Funky Monkey Fun (Longleat Safari Park)

Name: count_zero

Hello doyoo user, You have to be logged in to use these functions... Login or register Close window

Send message to member

Product:	Longleat Safari Park
Date:	12/11/07 (273 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: It's fantastic

Disadvantages: Too much for one day

Longleat House and Safari Park
Recently spending a week at the Longleat Forest Center Parcs it would have been a real missed opportunity not to visit the famous safari park that is on the doorstep. So it was that we took a day out of our stay to call in, have a picnic and see the sights.

Longleat is much more than just a safari park and includes a magnificent house, extensive grounds, attractions and also a time warped little village. There is an awful lot to see and it would be almost impossible to see them all (and do them justice) in a single day so you need to plan your visit and pick and choose those parts you can afford to miss out on. Try as we might we had no chance of seeing everything, for the parts we saw I'll give a personal viewpoint in addition to the general description.

Getting there ~

For the SatNav savvy among you the address is: Longleat, Warminster, Wiltshire, BA12 7NW
For old skool map readers Longleat is just off the A36, between Bath and Salisbury, on the A362. It is within easy reach of the M4 and A303 and is well sign posted from around five miles away.

Opening times and prices (2008) ~
Longleat House is open all year round (excepting Christmas Day)
Safari Park and attractions:
Weekends only: 1 - 9 March
Daily: 15 March - 2 November

Pricing: This is where it all gets a bit complicated. Each attraction has an individual price attached but passport tickets are available that give access to virtually everything. The safari park and house are £11 and £10 respectively; all other attractions are either £2 or £3. Concessions are available for children and seniors. Taking all the individual admission prices the total cost could exceed £40, from this point of view the £22 passport ticket does represent good value. The passport is also valid for the entire season but, and it's a significant but, it is only valid for one visit per attraction so once you've seen the park if you wanted to go again you would have to buy a new ticket. The only advantage to the passport is if you are staying locally and wanted to spread your visit over two days but given that the house and park are the only things worth travelling for this isn't all that useful. However, it is good value and is better than scrabbling around for change at each of the minor attractions.
Confusingly, at the drive through ticket huts the prices are listed as 0 - 3's are free but 3 - 14's are £16. Can you guess what we had to pay for our 3 year old daughter? Well I was wrong as well as she got in for free, one up for Longleat on that one anyway.

Main Attractions ~
Safari Park ~
The safari park is the main reason for coming to Longleat, and it really is worth the effort.
For years I've wanted to visit a safari park but have been pathetically put off by horror stories and urban myths of cars being trashed by over excited monkeys. But now as a parent of four years standing such things have no fear for me anymore and so it was we found ourselves driving through the unnervingly Jurassic Park like gates into the wild savannah plains of Wiltshire.

To be honest the old fears began to resurface as we drove through those gates and read the various warning signs. Don't open your windows. Don't get out of the car. Don't have a picnic in the lion's enclosure and so on. But really, I took these to be more guidelines than actual rules and, anyway, I'll be buggered if I'm spending all this money to video the grubby inside of my car. No, if the opportunity arises I'll be out there - Steve Irwin style. Not the best example perhaps.
Anyway, with loins girded we drove on ready for anything. What I wasn't expecting was to find a car park and gift shop 100 yards into the park with everyone walking about and having picnics. Bit of an anti climax really and a waste of the rubbish adrenalin we'd all built up.

The picnic area overlooks the first enclosure, containing some camels, giraffes and what not. This is the East Africa Reserve. Now I'm all for animals in captivity having plenty of room to stretch their legs but this often means that they're miles away from you and look rubbish in the pictures. Oh well, I'm sure there's more exciting stuff to come so back in the car and off to the next area.
The park is navigated via a winding one-way road. Wide enough for cars to run two abreast (which is advised at busy times) when we went, mid-week in September, there was a steady stream of cars and you weren't particularly held up or rushed. It was just busy enough; it would probably be rather unnerving to be the only car in sight and having all the animals eyeing you up.
With your ticket you also get an audio CD to play on your visit. The lady doing the voiceover (I think she's the one from Autumn Watch) will tell you what's coming up, what to look out for and various other interesting titbits. I really like these commentary CDs, so much better than trying to share a guidebook, and this one really added to our appreciation and enjoyment.

