Staycation adventures
THE FUN IS BACK.. AT LAST
FAMILY attractions are opening up after the lockdown with rides, zoos and more ready to welcome eager visitors back ....
KOALA LAND
You don’t have to go to Africa to enjoy the whole safari experience. You can have one here in the UK and all from the comfort of your own car.
At Longleat in Wiltshire you’ll be able to get up close to tigers, rhino, giraffe and cheetah. There are even some new Australian residents, koalas.
The grounds are courtesy of the great landscape architect Capability Brown, and Longleat House is a fabulous stately home dating back to the 1500s.
There are formal gardens to explore, an incredible art collection and plenty of activities for the kids such as the Family Farmyard, Hedge Maze and Longleat Railway. Details: Advance tickets from
£25.45
adult/£19.08 child. See longleat.co.uk. Accommodation and tourist info at visitwiltshire.co.uk.
IT’S GOOD TO STORK
Birdland at Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucs, is set across nine acres. There are more than 130 species here including flamingos, pelicans, storks, parrots, owls and pheasants.
It’s not all about birds; it’s about dinosaurs too and fans of the prehistoric beasts will love the Jurassic Journey, discovering life-sized dinosaurs hidden in the foliage. You can also try your hand at fossil hunting and spot all sorts of creatures in the nature reserve.
Details: Advance tickets from £10.95 adult/£7.95 child. Visit birdland.co.uk. Tourist information at bourtoninfo.com.
CHEETAHS PROSPER
ZSL Whipsnade Zoo’s resident animals are fluffing up their feathers and stretching their legs as visitors are welcomed back to the Bedfordshire attraction.
The beautiful butterfly house is all a flutter and the sea lions are pampering themselves. Whipsnade has a successful cheetah breeding programme, so Cheetah Rock is a must. Other incredible sights include, hippos, Nepalese rhino and penguins.
Details: Advance tickets from £24 adult/£15.60 child. See zsl.org. Accommodation and tourist info at experiencebedfordshire.co.uk.
SWING BY STOKE
We all love cheeky monkeys (and we’re not just talking about the children).
At the Trentham Monkey Forest near Stoke-on-Trent you can see them roaming wild and swinging freely among the trees.
Residents include around 140 Barbary macaques and they are not afraid to come up close and say hello. This summer, there are some adorable new arrivals to meet too.
Details: Advance tickets from £8.55 adult/£6.75 child.
See monkey-forest.com. Accommodation and tourist info at visitstoke.co.uk.
KING IN THE NORTH
Magnificent and beautifully restored, Bamburgh Castle has stood guard over the Northumberland coast for the past 1,400 years. There’s a huge collection of artwork and ceramics that was bought by a former owner and philanthropist.
But what’s a castle without weapons? There are plenty of battle-scarred examples here. Details: Advance tickets from £11.16 adult/£5.46 child. More at bamburghcastle.com. Accommodation tips at visitnorthumberland.com.