ZSL London Zoo
Regent’s Park, London
Reviewed by Louise Platt
My dad and I took my two children (aged 4 and 6) on a day out to London Zoo during February Half Term.
This is one of London’s top attractions located in the centre of London’s Regents Park. You do have a bit of a walk to get to it if coming on the tube (we got off at Camden Town and it took about 15 minutes on foot) but there is a large car park at the zoo if you have your own transport. If coming on foot, it’s very well signposted and easy to find.
With just over an hour’s journey into Camden from Bedford we arrived at the zoo at 10.45am. We decided not to buy a guide book for £5 but the information sheet we were given with our tickets was very adequate with a map of the zoo and all relevant show and feeding times. There is also an App which you can download with this information if you have a smart phone which would be worth doing (for free) next time.
On arrival we headed straight for the Aquarium. It is vast and has so many different species of fish and corals and other sea creatures on display – with an array of different tanks all set up with different habitats. It is extremely impressive.
We then headed for the Gorilla enclosure, which for me was the highlight. These animals are majestic and very entertaining and seemed very willing to show off for all the spectators!
We managed to get to see most of the zoo within the three and a half hours we spent there. The Butterfly “tunnel” was great – with lots of stunning butterflies free flying around. The penguins were a hit with the kids with great viewing potential above and under water. The Lions and Tigers were somewhat docile but the Meerkats were funny and the kids really loved the tunnels which run up into bubbles in the Meerkat enclosure. If you cross under the main road through a tunnel you come to the other side of the zoo which homes the zebras, giraffes, and aviary to name but a few animals.
What really struck us is how clean the zoo is throughout and how the animals are so well cared for. They all have plenty of room and shelter and lots of props in their cages to keep them entertained.
The facilities were really good as well. The toilets were clean – with low sinks for children. We bought lunch from the Café which had a good selection of sandwiches, drinks, cakes and lunch boxes for the children. Our only complaint was the limited tables inside the café (three which were all full) so we sat outside which would be fine in the warmer months but in February we were a bit cold! We did then find the Terrace Restaurant which with hindsight we wished we had gone to as this has lots of inside seating and hot meals on offer as well. We will know for next time! If you take your own food there are plenty of picnic tables around. There are loads of bins as well with recycling facilities which is really good and I am sure one of the main reasons the zoo is so clean and tidy.
We didn’t catch any of the shows or feeding display unfortunately although we did see a group of children being “Zoo Keepers for the Day” which looked like fun – an added extra but a great experience by the looks of it.
There are two main shops and quite a few kiosks dotted around all selling very high quality merchandise. We came home with a couple of furry friends courtesy of Granddad! The kids were really spoilt for choice.
There are also a couple of play areas for children needing to burn off excess energy. We had to drag my two away from them!
Even though it was busy being half term (and people were still queuing to get in when were leaving!) the zoo never felt overly crowded.
We could have spent longer at the zoo but we were all feeling very tired (there is a lot of walking involved in this day out) and we also wanted to beat the commuter rush coming out of London.
Overall a great day out and highly recommended.
Rating: 5/5 
Tickets cost from £17.50 to £74.70 with children under 3 FREE (Online prices).
For more information or to book tickets visit www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo.
