Return Trips

adrian1963

adrian1963

Well-Known Member
After reading a comment on a gallery photograph it got me thinking.
What zoos or parks would you return to and why.
Mine would have to be Chester for the general layout and the atmosphere around the zoo.
Also I love the Jaguar house this was very well thought out and makes the most of some special animals also they have in my opinon the best Bat attraction in the UK
The animal species they keep is second to none and the way they mix some of the species is great.
Blackpool Zoo I love this place as I always visit at least once a year while on a break there. I take my mother who is wheel chair bound and she loves the place (she doesn't like zoos normal because animals are in cages)
It's because it easy for her to get around and actually be able to see the attractiions without having too pull herself up out of the chair.
And my favourite zoo Dudley it's not just that it's my local zoo but everytime I go there I find some thing different to photograph and I love the interaction between the keepers and the visitors
now how about your views on your favourite return trips and why
 
adrian1963 said:
After reading a comment on a gallery photograph it got me thinking.
What zoos or parks would you return to and why.
Mine would have to be Chester for the general layout and the atmosphere around the zoo.
Also I love the Jaguar house this was very well thought out and makes the most of some special animals also they have in my opinon the best Bat attraction in the UK
The animal species they keep is second to none and the way they mix some of the species is great.
Blackpool Zoo I love this place as I always visit at least once a year while on a break there. I take my mother who is wheel chair bound and she loves the place (she doesn't like zoos normal because animals are in cages)
It's because it easy for her to get around and actually be able to see the attractiions without having too pull herself up out of the chair.
And my favourite zoo Dudley it's not just that it's my local zoo but everytime I go there I find some thing different to photograph and I love the interaction between the keepers and the visitors
now how about your views on your favourite return trips and why
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I think i have made return journeys to every zoo, up until the ones i have visited for a first time this year. Bristol, being the nearest is the one i go to the most. Paignton, Shaldon and the New Forest WP, Monkey World are annuals.Every 2-3 years, Newquay, Dartmoor, Howletts, Port Lympne, Longleat. Longer gaps Chester, West Midlands.
Zoos, i've been to more than once, but i'm not fussed on and will not go out of my way to go back to Marwell,(visited again this year, still can't put my finger on why i don't like it.) Dartmoor (after my recent visit.) No improvement in 2 years. Weymouth sea life centre.

zoos i have visted for the first time this year and absolutely love. Cotswold, Exmoor, Birdland, and National marine Aquarium.
One i'll leave a few years Twycross.

Zoos on my wish list Edinburgh, Highlands, Welsh mountain, Heythrop, Dudley, and Woburn
 
I was just wondering what where everybodies favorite zoos that they return to more than once or twice a year
Why all of a sudden has everyone appeared to have turned on Twycross
 
adrian1963 said:
I was just wondering what where everybodies favorite zoos that they return to more than once or twice a year
Why all of a sudden has everyone appeared to have turned on Twycross
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I'm the only one to post, and i haven't turned on Twycross, just not as keen on returning as quick as i am to the others i posted. Some Zoos will have to give way for me to be able to visit new ones i have my favourites, Twycross isn't one of them but that's not to say i dislike it, because i do not.
 
I try to get to Chester about once a month where possible (especially in summer), however zoos that I do not reguarly visit that I would like to return to are [realistically because of transport] Twycross to see the bonobos and babies and Blackpool to see the gorilla baby. I also like West Midlands Safari Park, but years since I've been there and Welsh Mountain (may be going there next week anyway).

Ones that I would struggle to. get to but thought were great were Colchester, Edinburgh and Highlands Wildlife Park
 
My favourite 10 in order,
1 Port Lympne,
2 Howletts
3 Bristol
4 Paignton,
5 Chester
6 Cotswold
7 New Forest,
8 Exmoor
9 National marine aquarium
10 Birdland.

6,8,9 AND 10 are all 1st visits this year for me, I guess they've edged out Newquay, Shaldon, West Midlands and Longleat.
 