After driving past a vulture aviary and pelican pond you come to the big one: The Monkey Jungle. Now this is the stuff of legend and make or break time for the whole trip. Are the stories true? Will I be driving home with no windscreen wipers? Who cares, I've removed the aerial and I haven't got a big butch 4x4 for nothing. All right I've got a school run-friendly Toyota Rav4 but it's close. There is the option of missing this part out and taking the bypass lane but where's the fun in that?
So, trepidatiously (it's a word, look it up) we entered planet of the apes and, oh my god they're everywhere! There isn't a car in sight without half a dozen of the little blighters on board. I had a plan though, keep moving and don't give them any chances. The trouble is they're smart and have been doing his a long time so as we crawled past the half way mark we were caught in a monkey trap. One ambled in front of the car, sat down on the road and turned to stare at us. Damn.
A fleeting thought of ploughing on was quickly dismissed and I rolled to a stop. Within seconds they were on us, but do you know what, those stories are myths. These monkeys are small and cheeky but they didn't do any harm and despite their frantic scrabbling all over the car they didn't put a scratch on it. So with several extra passengers we moved off again and when I got bored of them I just slammed on the brakes and watched them bounce off the bonnet. (That didn't happen). I did see some bits of car trim on the road but I suspect the rangers put them there for a laugh.

Next up is the Big Game Park which is home to white rhino apparently but we didn't see them. There were some Ankole Cattle, and no I didn't know what they were either but they had funky horns. A sneaky open window and some very good pictures.
At the time of our visit the Deer Park was closed due to it being the rutting season (and who would want privacy at such a time) so we moved on to the Wolf Wood. There's something quite creepy about wolves, don't get me wrong they're fabulous creatures and all that but there's something about the way they walk and stare at you that tickles some primeval fear in us. These wolves are quite brazen and clearly think you're in their territory and will criss-cross the road regardless of what the cars are doing. They come very close to the cars and this part was another highlight.

The final sections are the big cat enclosures. First up is Tiger Territory and further warnings to close windows, I think they mean it this time so up they go. It's quite woody here and the tigers can be glimpsed walking between the trees. Onto Lion Country and it's a bit more open here. A number of groups (packs, or is it prides?) can be seen variously loafing and slobbing around quite unconcerned with the passing traffic. At one point there is a group of five or six lying near the road and cars were pausing here to get a good look. When our turn came we too paused and waited for them to do something. As the seconds ticked by I thought I should toot the horn or something to gee them up a bit but I guess that's not appropriate and so although they continued to do not very much at all, it was very good to see them so close.
You know, in the morning to get us in the mood our daughter had her face painted. Knowing where we were going she chose to look like a lion and the Center Parcs girl did a very good job but I think if I had the time over again I would have had her painted to look like an injured antelope. Maybe that would have got those big cats on their feet. Maybe.

So that was the safari park, and what a pleasant experience it turned out to be. So different from a zoo you really do feel like a guest in the animal's home. All of us enjoyed our time and each got something out of it.

Longleat House ~
The current home of the 7th Marquis of Bath Longleat House is a spectacular building steeped in history and chock full of interest. We had nothing like enough time to pay a proper visit to the house but even our brief time inside left us with a desire to return. Must sees include the Great Hall, State Dining Room and Saloon but, really, all the public access areas are worth seeing. At the time of our visit (Sept 07) most of the house was covered in scaffolding that spoiled the view somewhat, it looks fairly well set and may be there for some time.

Garden and grounds (£3) ~
Longleat is big, very big. With 900 acres of 'Capability' Brown landscaped parkland and a further 8,000 acres of woodland, lakes and farms it is something that can only superficially be seen on any visit. It does, however, provide a dramatic backdrop to your day even if you only get to see it while driving from the gate house to the safari park and back to the house as we did.
Minor attractions ~
In addition to the main attractions above, which in all honesty more than justify several visits, there are a number of minor attractions to help fill in the gaps in the day. These range from the very good to the 'why did they bother'. They are a strange hotchpotch of ideas that seem to have been thrown together rather than constructed as part of any grand scheme but on the whole justify stretching to the passport ticket.

Adventure Castle (£3) ~
The Adventure Castle is a large, fenced in, adventure playground for children up to the age of 14. There are areas designed for different age groups but the general theme is of a lost castle that has been discovered by children. There are bridges, nets, climbing frames and slides not to mention the substantial castle at its heart. This is no half hearted attempt to keep the kids busy but an exceptionally well thought out and executed playground, I just wish there were places like this when I was a kid.
Butterfly Garden (£2) ~
Having recently raised some butterflies of our own (see previous review) this was one we were looking forward to but to be honest it was something of a mixed bag. Tacked on the back of a rather naff gift shop it is quite small and grubby. In a green house about ten metres long you follow a straight there-and-back route along a narrow gangway. Not always easy to pass other visitors it can become a bit of a shuffle to get through and you feel discouraged from pausing too long to study the different butterflies. Having said that there is a good selection housed here which you can get very close to, and they seem comfortable being observed from very close quarters. This is worth a visit if you have the passport ticket but if I had spent the best part of a tenner bringing in a family of four I think I would have felt a little hard done by.

