Calling all children and parents! It is really good, Port Lympne Reserve: Hours, Address, Port Lympne Reserve Reviews: 4/5. Howletts isset in 90 acres of ancient parkland. Most of the garden paths and the hedge maze were closed. Following the path past three paddocks of Black Rhinos, we made our way to Wayfinder Sign 13. This includes an average layover time of around 1h 19m. For those wondering, the trainer was very clear that despite being born and raised at the facility, the tigers were very wild. No, you will not be the only person. With the rhino safari, you get taken on a much smaller truck and it lasts for half hour longer than the normal one, so it is more personal. Most were too busy grooming themselves to pay us any mind. For those animals a little further out, Jeremy used binoculars. Kind regards, Unfortunately, all of the day tickets, season passes and memberships available at both Howletts & Port Lympne are non-refundable and non-amendable. The journey takes visitors past the Island, which was a former home to the elderly male western lowland gorilla Nico, the oldest gorilla in Europe, until his death aged 56 on 7 January 2018 and is now home to Black-and-white colobus monkeys. There are reduced admission prices for disabled visitors and assistance is available on request. PORT LYMPNE RESERVE - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go. Port Lympne houses many rare and endangered species and the largest breeding herd of black rhinos in the UK. No, the animals are in large enclosures designed to resemble their natural habitat as closely as possible. We recommend andusethese companies to arrange our travel plans; they make travel planning easy and affordable. Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve offers exciting days out in Kent filled with discovery for the entire family. The journey time between Ashford International Station and Port Lympne Wild Animal Park is around 58 min and covers a distance of around 12 miles. The nearby Meerkat Shack had drinks and a few snacks. Unlike many attractions, Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve is open all year, including Bank Holidays, with the sole exception of Christmas Day. This was fine for our winter weekend, but we imagine it would be painful if the hotel was busy. Later, on the other side of the park, we found Babydolls Wood-fired Pizza which looked good and had a mostly Italian menu. Where are Howletts Wild Animal Park and Port Lympne Reserve? Reach Road, Lympne is 961 meters away, 13 min walk. . Overall its a great zoo with lots of room for the animals. perfectly reasonable but I'd rather have known beforehand so I could walk around one . Walks And Walking Port Lympne Walk In Kent Stutfall Castle Remains, Walks And Walking Port Lympne Walk In Kent Lympne Castle, Walks And Walking Port Lympne Walk In Kent Royal Military Canal Path. This number is based on the percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher. Second, complementary bottled water in the accommodation. All in all we couldnt fault a thing all day! This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. However, there was a huge crowd around the gorillas. How long have they had takins? These are those aged 60 years and older, any disability or mobility issues and can provide DLA, DWP, PIP letter or blue badge. At the top of the hill we walked right following the signpost for the Saxon Shore Way along the ridgeway to Lympne Castle where we stopped briefly to enjoy the views fromMillennium Wood out to Dymchurch, Botolphs Bridge and the Canal Cutting. Sue you are not alone in this . Eventually the track joined a lane where we then walked right along the road to pass Lympne Castle and the Church. Port Lympne lies in 600 acres ofhilly terrain and as a result is quite steep in places. Dear chickp2023, We didn't feel rushed and it was wonderful. We use these guidebooks and find them invaluable when planning our trips. It is not suitable for pushchairs as the surface is very uneven and steep and the paths are very narrow. Members revisits currently need to be booked in a separate transaction, if you wish to book for members and a toddler (under 3yrs), please book the toddler as an additional member. The staff made the effort to speak to us and they were very helpful. Attraction Information. Location Get directions. A concession tickets is a discounted ticket available to a select group. This is a 5 mile circular Port Lympne walk in Kent from the Port Lympne Wild Animal Park car park down through Stutfall Castle to the Royal Military Canal Path and back via Court-at-Street. The long uphill path led us clockwise around the property. Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve offers exciting days out in Kent filled with discovery for the entire family. But cannot fathom the safety aspect. We do not allow dogs into the parks. Forums > Europe > United Kingdom > Join our zoo community Sign up now! A beautiful short walk leads you down to the High Street. Port Lympne Wildlife Park is over 600 acres. There is a small local supermarket, butcher, baker, newsagent, micropub, pub with food, fish & chip shop and weekend pizza restaurant. Though there are cages on the property, most animals are in fields. Spoilt what should have been an enjoyable day. Other perks that typically come with the more expensive rooms include admission to nearby Howletts Wild Animal Park and/or a golf cart to tour the property. Set in 600 acres, and housing over 650 rare and endangered animals, Port Lympne offers a treat for everyone. Do not bother spend your money elsewhere absolute rip off, everything about this place is a rip off, food, drink