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Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

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Original poster

Woburn Safari V's Whipsnade Park

18 replies

winniewoo · 14/02/2006 20:57

Trying to plan holiday for early summer..please cast your votes on the above...personally I like the idea of the drive round safari but will keep an eye on any personal recommendations..thanks.

OP posts:

lexiemum · 14/02/2006 21:20

whipsnade

but would do longleat over both

btw tesco vouchers can be converted for both of these places

Fauve · 14/02/2006 21:21

Whipsnade every time for me.

momentrylapseofreason · 14/02/2006 21:45

I think that woburn is better for younger kids as it is more compact.

Original poster

winniewoo · 16/02/2006 07:46

Kids ages ranges from 10 months to 7 yrs..you think Woburn? If Whipsnade is pretty huge then perhaps trailing them all round wouldn't be great..you know how slow they can be!!

OP posts:

Original poster

winniewoo · 19/03/2006 20:20

Just bumping up for any more recommendations before converting my tsco vouchers!

OP posts:

nulnulcat · 19/03/2006 20:55

whipsnade! there is a bus in the park you can get on if there legs get tired i have the annual pass well worth its money we tend to go every couple of weeks even if its only for a couple of hours dd loves it there

MaryBS · 22/03/2006 12:23

I've never been to Whipsnade, we've always gone to Woburn. I thought Whipsnade was outrageously expensive - couldn't believe they charged for parking! We really like Woburn

Original poster

winniewoo · 22/03/2006 19:09

Thanks Mary..will check prices and see what I can get with tesco vouchers..sounds like both are great. Think the drive safari does it for me though...always easy when kids strapped in!

OP posts:

MaryBS · 22/03/2006 19:38

Yes the drive safari IS good!

BouncyTigger · 22/03/2006 20:39

I like woburn too, next been to whipsnade though. Woburn's about 5 miles from DH's grandmother and we went whilst I was pregnant.

Loved the fact you could go round the safari drive more than once and thought feeding the parrots nectar was great. Thought woburn had a good mix of drive in car stuff then walking to see animals. Must take dd soon as she's 16 mo and loves to roar like a lion!

Warning though if you're a bit squeamish, if any deers from the deer park die (natural causes or get hit by a car!) they feed them to the lions They were doing it on the day we went, and it meant we got fantastic views of the lions and their cubs.

MaryBS · 22/03/2006 20:55

You weren't there the same day as us were you? They were doing that when we were there - although it was pretty much gone by the time we went past.
I like the parrot nectar feeding too, but it can unnerve some children, especially if one lands on the 10mo's head! My 6yo and 4yo were fine with it though.

hugeheadofhair · 22/03/2006 21:00

Woburn has great playing options too, their monkey trail, and soft play area are very nice. Animalwise Whipsnade is perhaps more impressive, and I really love the set up. Both are wonderful but the safari is really special, if the animals are a bit active.

Detta · 22/03/2006 21:27

Another vote for Longleat. It is without a doubt the best value family day/days out we've had. You can go back as many times as you want to make sure you've seen all the attractions. It's very clean and the food etc isn't a rip off.

Yafta · 22/03/2006 21:44

I agree with the op about Woburn being a good mix of driving V walking, also animals V play for the children. We love it a Woburn. I found Wipsnade a bit too spread out and the animals too far away from each other for the youger kids.

lilstarry1 · 03/04/2006 08:34

I went to Whipsnade for my birthday (22, still a big kid!), it was extremely windy! It has lots of lovely open spaces and a good range of animals. My sister used to work at Wooburn so I've also been there lots, I think it is better for slightly older children! Whipsnade has the train and the really good 'discovery centre' with lots of bugs in it!

To be completely honest both are great for differing reasons! If you can I'd recommend you check out the different show/feeding times and try and see as many as possible, the penguins and the birds at Whipsnade are lovely to watch!

As for the drive through, I remember being frustrated when I was younger that I couldn't actually be out among the animals, where as at Whipsnade although they are in cages you feel closer to them (in a way!)

HTH xxx

edam · 03/04/2006 08:41

At least at Whipsnade you know the entrance fee all goes towards animal conservation ie London Zoological Society. At Woburn the money goes to cover their costs but then to the Bedfords. Who are so tight they employ people to stand at every public footpath and make sure they don't place one foot off it without paying the entrance fee. I think Whipsnade is great. Woburn not that big a deal, IMO.

edam · 03/04/2006 08:44

Also, first time we went to Whipsnade an elephant family - cow, calf and bull - were actually hanging out on the verge of one of the the car parks inside the park, which was quite exciting. At Whipsnade you can drive round, stop and get out, and drive to the next bit you want to see. Or just walk around.

kit990 · 05/04/2006 11:56

Whipsnade is hundred times better than woburn - keeping the kids strapped in the car only causes loads of noise and they don't get loads of fresh air and worn out so they sleep at night. Whipsnade is HUGE so you always get some space to yourself, AWAY from the cars, cannot understand why people chose to pay to sit in a traffic jam!!

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