Old Joe's Mine (£2) ~
(Not visited)
An interesting sounding interactive attraction, Old Joe's Mine simulates a disused gold mine where visitors must solve a series of clues as they travel the tunnels to discover what happened to Old Joe's gold. With a colony of Egyptian Fruit Bats, various creepy-crawlies, low level lighting and sound effects throughout this looks like an imaginative and well thought out attraction.
Longleat Railway (£3) ~
Using beautifully made scaled down engines and rolling stock this miniature railway offers a very pleasant trip on its two mile or so loop. The journey takes you through some of the grounds, the edge of the park and alongside the safari lake where seals and such like can be glimpsed. In the lake is an island which is home to a pair of gorillas, which if you're lucky you might get a glimpse of. Needless to say we weren't lucky but no matter, like all these miniature railways this one was a real pleasure and a trip is recommended on any visit.

Motion Simulator (£2) ~
(Not visited)
This is the sort of standard ride you get all over the place where you sit in a pod, set on hydraulics, and are thrown around in time with a video, usually of a runaway mine train or dune buggy. Normally good fun but it looks very out place here.
Pet's Corner (£3) ~
More a mini zoo or menagerie than just pets this is a very enjoyable section that kids will love. There is a good selection of small but not always friendly animals on view including snakes, lizards, otters, spiders and birds as well as several more cuddly pets. There are plenty of keepers around and they regularly bring out animals to be handled; we got to handle a cute floppy eared rabbit and a rather more intimidating snake but missed out on the tarantulas (shame). Also here is a regularly scheduled parrot show where we see how parrots can use their talons and beaks to achieve amazing feats. What this boils down to is seeing beautiful parrots riding roller skates, playing football and cracking nuts, so reminiscent of sea side shows from the seventies. They may wrap these shows in an overcoat of talk about ecology and conservation now but no matter how good and entertaining the young keeper was (and he was) it is still just a bunch of animals doing stupid tricks and is, frankly, not my cup of tea. Kids loved it though.

Postman Pat's Village (£2) ~
(Not visited)
This is closed until summer 2008 so we didn't get a chance to visit.
There is a miniature Greendale village and railway station and various characters are represented. One for the fans I expect.
Safari Boats (£3) ~
(Not visited)
This is one I regretted not doing as it looks very enjoyable. On a replica paddle steamer you are taken on a half hour ride around the lake where you will get good views of the house and grounds and the wildlife living in and around the lake. These include sea lions and the gorillas on their private island.

Longleat Hedge Maze (£3) ~
(Not visited)
This one looks amazing and given enough time one I would have really enjoyed. Made of 16,000 Yews and covering an area of 1.5 acres this is a big maze, get it wrong and you could cover nearly two miles without retracing a step. Average time to complete is apparently 90 minutes but with an over active 3 year old riding an ice cream rush I think you could double that and throw in a couple of tantrums to boot. As tempting as it was to lose the kids for a couple of hours we decided to save this for another time.
Fairy Garden (Free) ~
This is not even mentioned on the web site or brochures but I found it so enchanting I had to include it. In here you follow a path through the fairy garden where you discover secret grottoes filled with smoke and bubbles and hear distant fairy voices, always just round the next corner. It really is a lovely idea, very well realised. My daughter adored it and even if you don't have children with you it is a very relaxing, refreshing diversion.

Shops ~
There are several shops in Longleat, selling a variety of goods. There is Lady Bath's Shop tucked away in the depths of the house selling all manner of giftware and fancy knick knacks, not cheap but a pleasant place to browse. Also in the house is the Victorian Kitchen Shop selling olde worlde jams and fudge etc.
Just inside the safari park is the Trading Post, sited in a picnic area over looking an enclosure with zebra's and giraffes this sells toys, guidebooks snacks and drinks.

In the main square is Noah's Ark selling a predictable array of soft toys and other animal inspired goodies and by the railway station is a model shop selling, not surprisingly, things for the miniature railway enthusiast.
Food ~
There are two main eateries at Longleat; the Cellar Café in the house and the Wessex Pavilion. Both seem to offer light snacks rather than full blown meals and from what I saw of the pavilion are not particularly attractive. Laid out in the manner of a motorway service station it looks designed for volume rather than quality.

A better bet is to bring a picnic and there are several pleasant spots by the house and at the entrance to the safari park.
Accessibility ~
Accessibility to the house, park and attractions for pushchairs and wheelchairs is varied. Where possible Longleat have made things accessible but inevitably there are several areas that have restricted access. On numerous occasions we had to leave our buggy at an attractions entrance. Each part has its own restrictions and it would be advisable to check the web site for specific details.

Conclusion ~
Longleat House and Safari Park offers a high quality and event packed day out. My family thoroughly enjoyed our time here and the variety of attractions on offer should provide a similar experience for most people. £22 per person for the passport ticket is pretty good value and returning visitors have the option of only paying for those areas that want to see again.
The management have done a great job and the estate is beautifully maintained and presented. New attractions are imaginative and well constructed even if some of the older ones are beginning to show their age.

If you are staying in the area it would be a mistake not to pay a visit, and indeed the site is so good it would be worth travelling a long way to see it. I fully intend to return in a few years time.

Further information available from the excellent web site longleat.co.uk

Summary: Wild animals and lots more besides