very expensive/ poor. "The hotel is perfectly positioned for the centre of Canterbury, everything is within walking distance. Spent about 90 minutes here after expecting a day out. If you are happy with this please Accept, otherwise you can. Nothing was to much trouble for her on both safaris and this really made our stay memorable . Suggested duration More than 3 hours Features animals Learn more about animal welfare in tourism Suggest edits to improve what we show. Fresh sourdough pizza, pasta dishes and seasonal salads. (Clouded Leopard) has returned from France and is on show near the Basecamp. This is also the 4-star hotel on the property. He purchased Howletts in 1958 and opened the doors to the public in 1975. It's located to the west of the route and requires an entry fee. "Port Lympne is the larger of the two and situated on a hillside. Ignore the posts about the bamboo shielding them, you can clearly see ALL the tigers and this is most likely up for a bit of privacy for them. Such a shame, I like others, wanted to support the zoos, but was left disappointed. We followed this track to the outskirts of the Millennium Wood, just after Lympne Plate, and as the path started to bend to the left we walked right down the steep slope to steps. There are small cats, monkeys, tapirs, lions, painted dogs and many more, some of which are on the circular walk. The County Members is in a good spot close to the castle. The park is doing a great job of adjusting and we couldn't fault their efforts. These funds are used to send rare and endangered animals from our partner parks, Howletts and Port Lympne, back to the wild; provide food, medication and shelter for rescued wildlife; provide protection and monitoring for entire ecosystems and to invest in assisting local communities and education programmes. There are some open days where you can enjoy a dining experience. Necessary cookies are stored in your internet browser. We recommendgetting wrapped up in your waterproofs and fanciest wellies and finding the biggest puddles to splash in! If you do not find the answer you are looking for below about our fundraising activities please contact us. Thank you for taking time to leave your review. This really spoilt our day out as was not expecting an additional expense. These cookies do not store any personal information. The trail is open year-round and is beautiful to visit anytime. The most unique creatures we had never seen before were the Red River Hogs. They certainly dont scrimp on their portions and it was well worth the money. More details Which Bus lines stop near Port Lympne Wild Animal Park? The children loved the Dinosaur Forest! The included safari is an hour on one of the safari wagons with a full comment of people. The twins loved the dinosaur route and the kiosks were operating a takeaway service. Port Lympne Reserve will no longer accept blue peter badges from the 1stApril 2022. Leave the M20 at Junction 11 and follow the brown tourist signs to the park (about 5 minutes drive from the motorway). Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve is about a 25 minute drive from our home, the perfect sort of distance away for a short break! Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve lies on the B2067, and is just past Ashford, Kent, 5 minutes from J11 of the M20. Roughly 15-20 on the safari and the rest from walking the park. As you walk through the gorillas were poking us with sticks. For more details on these cookies, see our full, A Guide for Visiting Port Lympne Wildlife Park in Winter, Charlotte, NC: 10 Things We Do with Visitors in Our Hometown, A Day of Short Hikes and Overlooks in Canyonlands National Park, Where to Stay for Port Lympne Wildlife Park, What to Expect When Visiting Port Lympne Wildlife Park in Winter, Animals We Saw on the Self-Guided Walking Trail, 10 Tips and Secrets to Visiting Canterbury Cathedral, Hever Castle & Gardens: Explore the Childhood Home of Anne Boleyn, Indulge in Afternoon Tea: An Absolutely English Experience, Why Seeing Iceland By Helicopter Should Be On Your Bucket List, Forbidden Corner: Something Different in the Yorkshire Dales, Three Days in Krakow for First Time Visitors, Kinderdijk Windmills are Worth Visiting: Easy Day Trip from Rotterdam. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. If you'd like to update your contact preferences for email, post or phone, you can contact fundraising@aspinallfoundation.org. Such a shame the safari wasnt available. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve is about a 25 minute drive from our home, the perfect sort of distance away for a short break! Obviously, this post would be massive if we wrote about all the animals we saw. Howletts is the smaller and flatter of the parks at 90 acres and is therefore more accessible. I had a Nikkor 80 400 mm lens on my DSLR, which gave me plenty of reach. Customer Services. Its similar to a real safari, except without the risk. Thank you very much for your kind comments.We really do appreciate your support and it is great to hear that you enjoyed your day with us.Thank you once again and we hope to see you again soon. Again, the elevated walkways allowed for great unobstructed views. Port Lympne Reserve: Not a zoo! Warning the circle route is extremely steep and uneven -103m height gain! As we came up to the tiger enclosure, we could see a small crowd gathering. We took a peek at the Basecamp Cafe, as this was right where the safari dropped us off. Please see the information boards around the reserve for details of our fun and informative animal talks - all included in your admission ticket! I am lucky enough to live in Deal on the