Marwell is on average about twice monthly, given that there's oryx club once every month except for August and December, along with any other visits or things I might be doing seperately there; then again I say that, July was the first Marwelless month of the year due to being in France through most of it. Then there's the New Forest Wildlife Park usually every two months, Hawk Conservancy and Longleat once or twice annually, with zoos like Paignton, Newquay and London every couple or few years, and a few 'tick-list' visits I've so far only done once due to distance, like Chester, Whipsnade, Edingburgh and the HWP. I've gotta feeling though that Howletts and/or Port Lympne may well become annuals though having been to both twice in 2009 and 2010. ;)
 
Johnny Morris I wasn't saying yu were turning on Twycross I was just wondering why people had a thing against Twycross in general as it seems alot of people have on other threads turned against the zoo.
I wouldn't say it was you it was just a general obeservation of all threads lately
Sorry Johnny Morris if it seemed I was picking on you it was not meant to come across that way
 
adrian1963 said:
I was just wondering why people had a thing against Twycross in general as it seems alot of people have on other threads turned against the zoo.
I wouldn't say it was you it was just a general obeservation of all threads lately
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I don't think there's been a sudden surge of anti-Twycross mood, it's more a longer term undertow of disappointment and frustration with a collection that punches consistently under it's weight. (That's not the same as hatred or anti-Twycross, more a dissatifaction of how things happen there)
 
Its easier for me to list zoos I wouldn't return to. In the UK that would amount to just one- Glasgow, but it has been closed for several years.

There might be a few others if I'd been to them in the first place...
 
I regularly visit Dartmoor down to the fact that it is constantly improving and adding new enclosures/species and i love the atmosphere of the zoo and want to support what ben has done. I have also just visited a new small specialist collection near me called Wingz bird and animal garden and will be returning here very soon as they have quite a few species still off show that they are trying get on show. I also visit Newquay/Peighton/Longleat/Gweek often and hope to get to shaldon for the first time.
 
I try to get to Newquay (as my favourite zoo) as often as possible but unfortunatley I live no where near cornwall, So i visit whenever i can get a holiday down there.
 
I'm still working my way through first visits to many places, a lot of my wishlist are a fair distance from me which can mean hotel costs as well, so that slows down when I can go.

My local zoos are twycross - which has really grown on me I've been visiting for about 3 years and have have really noticed a lot of improvements enclosure wise over the last year (tho don't get me started on the awful giraffe paddock); and the Yorkshire wildlife park which I've been visiting regularly since it opened a d I love it.

I have also managed to visit Chester a few times this year, tho it's just over a 100 miles for me, so it's never a spur of the moment thing.

I visit monkey world regularly as well, and will be making my second visit to Colchester in September.

I would love to visit port lympe and howletts as well as jersey and Edinburgh.

A return I want to do - def Bristol I loved it.
 
A few years ago I visited Blackpool Zoo not expecting too much but to my surprise it turned out to be one of my favourites. I don't live very close but have made a point of returning 2 or 3 times since then. I love the entrance, I think it makes a really good first impression considering it's a seaside resort, I've always found it to be cleaner than what I maybe expected (no huge piles of sea gull poop etc). That's not to say I don't have criticisms, for example the limited viewing in the ape houses but one the whole I really enjoy it.
 
How come no ones mentioned Howletts? For me Howletts means going to see the worlds BEST gorilla enclosure, they were also so GOOD they built four! :D

Bristol Zoo is also a must return trip, saying that I have been a few times this year now.
 
taun said:
How come no ones mentioned Howletts? For me Howletts means going to see the worlds BEST gorilla enclosure, they were also so GOOD they built four! :D

Bristol Zoo is also a must return trip, saying that I have been a few times this year now.
Click to expand...

I did! It's on my must visit list!
 
taun said:
How come no ones mentioned Howletts? For me Howletts means going to see the worlds BEST gorilla enclosure, they were also so GOOD they built four! :D

Bristol Zoo is also a must return trip, saying that I have been a few times this year now.
Click to expand...

I've been to Bristol four times in the last two months. It has a really good mix. Their aquarium is fantastic.
 
I visit Marwell at least twice a year as it's my local zoo. I run the 10k race there every year and later in the year go back for a 'normal' visit. Zoos that I visit at least once a year are Monkey World, Whipsnade, and London. Have been to Bristol, Port Lympne and Chester once each, and would definitely go back to all three.

I was very impressed by Bristol, my favourite exhibit was the penguin pool/tern aviary. I certainly believe Bristol beats London as an inner city zoo.

Finally got to see one of the Aspinall parks last year when we went to Port Lympne and wasnt disappointed - a fantastic collection of animals (particularly primates) and the Palace of the Apes has got to be one of the best ape exhibits around. Only bad thing was the hills!

About a month ago we took advantage of being up north to cross the pennines and visit Chester. Definitely the best zoo I have been to and will be going back when I can. For me Realm of the Red Ape ranks alongside Palace of the Apes as a great exhibit.

The Zoos I hope to visit are Edinburgh, Howletts, Twycross, and Blackpool.
 
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