bought some tea and coffee for the family. Absolutely disgusted by the price of drinks. All the family agreed that the drinks were far more expensive than London and even motorway services. Service unprofessional and slow. Never again.

Incredible place with plenty to see Very steep hills for the experienced walkers but a good time to be had

Where do I start. Booked a junior suite in the hotel for two adults and a cot for our two year olds third birthday. Arrived and all seemed ok. Been before. Food in the bear lodge was ooor. Had to get a meal removed from the bill as was not cooked properly. Couldn't then get any other food. Went to our pre booked room with a cot only to start hearing blaring music that were told was going to go on until midnight. It's late and our little girl is wide awake due to it and now not going to enjoy her birthday treat in the morning as meant to be up early to do a run before the park opens to public and see the animals. When went down to the bar at half nine to get a drink was told they had already done last orders so can't even get a drink while being kept awake by this horrendous music blasting out. Tried to walk to a restaurant to see if could get a drink when walked to the doors they switched the lights off. Had to then walk past a load of boisterous young drunk men and felt very intimidated by them as trying to walk past to get back to the room that I can't have a drink in and have to try to soothe a very upset and scared little girl. What a sham. This is not a family friendly place at all. Avoid at all costs. Unless you are on a lary stag do or similar......and that's before you start to think about the poor animals welfare on site. I thought this place ethics were animals rights not a load of animals having a ridiculous party

Loved the safari and seeing the animals. You should reach an hour before the safari time to get on the bus. We reached just 4 mins before but they were kind enough to wait and take us onboard.

We went as a family of 4, my daughter is in a wheelchair at the moment and the staff were so friendly and helpful. Ring ahead of you need wheelchair access to the safari truck. My daughter got on the truck with her crutches and she was let on the truck first so that she could take her time, they were so kind and helpful. We saw most of the animals on the safari, some far away but some pretty close. We walked around the enclosures afterwards. Talk to the staff about the easiest route with a wheelchair, we did a couple of wrong turns so it was hard going but made sure we looked at the map from then on. Once you are at the bottom you can get a truck back to the entrance. They called for a wheelchair accessible minivan for us which was perfect. A great day out, tiring and lots of walking but we enjoyed it.

Beautiful place, didn’t know we have a place like this around my area. Deserves a visit enjoyed the safari and dino park .

One of the best experiences we've had as a family. We will definitely be back, and quite soon. Animals well looked after, a lot of space for them, the safari experience was amazing and our son had the time of his life. We did not stay overnight, but it something we look forward to next time. Staff were great, helpful and always smiling.

Had an amazing time here with the kids, so many animals so much to see, safari was excellent with very knowledgeable keepers explaining the experience, we didn't get to go round everything as there was so much. Key moments for us, the tigers at the top, so close and amazing to watch. And the baby gorilla that claps with you as you walk past. Bad parts were food prices I'd advise either taking a packed lunch or as we did get a meal deal from the shop just down the road from the main entrance. Or else you'll be looking at 50 quid for 2 adults and a child. I'll definitely be going back.

We went on the Land Rover safari tour. The experience was incredible. We got very close to some remarkable animals. The location is stunning. The afternoon tea was lovely. Other hospitality elements were also good. But the best part of the experience was Casey, the ranger who showed us around. His knowledge of and passion for animals and conservation added massively to the quality of the experience. Truly magically.

Great day out. Park is large and on a hill, but perfectly doable if you have a reasonable level of fitness

Few animals to be seen, but agree with ethics of the Aspinalls.