• Fun family day out at ZSL London Zoo, Regents Park, London

    Date: 2010.10.06 | Category: Been there, Places to go, Review 4 star | Tags:

    If the last time you visited the London Zoo was on a school trip many a year ago, then like me you may not have high expectations of a family trip to  the ZSL London Zoo just off Regents Park in the capital.  However, be prepared for a surprisingly enjoyable time as the zoo has cetainly come a long way since my last visit as a school kid!

    OK, my school memories of the smelly elephants aside, the ZSL London Zoo now has over 720 different species of animaland spread over 36 acres… so what better way to immerse your family and you into the animal kingdom. And much effort has been made to make the zoo more interactive and less of the viewing animals through bars of the zoos of the past.

    In recent years new exhibits, such as Animal Adventure (the new children’s zoo), Giants of the Galapagos, Butterfly Paradise, Meet the Monkeys, Rainforest Life, Gorilla Kingdom and the Blackburn Pavilion, create realistic environments housing some of the world’s most impressive and inspiring animals.  You can also visit the amphitheatre and be prepared for action as flying, leaping and climbing animals show off their skills.

    And, of course, the children loved the non-stop feeding time where they could get up close and personal with some of the animals.  However, there is no doubt that the penguins remained the star of the show for our children.

    The Zoo, is easy to find as it located in the north east corner of London’s Regent’s Park (open every day of the year except Christmas Day) and so it is very reasy to get a tube train to close by.

    As you would expect from a central London attraction it is not the cheapest family day out with adult tickets around £18 in peak season and children tickets at £15.  It is a little cheaper out of peak season and it is definitely worth a late Autum and winter visit when the crowds will be a lot less.  Another great tip is to buy your tickets online which will save you 10% on each ticket.

    Food is available at the café and kiosks, it is prepared with ethically-sourced ingredients and not bad for a tourist attraction but again not the cheapest.  We grabbed something to eat on the way to the zoo to savesome pennies although there were places to sit andeat sandwiches if you were more organised.

    Where to stay

    Ratings

    • Value for money: 4 star
    • Facilities: 4 star
    • All family entertainment: 5 star
    • Overall: 4 star
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