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Recommendation added: 04/06/2007 15:57
By: katygriff (YSUK rating +352)katygriff has been thanked 2 times for this contribution
"It was last August when I had just graduated from university, was in the painful process of looking for a job and basically had had enough of watching Friends re-runs on the TV, when I decided to do something with my day. That is when I came upon the idea of going to the West Midlands Safari Park.
Now living in the Midlands I have been here many a time, in fact I have seen the park every Christmas when we took my sister and my cousins to go to see Santa on the Seven Valley Railway which is located nearby. My boyfriend however had never been and did not know what to expect so for everybody who has never been, here is all the information you need to know.
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Location:
West Midland Safari and Leisure Park.
Spring Grove,
Bewdley,
Worcestershire,
DY12 1LF.
01229 402114.
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Price:
Adults - £7.99.
Children - £7.99.
Children under 4 are free.
It does seem a bit mad that the child prices are the same as the adult but the price does include a free return visit for all so you can relive the fun for free a second time. Remember that it has to be in the same vehicle though.
Your admission fee includes;
Drive through Safari, White Lions, Wild dogs, Elephant reserve, Tiger reserve, Lion reserve, discovery trail, seal island, sea aquarium, creepy crawlies, animal encounter, reptile encounter, reptile house, deer park, goat park, sea lion theatre (houses some really good shows in which kids can get involved in), Express train and the hippo lakes.
Also there are prices to visit the rides which are £8.75 for people over 1.2 metres tall and £7.25 for people less than 1.2 metres tall.
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History:
The west Midlands Safari Park has been around for over 15 years and is renowned for being a fun day out. For those people who do not like zoos and believe they are cruel then rest assured that the Safari Park is one of the friendlier zoos in which the animals are kept outside and have lots of space. You drive your car around certain enclosures allowing you to take a good and close look on how the animals act, look and move.
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The Safari Park:
The actual Park is huge and as soon as you reach it you can see the big colourful signs letting you know you have arrived. On arrival you pay for the amount of people in the car. You have an option to buy animal food as some animals you can feed on your travels. Then off you go in your car discovering the land of the huge animals. Here you will see llamas, elephants and giraffes and if you are brave enough you can drive into the lion and tiger enclosures where you have to keep your windows up and your doors locked to prevent any nasty accidents. Driving around is fun as the animals come right up to your car and with some of them you can feed them. Just remember to wash your hands after which unfortunately I didn't before eating. Ewww!!!
Out of your car you have the opportunity to visit the smaller animals which includes the sea lions, reptiles and creepy crawlies. There are also some friendlier animals such as goats and rabbits. Occasionally and you will have to check the times when you visit, you can get to touch the animals and feed them.
When you have had enough of looking at the animals you can go on the rides. Although it is always a bit rubbish when there are height restrictions but there are plenty of rides for all. For those over 1.2 metres we have the Jumbo Parade, the tarantula, the rhino coaster and the Zambezi water splash. For those under 1.2 metres we have the Congo carousel, the flying pandas and the animal ark. There are plenty more too so the wrist bands are a good idea as it gives you more reasons to love your day out here.
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Eating at the Safari Park:
There is a good variety on eating establishments and what you can eat here. We have the following;
Candy sweet shop – OK maybe not the healthier choice but if you just fancy some sweets while you are walking around then here you go.
Port Livingstone Pizza – All types of pizzas available here including my favourite the Hawaiian. Also they sell chicken dishes and chips but there is also some vegetarian options including vegetarian pizzas of course. This is where I ate and the pizzas were reasonably priced. I had a slice and it cost around £2 and it was a big and filling slice.
Burger Co – Great for exactly what it says – burgers.
Oasis licensed bar and coffee shop – Great place to go and sit down if you want a drink or a snack such as a sandwich or a baguette. They also sell food like muffins which is good for a quick bite to eat to fill you up. Prices here were standard at about £1 for a drink and around £2.50 for sandwiches.
Hot and Spicy – This was my boyfriend's choice of food and he had a jacket potato with cheese which cost around £2.50. They also sold hot dogs and burgers here.
Also throughout the Safari Park you will find little snack houses that will sell ice-creams, sweets and drinks for people on the go. Also there is a picnic area so those who wish to bring their own food can do so.
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Shopping:
There are many shops including the African Trading Company and Jungle Bazaar gifts. They sell anything from stationary to soft toys. You can even buy educational books, t-shirts and extra camera film. My favourite things to look at though were the animal prints they have for sale and range in price from £5 - £50.
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Other local attractions:
Kidderminster is great for a visit if you want to do some shopping. Also Bewdley is a beautiful little town which houses some great pubs to go and eat in. The main attraction nearby is the seven valley railway which houses steam train rides and a souvenir shop.
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My Verdict:
I love the Safari Park and it is a great day out for all with something to do and interest people of all ages. Those who are very protective of their car though I would recommend going in somebody else's as the animals can get close. When my boyfriend saw that you had to drive through in your car he nearly had a heart attack but he soon relaxed enough to do it. There was one point though when a giraffe walked past the car so close that it pushed the wing mirror into the car, I just loved his face. It is fun feeding the bigger animals but beware they do try to get their heads right in the car and many of them do drool.
The smaller animal enclosure is fantastic with the sea lion shows being my favourite as you watch them do tricks. The creepy crawly encounter was probably my worst experience because I cannot stand spiders but the reptile enclosure houses some very impressive snakes. My favourite part of the trip was that we caught a small show about reptiles and I got to hold one of the snakes.
This is really an all weather day out as it was raining when we went but all the animals could still be seen and it is nice to be able to get so close to them. I know what you are all going to say, that it is a zoo and it is cruel but the Safari Park gives the animals more room than I have seen any other zoo do so it is one of the nicer ones.
I think if you live in commutable distance you should visit as it is a great day out.
Thanks for reading.
xxx"
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