Bring the whole troop along! (Belfast Zoo)

Member Name: Ghumphrey

Product:	Belfast Zoo
Date:	26/05/09 (54 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great views and fun family day out.

Disadvantages: Almost too many monkeys

Location

Belfast Zoo is located about 15 minutes away from Belfast City Centre. It can be reached easily by car or any bus going in the direction of Glengormley. The zoo is currently Belfast's most popular tourist attraction. The zoo is located on the slopes of the cave hill. This has both positives and negatives. The negatives are pretty obvious and are all the steep hills that have to be negotiated. This may be a problem for older party members or people pushing prams or wheelchairs. On the plus side the views of Belfast Lough from certain sections of the Zoo are fantastic and provide a great backdrop to any picnic.

The zoo also has ample and free car parking.

Opening times and admission costs

The zoo is open all year round but the opening hours vary depending on the season. Generally though the zoo is open 10-7 during the summer months and 10-5 during the winter months. The admission for the zoo is currently £8.30 for adults and £4.40 for children. Under fours and senior citizens go free.

Animals

Belfast zoo is involved in European breeding programmes and is by all accounts a very successful breeding zoo. Just last year a lion cub was a welcome addition to the zoo. There are 1200 animals at the zoo covering 140 species covering spectacled bears, lions, sea eagles, sea lions all manner of monkeys, gorillas, birds, farm animals and my favourite the penguins.

My experience

I have been to the zoo numerous times and have always found it to be a fun and enjoyable day out. Whilst i acknowledge the zoo is not the best in the world it does a very good job with the resources that it has available. On my last visit I was struck by the amount of different monkeys that they had. So much so that I remarked that the zoo could almost be remained monkey zoo. This is fine if you like monkeys. The animals appear to be well looked after and the viewing areas are very good whilst at the same time respecting the animals. There is also a very positive approach to teaching members of the public especially young people about the animals and where they come from.

Throughout the year the zoo organises a number of events from summer bbqs to Halloween fancy dress. I have not been to any but they seem like a very good family day out and create a positive impression. There is a shop at the entrance, a restaurant and a cafe at the top of the zoo. These can be expensive and with a troop of kids you would probably be better of bringing a picnic.

Overall Belfast Zoo provides a good fun day out and gives children a chance to see a wide variety of animals up close. The park is very spacious and encourages family picnic. The facilities of the zoo in terms of bathrooms are also decent. I would be happy to recommend the zoo to anyone visiting Belfast

Summary: Good family fun day out close to Belfast.