Go on Safari right here in Bedfordshire! (Woburn Safari Park)

Member Name: takeachance

Product:	Woburn Safari Park
Date:	14/09/09 (183 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fantastic full fun day out for all the family!

Disadvantages: Price I guess .. not enough hours in the day

Under an hour from London, Birmingham, Oxford and Cambridge you'll find Woburn Safari Park in Woburn, Bedfordshire.

Woburn Abbey and Safari is owned by the Russell family and has been their home for over 300 years. The safari park actually opened in 1970 and was only the second safari park to open in the UK.

On arrival you drive through tollgates and are charged per person not per car. The price varies slightly according to the season but generally its about £17 per adult and £12 per child. Concessions are available for senior citizens and under 3's are free!
You can also use Tesco Clubcard points to purchase entry vouchers and this is the option that I took.
It can be pretty pricey to get the whole family through the gates but in my opinion once youve had a day here you will agree that its good value for money.

Basically once you have entered the park it is split into two sections. A road safari and a foot safari.

The Road Safari enables you to get close to the larger animals .They live in wide open spaces where they can roam freely and behave naturally, and are just on the other side of your windscreen!
Here you are allowed to drive your own vehicle through the reserves as often as you like during the day. I found that each circuit took approximately one hour with short stops at each animal .
Some of the animals being the Rhino, Buffalo, Giraffe, Zebras, Lions, Tigers, Wolves, Black Bears, Camels, Monkeys and Antelopes.
My childrens favourite part was definately the monkey enclosure as the cheeky monkeys jump all over your car!

Once you have seen the bigger animals on the Road Safari you can park up and see some of the smaller animals on the Foot Safari. Ranging from cute lemurs to wallabies, to a huge Burmese Python! (no,I wasnt brave enough for that one!) You can also enjoy Penguin World, the sealions, monkeys and a farm area with sheep and goats.

It is a good idea on arrival to familiarise yourself with the different shows, demonstrations and feeding times that are available for you to enjoy throughout the day and perhaps plan your day around these. I for one really enjoyed the sealion show.

Woburn Safari certainly is a jam packed day out and its good to know what is available in the way of food for yourself and your little ones. On our daytrip we went prepared with a picnic but on site there were two restaurants offering anything from cooked breakfast to filled yorkshire puddings. In fact both restaurants seemed to offer a good choice of both hot and cold food and drinks. There were also numerous kiosks and food carts dooted around the park offering hot dogs, hot and cold drinks, snacks and ice cream.

Also included in your entry price are the Woburn railway, swan boats which enable you to pedal around the lake, action trails and both indoor and outdoor play areas.

As with all Zoos Woburn offer special experiences for those budding zoo keepers! You are invited to join a ranger on an off road experience or visit behind the scenes in the lion park.There is also a 'junior' experience for children aged over 12.

No outing would be complete without the obligatory trip to the gift shop and Woburn doesnt disappoint with a great range of gifts and souvenirs on offer.

We all loved our daytrip to Woburn. It appealed to 4 - 64 year olds alike and there wasnt a dull moment. There is so much on offer and so much to see and do. I would definately recommend a day trip here to any animal lovers or parents!

Summary: Get saving those clubcard vouchers for a brilliant day out on safari!