IF YOU GO:
Knepp Wildland Safaris New Barn Farm, Swallows Lane, Dial Post, West Sussex 011-44-1403-713-230 kneppsafaris.co.uk Staying here (open from Easter to the end of October) means either “glamping” – booking one of the rustic shepherd’s huts, treehouses, yurts or bell tents – or camping – booking a site in their wildflower meadow and bringing your own tent. All glamping accommodations have beds with goose-down duvets, linen and blankets, wood-burning stoves and accommodate two people; some have room for an extra camp bed. From about $230 for 2 nights midweek (the minimum stay) to about $1,020 for seven nights in high season. Camping costs about $20 per person. Extra charges for breakfast baskets, charcoal, kindling and whatnot. No children under 12.
Knepp Wildland Safaris run from Easter to the end of October. Visitors may walk unattended on the marked public footpaths through Knepp Estate at any time of year but Knepp also offers a wide variety of guided wildlife safaris, ranging from the short and gentle – the two-hour “Walk on the Wild Side,” for about $40 per person to the five-hour “Deer Rut Photographic Safari,” which costs about $115. Other safaris, both on foot and in vehicles, focus on the dawn chorus, bats and moths, purple emperor butterflies, Sussex oaks, owls, kingfishers and other highlights of the natural world. For landowners interested in nature restoration themselves the day-long “Rewilding Workshop” costs about $120, including lunch. You can also create a bespoke safari, tailored to your particular taste. There are dawn, dusk and half-day safaris, as well as the magical Nightingale Safari, which lasts from 9 p.m. to midnight and includes dinner. All safaris should be booked in advance.