ZSL London Zoo Review
ZSL London Zoo
Regent’s Park, London
Reviewed by Gemma Byrne
Today I visited ZSL London Zoo with my almost 3 year old son and my Mum. We came by car, which we found very straightforward, and great that we didn’t enter the congestion charge zone. The car park was conveniently located a 2/3 minute walk from the main entrance and cost £14.50 for the whole day. Not bad considering we were in central London!
We were met at the entrance by very helpful staff who were welcoming all visitors into the zoo with a friendly greeting. Despite seeing a number of school trips entering the Zoo, there were no queues at the entrance which was a great start!
We were given a map of the Zoo, which was a great way to ensure we didn’t miss our favourite animals and we referred to it throughout the visit.
I was impressed with the way the exhibits have been created and it is clear the welfare of all living things are paramount, however this is not detrimental to the visitor experience.
We particularly enjoyed the Aquarium, Penguin Beach and the Animal Adventure Zone, which was aimed particularly at children, although the older ones enjoyed it too! There were play areas in amongst the animal exhibits, which is a great opportunity for younger ones to burn off some energy, and most if not all of the viewing panels were from the floor, ensuring the animals can be seen by everyone.
Unfortunately the lions were not in residence at the Zoo when we visited as there is extensive work being undertaken to create fantastic new facilities for a breeding group, so whilst we were disappointed not to see them, I was impressed to see the lengths to which the Zoo will go to ensure these amazing animals have the best possible environment to live in. I’m sure the new facilities due to open in 2016 will be outstanding.
We were also lucky enough to see a young gorilla baby and its mother in Gorilla Kingdom which was wonderful. There were a number of schools visiting as I’d mentioned, and this was the only area of the entire Zoo where we noticed congestion in the viewing areas. To their credit, there was a staff member trying to keep the noise levels down but understandably, there were lots of children excited to see the baby and its parents up close.
I would say make sure you take the time to go through the tunnels under the road (located by the aquarium and the gift shop) to see the other area of the Zoo. There were giraffes (a personal favourite), zebra, and some very cute pygmy hippos (amongst many others).
We noticed a number of talks from the Zoo staff taking place around the Zoo, and the staff and volunteers we did meet were very approachable, knowledgeable and friendly.
There a number of places to buy food and drinks around the Zoo, including conveniently located kiosks. We ate in the Café in the Animal Adventure Zone, which had limited indoor seating (not a problem for us as we were lucky with the weather). I later popped into The Terrace Restaurant and would suggest if you chose to eat at the Zoo, this would be the place to go. They had the same range of sandwiches, snacks and drinks available as the café, plus hot food and further options of a salad bar and sandwiches. As an example, a ‘Kids bag’ (5 items to include sandwich, drink, crisps, and 2 treats – there were fruit, yoghurt and sweet treats available) was £5.40 and a Panini was £4.95.
If you chose to bring along your own food, there were lovely lawns where we spotted plenty of people having picnics.
Overall, we had a wonderful day at ZSL London Zoo. All the staff and volunteers we came across were enthusiastic and only too happy to impart some of their knowledge, the exhibits were set out so we never felt claustrophobic and had the opportunity to walk round at our own pace. There was great wheelchair and pushchair access across the Zoo and the facilities were well maintained.
A thoroughly enjoyable day for all ages!
Rating: 4/5
Tickets cost (with donation): Adults £24.30 (£27), Children £17.10 (£19). Save money by booking online in advance.
For more information or to book tickets visit www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo.
ZSL London Zoo, Regent’s Park, London, NW1 4RY | 020 7722 3333
