London Aquarium (London Aquarium)

Member Name: rachelnorthover

Product:	London Aquarium
Date:	23/05/09 (47 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Thoroughly enjoyable for both children and adults

Disadvantages: Expensive to get in

London is a city with many great attractions but London Aquarium is probably not at the top of most people's things to see while visiting the capital city. When visiting the aquarium however, I was bowled over by the beauty of the fish and became childlishly excited by the huge rays, sharks and turtles. The trip really was a lot of fun and although much of the credit must go to the creatures themselves, it was clear to see that the aquarium was created in a way which allowed you to do more than just peer at fish behind glass.

I visited the aquarium on a friday and didn't queue for very long at all, although I can imagine that on a weekend the wait to get in would be significantly longer. Not all of the information about the fish is in tiny, inaccessible print. Larger facts and questions are printed on walls and boards which are interesting and educational for both adults and children. Indeed, there are many activities on offer for young ones. With colouring, badge making, starfish touching and shark feeding, it was hardly suprising that I didn't see a single child that looked fed up or bored during my trip.

One of the highlights of the aquarium is a walk-in tunnel through the largest tank at the aquarium where giant rays, completely unphased by your presence, glide over centremetres above your head. You really don't feel distanced from the fish at any point and there are stations where staff allow you to touch some rock-pool creatures.

There are regular events throughout the day such as shark feeding and talks on seahorses, rays and terrapins which are informative and interesting.

Unfortunately the aquarium is not a cheap day out at £15.75 for an adult and £11.75 for a child but if tickets are purchased online in advance, they are slightly cheaper. Additionally, if you have travelled to london by train, which is what I did, you can use to the train tickets to get a 2 for 1 offer into the aquarium, making the trip far more feasible.

The aquarium takes between 2 and 3 hours to get around and although I had a great time, I probably wouldn't pay £15.75 to go. If you can get an offer though such as the 2 for 1 deal with national rail, the aquarium really is good value for money and a fun-filled afternoon.

Summary: A fun-filled afternoon if you can afford it.