Britain’s Best Safari Parks

One of the best things about the arrival of spring is that there are so many opportunities for fun days out! If you’re looking for ideas for family days out this Easter then a safari park is a brilliant option. The kids will love seeing all the animals up close, especially if you can bring yourself to drive through the monkey enclosure- this was always my favourite part as a child! To help you out, we’ve done a bit of research and come up with three of the best safari parks in the UK to visit this Easter:

Knowsley Safari Park, Merseyside

Photo by Alice Rosen / CC BY-SA 2.0

If you’re after a bargain this Easter then the fantastic Knowsley Safari Park in Prescot, Merseyside is offering 20% off tickets when you book online! Voted the UK’s number one safari park on TripAdvisor, Knowsley has over 700 exotic animals including all the usual favourites and some more unusual, including Iberian wolves, Californian sea lions and white rhinos. There’s no need to stay in the car all day either as the park offers a walkabout area where you can take a stroll through Bat Forest, take part in the High Ropes Challenge and watch a birds of prey display!

Longleat Safari Park, Wiltshire

“Tiger” by Steve Walker / CC BY-ND 2.0

Longleat was the first safari park of its kind outside Africa and at the time, was considered ground-breaking for the way in which it let its animals roam free. Today, it’s one of the biggest family-friendly attractions in the UK, spanning over 9,000 acres and boasting over 500 animals. With animals including gorillas, lions, elephants, cheetahs and tigers, you’re in for a fantastic experience when you visit Longleat. Aside from the safari there are also plenty of other fun-filled attractions to keep the whole family entertained; get lost in the incredible hedge maze, get wet at Splashpad and journey into the world of Postman Pat at Postman Pat Village!

Blair Drummond Safari and Adventure Park, Stirling

Photo by Magnus Hagdorn / CC BY-SA 2.0

Did you know that Blair Drummond is the only place in Scotland where you can see elephants and giraffes? As well as these two African giants, this family-friendly safari park offers a fantastic array of other animals for visitors to get up close to in their cars, including rhinos, tigers, chimpanzees and penguins. There’s also an optional monkey drive through for those who aren’t too precious about their car! After driving through the animal reserves, families can park up and take part in other activities including feeding animals at the petting zoo, watching demonstrations from keepers, taking a boat safari out to Chimp Island and enjoying the rides at the funfair.

Where’s your favourite safari park? We’d love to have your input so please let us know via our Facebook or Twitter page if there are any incredible safari parks that you think we’ve missed out!

Image Credits: Anthony Parkes – (CC BY-SA 2.0)