highway directional sign

Pertinax said:

Agree, any first-time visitor won't be aware of the more limited access nowadays. And for the small cat enthusiast of whom there seem to be a number on here, most of them are still fully accessible too.

I just don't like the extended safari-style approach they have now- not to my personal taste to have no other option to view many of the animals except from a moving (and very uncomfortable) vehicle crowded in with other folk and an inane(for me) commentary etc, but I certainly wouldn't try to put anyone off going- there is still plenty to see of course.

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I agree with you , but i'm not a fan of safari parks in general, i much prefer walking round. The most annoying thing for me on my recent visit was that i didn't have an hour to spare for the truck ride, which I would have done just for the possibility i might see the brown hyena. If they were accessible on foot i could've just gone to see them, without needing to do the truck ride to see species i can see at plenty of other places.

The sign also shows just how close Wingham (Wildlife Park) is to Howletts .

Bele said:

The sign also shows just how close Wingham (Wildlife Park) is to Howletts .

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I think I will do a first visit there next time I go to Howletts. I'm still surprised at how a smaller Zoo like this can survive next door to its bigger and famous 'rival'.

pipaluk said:

I agree with you , but i'm not a fan of safari parks in general, i much prefer walking round.

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Nor me, though I have had a couple of pleasant visits to Woburn and West Mids. The difference from Port Lympne being you are in your own(or someone else's) car and so you can choose your speed of progress- at least on quiet days. You can pull over to look at animals if you want. Both those Parks I mentioned also have exhibits that are non-drive-through too.

Port Lympne's problem I think is that on the 'safari' you are 'captive' in those trucks for two thirds of the animal viewing and that side of it now takes up too great a proportion of time, when you take into account the time spent waiting at the initial pickup point ( it was 15 minutes when I went) and the time spent at the 'Livingstone Lodge' lookout- beautiful views but you are stuck there for half an hour. Sorry but this just didn't work for me.

Pertinax said:

I think I will do a first visit there next time I go to Howletts. I'm still surprised at how a smaller Zoo like this can survive next door to its bigger and famous 'rival'.

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It's probably some combination of:

1. Cheaper than Howletts;
2. More "under 10 friendly" than Howletts (I can't imagine you'd get most younger children to walk all around Howletts without some problems);
3. Loads of big cats (and penguins and crocodiles) in a compact amount of space which are easy to see (Joe Public probably prefers this).

Personally I'd always prefer Howletts as, to me, the Gorillas alone make the entry price worthwhile but Wingham has it's place, even for me (a nice-sized zoo to squeeze in if I or my wife are too exhausted to do Port Lympne the day after). Personally I've not visited since it's rapid expansion and am intrigued to see how well it's been done.