Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Flip

Original poster

Longleat Safari Park - advice and tips?

25 replies

HeyDemonsItsYaGirl · 06/08/2021 18:57

My mum is in love with Animal Park so I've booked us in for her birthday later in the month. I'm expecting it to be busy, so any tips how to get the best out of the day?

It's a 2.5 hour drive to get there so difficult to arrive too early; are we better off arriving well after the 10am opening, say 11, or will it be busy all day?

Any areas we should definitely visit?

OP posts:

CurlyMango · 06/08/2021 21:26

I would say busy all day. When you get there go to the drive through safari and stop, have a quick loo visit, then drive round. With you snack lunch to hand. After that go onto the house.it’s a busy full on day, can you stay over, as at the end of the day it gets quite and you can finish everything off. We love longleat

MorriseysGladioli · 06/08/2021 21:29

The ticket when I went was a bit like a scratch card.
Your ticket wasn't finished until each attraction was crossed off, so we were allowed back in the next day to do the things we'd missed.
It was really good value.

GiantToadstool · 06/08/2021 21:34

They don't do the scratch cards anymore! Single day ticket is just that day. I dont think you can do it all in one day so important to choose.

We like the river cruise and feeding parakeets.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Holidays

MorriseysGladioli · 06/08/2021 21:37

Oh I really did love it there!!
Would love to go back at some point.

Hooplawho · 06/08/2021 21:42

I’d say get there at opening and go straight to the river cruise as the queues get very long for that (though we went last summer and they may not be doing as much social distancing on the boats now so it might be better ?). When we went you also had to go and get a time slot for the maze and they were going quite quickly. We ended up doing the safari over lunch so were glad we’d bought a picnic and could have it as we went round as it took longer than we’d expected (not really a bad thing, just slow I with all the cars). Enjoy!

Justajot · 06/08/2021 21:45

If you drive through the monkeys, expect to have your car damaged. We took the double decker bus through the second time we went and that gives a great view of cars being dismantled.

Yumyumicedbuns · 06/08/2021 21:46

Don’t drive through the monkey enclosure. You will end up with half your car missing!

Antwerpen · 06/08/2021 21:48

Don’t open your window in the Lion enclosure

FiveGoMadInDorset · 06/08/2021 21:51

If you are going to get there at 11, by pass the safari park bit and do ten area that you can walk around first and go back and do the drive through bit later

ButNotTonight20 · 06/08/2021 21:52

Do the safari last and do the walk around attractions first. The walk around park is quietest in the morning because everyone does the safari first then piles into the park by lunchtime.
The train ride displays the train times but you can't pre book so get there 20mins before departure to guarantee a seat.
The food isn't great and very expensive so pack a picnic. Coffee is good though!
The orangery and the secret garden are quieter spots for food and for picnics.

ArchbishopOfBanterbury · 06/08/2021 21:56

I regretted not stopping at the giraffes on the safari, you can't go back if you don't.

We went through the monkeys without issue. Loved being in our own car (with picnic and potty for the toddler!)

They seemed to be interested in cars with roof racks/bike racks/bells and whistles, not much in our basic plain old Golf.

Sunnysal · 06/08/2021 21:57

I put my handbag down to pet the giraffes and it got covered with bird poo! , Be careful!

ButNotTonight20 · 06/08/2021 21:57

In terms of what to visit and what not to visit it depends if you have kids with you. Without kids I would say definitely go around the house and formal gardens, go into the museum of curiosities bit, the boat and train are great and obviously all the animals. If you have kids then most of the above bar the house, but also the castle playground with splash pad is fantastic and also the rocking rhino.
Take towels and spare clothes for the kids if you do the splash pad.

Original poster

HeyDemonsItsYaGirl · 08/08/2021 01:43

Thank you everyone! I will have to think about the monkeys... I want to see them but not sure how well my little Smart car will fare against an assault

It'll just be me and my mum so I'm wondering if I'm a total idiot to go in the school holidays when we don't have to. It would be nice to go on her actual birthday but we'll enjoy it more if it's quieter.

Unfortunately we can't stay over (cats at home) but that will give us an excuse to go again.

OP posts:

GiantToadstool · 08/08/2021 05:39

We quite like the bus option to go around the safari. I thought it would be rubbish but the driver commentated and told us lots about the animals and was absolutely fantastic!
It goes from inside the park too so you dont have to leave and come back.

Mardycustard123 · 08/08/2021 06:33

Definitely bring your own food.

Mammaaof · 08/08/2021 06:45

We are going on the 16th but have been twice before, the lady in the phone told us expect to be in the drive through safari for about 4 hours on school holiday 🙈 the house is still closed and not opening anytime soon so you won't be able to do that unfortunately xx

SuperCaliFragalistic · 08/08/2021 06:54

We went last week. It was very busy. Somehow we missed the giraffes, not sure how - would have liked to see them. But as a PP said, you can't go back.
The queues were long on the drive through bits and it was raining when we were there, we were very glad to have our picnic in the car with us.
The boat ride was excellent as usual and no social distancing but the queue was still long.
In fact there was no social distancing anywhere so if that's a concern of yours maybe leave it a bit?
We didn't have time for the train ride.
I love longleat but if I could choose to go in term time I definitely would.

L1ttleSeahorse · 08/08/2021 07:14

How busy was it in the main (walking bit in the middle) areas? We havent been in summer before...

L1ttleSeahorse · 08/08/2021 07:15

How long does it take to walk around the middle bits (not house/gardens - just animals.) We want to see koalas etc. Is it heaving?

Starjammer · 08/08/2021 07:16

I remember going about 20 years ago with my grandpa and the monkeys pulling bits off his car. The keeper we spoke to on the way out said they knew all the cars and their weak spots so they would just go right for them Fond memories of our trips there, hope you have a ball, OP!

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 08/08/2021 07:18

Rather disappointingly, there was nothing in the Unicorn Enclosure when we went through.

HungryHippo11 · 08/08/2021 07:19

I would definitely postpone it a few weeks if you can go outside of school holidays.

SuperCaliFragalistic · 08/08/2021 07:19

It was OK, we saw most of the things we wanted to see. It was raining heavily so the undercover areas were busier but we managed to spend quite a bit of time with the koalas and parakeets. I think the advice of going round the zoo first and then the drive through later is good.

RavenclawsRoar · 08/08/2021 07:48

We went the other day and it was so busy. We did the walk round bit first which was OK, long-ish queues for the train and boat but the train is very long and there were 2 boats running so actually the wait time wasn't atrocious. Then the drive through safari at 2pm. It was basically a traffic jam the whole way through! Very very slow. Took us basically 2 hours to get to the end and we skipped a couple of enclosures as the dc were getting fractious. Won't go in the holidays again if I can help it (tricky though with kids!).

Flip

Swipe left for the next trending thread