Advice: Road Trip planning UK Wildlife/Zoo places

karoocheetah

karoocheetah

Well-Known Member
Ok folks, I know this is a little bit wooly but I am trying to plan a week (ish) away and I'd obviously like to include some zoos and collections I've not been to before - aiming for some time around the 14th to 24th September time maybe but I can be a bit flexible.
Anyway I initially planned to go to the Kent area as I really want to visit the RSCC in Sandwich but I see from their website that the last public opening this year is 31st August :( and I really can't get away before the bank holiday weekend unfortunately, also can't see them letting me visit after it's shut to the public no matter how I try to swing it. So that knocks Port Lympne & Wingham out too as they are in the same area.

Thus Changing tack I thought maybe Scotland for a change as it's been a while since I've been to Edinburgh & Highland Wildlife Park and I have never been to Blair Drummond.
So over to you locals - where do you think I could base myself in self catering for a week or so in order to be in easy reach of the 3 named places - or has anyone else planned anything similar in the Uk and care to share - I can get to West Midlands, Twycross, Dudley and probably Yorkshire Wildlife Park within a day trip so looking at places at least 2 to 3 hours drive away from Cheshire in truth to make it worth staying for a bit.
For instance Colchester Zoo looks good - what else is in the region? Could I get to ZSL's places if I based somewhere nearby to do Colchester? is that fesible?
Ramble over - all ideas gratefully recieved
 
Hello,


Earlier this year 'we' went away to Norfolk and Suffolk for a few days away and in this area, not only do you have lovely countryside and are near to the coast, but you are also in the area of the following Zoo's 'and things' off the top of my head.

Norfolk

Banham Zoo, Africa Alive (visited here, very good I say and you may be interested in the Acinonyx jubatus their!), Thingby Park (probably a few more too..)

Suffolk

Linton Zoo
Owl Sanctuary (forget its name)

If you do decide to go down this area feel free to PM if you want a few nice places to stay B&B's country pubs etc,
 
Speaking from experience, if you are based reasonably near the M25 in Essex, you are within an hour or so of Regents Park and Colchester, depending on traffic conditions of course.
Whipsnade is rather further, but still quite easily accessible, and Howletts is not that far away either. The roads are generally good but busy - if I am driving to Regents Park, I prefer to do it on a Sunday when traffic is much lighter.
Other collections are available, but I have not visited them.

Alan
 
Last year (June 2010), me and AG did Scotland almost exactly as you have mentioned. We stopped somewhere in St. Andrews for a few nights before moving up to somewhere in the Highlands [can't recall where unfortunately] - then on the way back we broke the journey up with an overnight stop in Dunoon.

Places we visited and things we did:

On the way to St. Andrew's - Edinburgh Zoo.
Whilst stopping at St. Andrew's - Blair Drummond Safari Park, St. Andrew's Aquarium, wild seal watching [can't recall where, but parents might so will ask them later and edit :)]
Whilst stopping in Highlands - Highland wildlife park [think we did that en route], wild seal watching [a different place I can't recall where - there are also whales, dolphins, otters etc in the area, but we saw only seals] and we also went to see wild peregrine falcons in an old quarry somewhere [turned into a proper nature-tourist place].

Some of these things such as seals/dolphins/falcons may be seasonal, but not sure. Was a good trip though and [whilst again not 100% sure], we think we saw a wild osprey fly past whilst on the road up to Highlands :p
 
Hi karoocheetah

Have you visited Galloway Wildlife Park? They would appreciate your custom at the present if you havent.

Ive already booked my five days away to Scotland. We are spending one night in a lovely Stirling B&B just outside the city so nice and quiet. We visited this part of the country a few years ago and from Stirling we drove 2 hours to Highland Wildlife Park, was well worth it!

This year, we are going to Blair Drummond while in Stirling. We are then spending two nights in Inverness, dolphin sighting and also revisiting Highland Wildlife Park :) On our last day we intend to spend one night in Edinburgh and visit Ed zoo. Im so excited :) Cant wait, two weeks just isnt coming round quick enough. Ive made the trip circular so as to curtail too much driving as we one year drove 7 hours from Liverpool to Inverness, never again lol

In April, we spent three nights near Luton, in another lovely farm B&B and visited, Hamerton Zoo Park, Woburn Safari, Whipsnade and Colchester :) Great trip that was :)

If you need any more advice just ask :) We have been planning holidays around zoos for two years now, and each time the trips get more complex ;)

Good luck!
 
A good trip I've done a couple of times is staying in Torquay (we found some good self-catering) from where there are loads of places to visit -Living Coasts, Paignton, Shaldon, Dartmoor, Newquay (bit more of a hike, but you won't be that near again for a while) and a few other smaller collections. Also we did Exmoor on the way down and Bristol on the way back.
 
