Paignton Zoo - a great place for a morning/evening out (Paignton Zoo)

Member Name: chrisc92

Product:	Paignton Zoo
Date:	02/07/09 (23 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fun and entertaining

Disadvantages: Very Hilly

My last visit to Paignton Zoo was about a year ago, it is a great place to visit and unlike some of the other zoos I've visited more than once (like Bristol) it is continually trying to improve.

The latest improvement is a completely new indoor crocodile house with a number of tanks which is well worth a look.

It has a nocturnal house, zebras, rhinos, Indian elephants, lions, tigers, tortoises, monkeys, a reptile house, indoor desert area and a big lake area.

Years ago, (when I was a child) my favourite part was the train ride that took you aroud the lake and saw the other side of the big cat enclosures, nowadays, it's just interesting viewing all these different animals.

There's a study area and several times a day, there's a display of various birds near to the crocodile house which is fun and entertaining.

This is a great place to visit despite being extremely hilly. On my last visit, another improvement that other zoos have not yet developed is that they now provide mobility scooters which can be hired from main reception (but are limited in number). For those that use them, they do get slower during the day as the slopes drain the batteries - and there are a number of bends to watch where you could tip over.

Like the zoo, the car park is on a very steep slope, so it might be worth contacting the zoo first to check parking.

The zoo has a cafe/restaurant and a number of ice cream stalls, and there is a Morrisons supermarket just outside the entrance if you fancy something different.

Paignton Zoo is fantastic value for money - we paid around £25-£30 last year for 5 - for 2 adults, 1 student, and 2 children (one disabled adult), but looking at their website prices have gone up - adults are £13.60, children £8.80 (including 10% support charge). Like many other attractions there are concessions for disabled visitors, students, senior citizens and family tickets.

I love the zoo, but after 3 hours it can be very exhausting - enjoy your visit.

Summary: Very good value for exploring