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Holidays

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

Original poster

longleat?? any tips!

32 replies

FluffyMummy123 · 04/10/2007 19:54

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OP posts:
Desiderata · 04/10/2007 19:55

Yeah, don't go naked in the lion enclosure ..

And the baboons will rip your car to shreds ...

And don't talk to the Marquis of Bath, because he's a letch.

StrawberryMartini · 04/10/2007 20:03

No tips other than have a fab time. Definitely go on the boat ride round the island.

Original poster
FluffyMummy123 · 04/10/2007 20:06

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OP posts:
nell12 · 04/10/2007 20:09

Avoid the monkeys

Dont try to fit it all in, your ticket is a passport that allows you to come back as many times as you want during the year until you have seen everything (ie you can do the house one visit, the safari park the next)

Pets corner is quite nice and the boat trip & feeding the sealions (or are they seals?) is fun

Cappuccino · 04/10/2007 20:09

we spent two whole days there when we were in Dorset

animal safari took forever cos of new baby lions they were on the news that night eveeryone slowing down to peer

house fab but kids bored liked red room

magic show

god there is loads to do

get lost in maze

eat ice cream

play in Postman Pat World (bit dubious that one)

there is a mirrory room fab to watch kids run headlong into glass

oh and ice cream did I mention that

food crap take sarnies

adventure playgroundy bit

the worst giftshop in the known universe

brimfull · 04/10/2007 20:13

our car was trashed there

big huge fekin tiger bit a massive chunk out of the bumper and the monkeys ripped all the rubber off the car.

Dh was seething,me and dc's were pissing ourselves.

great day out,I loved the house but kids will hate it.

littlerach · 04/10/2007 20:13

Yes, food is awful.
Boat very good, and train is nice for kids.
Joe's mnine have bats in whcih my friend idn't relaise til she actually went in.

Buy the passport as then you can go back when you like.
If you don't live toof ar away that is.

Cappuccino · 04/10/2007 20:16

ooh yes boat great

the baboons have sky tv on their island apparently

hippos fab I love live hippos

StrawberryMartini · 04/10/2007 20:18

Oh yes forgot the food. Dreadful and v bad customer service when I asked about dairy in food for ds. Take your own!

littlerach · 04/10/2007 20:20

Actaully, I always fond the boat bit quite surrreal.
It's odd just being on th eboat, then seeing the hip[pos mooching in the water.
Or they are on the muddy bit. They are so huge.
And then you see the goriullas, and they do have sky TV and that's just a bit too strange.

When we wnet a coupel of years ago, I was mid-converstaion when the man next to me threw fish for the sealions and they jumped, and splashed, and i got amouthful of the river water. It wasn't nice.

Cappuccino · 04/10/2007 20:39

ok so top tips here

take own food

keep gob shut on boat

Cappuccino · 04/10/2007 20:40

oh and monkeys do rip your car to bits

you are all 'ha ha' at the bloke in front till they start fiddling with your wing mirrors

lalaa · 04/10/2007 20:45

no monkeys
take own food
allow enough time to do everything
wear big coat if it's cold because you'll be standing around for ages in the adventure castle
do train
do boat
postman pat thing is quite rubbish
pet enclosure thing is quite fun, particularly the parrots.

live 20 mins away and have spent a lot of time there with dd in the past. don't go anymore because started to find it depressing with all the crappy food outlets and general tat available to buy.

Cappuccino · 04/10/2007 20:47

you can wear that Lands End coat you have

brimfull · 04/10/2007 22:03

capp you are so funny

gigglewitch · 04/10/2007 22:09

we went at easter. it was fab!

we got in with the Tesco clubcard deals tokens - but u need to arrange a couple of weeks in advance on the tesco/deals website. we paid a fiver for each adult ticket (worth £20) and £4 for the child's one. and yes, we'd saved our tesco vouchers for this purpose. the tickets were the "passport ticket" ones, and we went back for three days in all, to fit everything in. Kids loved it!

somersetmum · 04/10/2007 22:23

We went recently on Tesco Deals - in fact, we are going back this weekend to do the bits we missed!

I ordered my Tesco Deal vouchers online and they came by return of post - but there's a postal strike at the moment, so may take a bit longer

They will only sell passport tickets on Tesco Deals. A family of four costs £72 without them. You can only buy vouchers in £10 blocks (which cost £2.50 worth of points each).

The season finishes on 4th November, so if you're planning more than one visit you need to be quick for this year.

Original poster
FluffyMummy123 · 04/10/2007 22:34

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OP posts:
gigglewitch · 04/10/2007 22:45

yay!
take own food (theirs seems v expensive and crowded)
put anyone under 5 in a buggy - they will get knackered at the distance to walk.
take your necessary baggage in rucksack cos u leave prams in buggy park at boat, train etc.

Original poster
FluffyMummy123 · 04/10/2007 22:47

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DontCallMeBaby · 04/10/2007 22:47

Monkeys don't destroy everyone's car, and small children will talk about any monkey/car interaction for months to come (DD would like our blue car back even though/especially because the little simian bastards ripped the windscreen wipers off). Hm, wouldn't take the NEW car through though.

StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 05/10/2007 09:55

A monkey escaped out the monkey compound by riding on my car roof. I was pulled over as I was leaving. I knew it was there and had been doing emergency stops trying to shift the little bugger.

I got peeed off in the maze and wish we hadn't bothered with it. Was in it for nearly 2 hours and never found the middle. DD was crying when I dragged her out as she wanted to carry on.

tiredemma · 05/10/2007 10:03

You can go around on the safari bus cant you instead of your own car. ( thats what we did.)

I really enjoyed it, kids loved it.

Boat trip around the island is good.

TinyGang · 05/10/2007 10:13

Avoid the monkey enclosure. Our car was ripped to bits too.

Dh tried to get them off the car by reversing at high speed and slamming on the brakes whilst shouting and swearing at them.

Dd was wide eyed with wonder in the back of the car. It wasn't quite the day out I had in mind. We had monkey shaped tooth bites out of the rubber trim on our car.

The house is interesting to look around. The chap that owns it is the hippy Lord with the hareem of wifelets and is clearly bonkers.

Very good day out.

QueenofBleach · 05/10/2007 10:15

Do safari bit in afternoon, and pets corner, boat etc in morningm therefore avoiding queues.