seafront . If you are travelling via car and prefer to use a Sat Nav please use the post code CT21 4LR. Finally, as we focus on kid-free travel, we didnt explore the Dinosaur Forest. Simply visit our animal adoption pageand choose which one you'd like to support. Cant really blame people seeing as these were by far the most visable animals in the park. HowlettsPortLym T, Guest Relations Manager at Port Lympne Reserve, responded to this review, This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC. This number is based on the percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher. They receive over 200 different types of food and live in family groups. Felt like most of the animals had disappeared and barely saw any. Tiger Lodge: Amazing Experience at Tiger Lodge - See 61 traveler reviews, 174 candid photos, and great deals for Tiger Lodge at Tripadvisor. You can find them at Aldington Road at postcode CT21 4LH for your sat navs. There was only one way to go! Walking trails will get you to more than half of the animals. Beautifully decorated in a Moroccan theme, the The Garden Room had a small but tasty menu. Dear Sijeanie, This button displays the currently selected search type. Money from our animal adoptions funds our wider work protecting some of the planets most vulnerable wildlife as part of our overseas conservation projects. - See 2,463 traveler reviews, 2,433 candid photos, and great deals for Lympne, UK, at Tripadvisor. After waiting 10-minutes, a large safari truck pulled up in front of us. The jeep Safari included in the package was also good, lasting about an hour and a quarter but we were freezing cold by the end of it. We did get to see the gorillas, but it was hard to get good photos with the bars. We have a wide variety of animals for adoption. This number is based on the percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher. If you are viewing this on a mobile this would be under the menu tab. There is no need to prebook for Howletts visits, simply turn up and show your valid membership card. Last year KentLive revealed a little known walking trail that guided ramblers right past the giraffe and zebra at Port Lympne Wild Animal Park near Hythe. A tasty selection of sandwiches, pastries and coffees. And if there are lions roaming around your lodge; out again ? our Rainy Day Guarantee for all day visitors who have booked in advance means that you can return to the Park free of charge within 30 days of your original booking. You can reach us by road, rail and bus. Personally it doesn't bother me but I know some people have got stroppy in the past, thinking it was too hard to walk round. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in United Kingdom. Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve offers exciting days out in Kent filled with discovery for the entire family. We have suffered this for a year now, it was even busy in the winter , , but people arent coming to do this walk, they are coming because they are promised exotic animals at the zooyou cant see these by coming in to our village, you can only see these at the bottom of the hill so there is no need to have hundreds of people walking through our village, some people are so selfish, we have a lot of elderly people living here that are too scared to go for their normal walk because there are so many people about 3 people from the same family in the village have died from the virus, so nobody should be coming here, we are not a theme park or a holiday resort, just a tiny ( once peaceful ) village and that is how we want to stay!! I am really surprised by the negative comments. Oh my what a bitter comment. Please ignore the negative reviews - I think many people have forgotten what is happening at the moment.We went midweek and at some points it was like having your own private zoo to wander around. Being near the coast makes this a good place for a family break with lots of opportunity to get into the great outdoors. PIP or DLA documentation will need to be provided on arrival for any carer tickets. The loos were being cleaned after every visitor went in and there was hand sanitiser at various points round the park. Even before you get to the ticket office you pass by a what can only be described as a slum of a monkey cage. Amazing!! Port Lympne Reserve: Large zoo but very expensive - See 2,552 traveler reviews, 2,640 candid photos, and great deals for Lympne, UK, at Tripadvisor. It's located to the west of the route and requires an entry fee. Worth every penny. However, winter is a great time to get a bargain. Though there are cages on the property, most animals are in fields. Fromthe Port Lympne Wild Animal Park car park on Aldington Road we walked left along the road until we reached the first waymarker on the right hand side heading down a track signposted for the Saxon Shore Way. Here is my review of how our stay went! This means that there is a substantial amount of walking and some very steep inclines to go up and down. There are, however, selected routes suitable for wheelchair users. Unfortunately, this error is a result of a members revisit slot and another ticket being in the same transaction. We are mindful of our Parks challenging terrain so we do try to be clear on our website and we are pleased to offer advice prior to your visit.Thank you once again and we hope that you may consider visiting our Parks again in the future. Since the safari pick-up location was only five-minutes from the Main Entrance, we selected the next available tour. Your lodge is not open to the enclosures but rather has a unique viewing perspective. 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