All of my holidays are zoo tours, but all are by public transport and I manage well enough, so it should be easy if you are in a car (I don't like cars, so although I eventually did learn to drive I did not take up driving - mind you I couldn't afford a car these days anyway). The last few years I have always gone to the West Country, staying in Paignton. Last year I visited Paignton, Tropiquaria, Newquay, Exmoor and Paradise Park. I always start and finish with a day at Paignton. This year I am hoping to get to Wingz instead of Newquay. In the past I have been to Dartmoor, Cricket St Thomas (a lovely place but no great loss as a zoo), Shaldon, Combe Martin, Brean Down and Noah's Ark too. Brean Down and Noah's Ark I did on the same day with a lenghty walk between Nailsea and Backwell station and the latter.

Back in 1997 I stayed in Lowestoft and visited Suffolk Wildlife Park (now Africa Alive! of course), Banham (quite a walk from Attleborough station, but a Muntjac crossed my path), Thrigby Hall, Linton (it's in Cambridgeshire by the way), Norfolk Wildlife Park (by then way past its best) and Colchester. I have also visited Colchester by public transport from Worthing, and Whipsnade from both Margate and Folkestone (obviously I also did Howletts and Port Lympne from both places). As I say I'm sure if it's possible by public transport it should be much easier by car - if you like the horrible things!!!!
 
On another thought, a possibility is a trip over to Normandy in France to visit the 'highly rated' CERZA Zoo/Wildlife park. I am going here next year on a French trip. Return ferries across the channel are less than £30 now too.


@ Parrotsandrew I tip my hat to you for travelling everywhere by public transport. I just find busses and coaches such an inconvenience as they take an age to get anywhere compared to a car.
 
Perth is a good central location for the major Scottish collections. The Highland Wildlife Park is about 90 minutes away (and a glorious drive) and Edinburgh and Blair Drummond are around the one hour mark. There are also several smaller collections within an hour's drive if you're that way inclined (I would certainly recommend Camperdown Wildlife Centre in Dundee and Five Sisters Zoo near Livingston).
 
Pootle said:
@ Parrotsandrew I tip my hat to you for travelling everywhere by public transport. I just find busses and coaches such an inconvenience as they take an age to get anywhere compared to a car.
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Thank-you Pootle. I suppose I'm just used to it now and don't think about it, although some places are too difficult to reach and no safari parks for me of course! For trips from home to Lotherton, Yorkshire WP and Filey Bird Garden I take my folding bicycle on the train. Flamingo Land and Harewood have convenient buses. When I go to Exmoor Zoo I do get a taxi from Barnstaple as I cannot connect with a bus to get me there early enough to have a full day there.

Another suggestion - what about the Gloucestershire and Cotswolds area? Cotswold WP, Birdland, Bristol, Slimbridge and Newent come to mind, and not too far to some of the places south of Bristol.
 
thanks to all - and keep them coming - great ideas here and I feel a PM or two coming on :O)

I don't do public transport - I spend hard earned cash on my own car and by george I shall utilise it - but hats off to those who bite that slightly grubby bullet!!
 
karoocheetah said:
thanks to all - and keep them coming - great ideas here and I feel a PM or two coming on :O)

I don't do public transport - I spend hard earned cash on my own car and by george I shall utilise it - but hats off to those who bite that slightly grubby bullet!!
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We always travel by public transport as neither of us drive and we manage to get to some places. I think in some cases time and money is more of an issue.

Chester is easily accessbile and We are planning weekend trips to Edinburgh, Blackpool, Twycross amongst others but again weather, transport, time and money depending. You could just stay in one place for a night and visit one collection or several if there are that many close by. We usually tend to pick somewhere with history or other interesting things to do as well as a zoo.

I do not know if this is of any help to you. We find sometimes you need two days in some places so it is easier to go for one at a time and work through them slowly?
 
OK folks - North of the border it is.

Accomodation Booked - nice little B&B in Pitlochry - so my intention is to visit Highland Wildlife Park, Edinburgh Zoo & Blair Drummond Wildlife Park whilst I am in the geographical area - anybody know any other collections in the region?
I'll hit Galloway wildlife park on the route back too - just not sorted accomodation nearby yet.
many thanks for all of the info as usual
 
karoocheetah said:
anybody know any other collections in the region?
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Five Sisters Zoo near Livingstone is well worth a visit, it has loads of weird little mammals (Asian Dormouse, Jerboa, Springhaas, Marbled Polecat, Civets, Mouse-like Hamsters amongst others) and is a nicely-done little zoo. You can also go in and feed the Lemurs for a fiver. Check out "stovies" in restaurant too, delicious.

Galloway's ok (see my review somewhere) but be warned it's quite a detour if you're not visiting the area.

It's not really in the area but Trotters might be an option on your return route (Canadian Lynx, Fishing Cat, both kinds of snapping turtles, Golden Eagles and BLACK WILDEBEEST amongst others).
 
If you're in the East, then there are many small-medium sized collections you could visit.

Norfolk - Amazona Zoo, Thrigby Hall, Banham Zoo, Pensthorpe, Hunstanton and Great Yarmouth Sea Life, Amazonia World of Reptiles, Shorelands (opens early next year).

Suffolk - Africa Alive!, Suffolk Owl Sanctuary (Stonham Barns)

Lincs - Long Sutton Butterfly & Wildlife Park.

Cambs - Linton Zoo, Hamerton Zoo.
 
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