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Visitor Reviews Review by Martin Harrison, 21st March 2009 My family and I visited Whipsnade about a month ago.It was a wonderful day out,and well worth travelling from the north of England.We secured a very reasonable deal from the zoo's website.Booking in at the Local Holiday Inn, getting a deal with combined admission.This gave us a full day at the zoo, before driving back the next day. We arrived at the zoo, as the gates were opening,and to be sure we needed a full day to scratch the surface of this zoo.The first thing to strike the visitor is the sheer size of the place?.There is a free safari bus that travels around the park,and stops at the various enclosures,this is highly recomendable to use,even for part of the day,as the distances between the enclosure's is vast,even for an athletic man of 31 as I pretend I am. Whipsnade zoo must have the best balance of species in one zoo in the UK.For the paying visitor it is excellent value for money.Tigers,lions,cheetahs,hippo,Asian elephants,bears,the list is endless!.There is an apparant lack of buildings,as you look around the place and the zoo favours the park like style of Port Lympne,with massive expansive paddocks.The penguin pool is a beautiful place,situated on a hill top ledge with wonderful views.The bear enclosure at the entrance is one of the original features still in use. Whipsnade is a pastiche of old and new.The emphasis on conservation,space and endangered species is entirely new,yet the steam train,railway, and sealion performances etc. give the place a more traditional zoo feel.There is more space and room for expansion than anywhere I have visited,the animals are given copious amounts of space,and the Rhino paddocks go on for miles.There is so much to interest all kinds of visitor.My family loved to see the Asian elephants walking around the roads with keepers,trunks holding tails in a line,at one with the public. Another unique and different feature, is that certain animals such as wallabies roam free around the zoo.They sit quite happily on verges,lawns across the zoo.And pop up everywhere. Whipsnade is a 'different' zoo.It is not a safari park,yet you can take your car in,and drive around(Parking it up and getting out,allowing you to walk around like a conventional zoo).This was the only confusing part of the experience?.We opted to leave our car in the 'official' car park outside the gates,and walk around the Zoo.This occured a £4 charge.But there appeared no apparent charge to drive in the zoo and use your car,or get out and walk?. On the whole Whipsnade was a marvellous day out,I would take my car in next time,as the distances between enclosures was quite far for a family.The setting is beautiful,and the value for money emmense,On the whole this zoo works,and is different.
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