ZSL London Zoo | Days Out in London
Disclaimer: I was provided a voucher for a family ticket to ZSL London Zoo by Buyagift to check out perfect Christmas gift ideas. The following review and opinions are my own. All photos are copyright property of Me Becoming Mum.
The girls both got to see their favourite animals
Squidgy loves giraffes
There are two giraffes at ZSL London Zoo, and Squidgy was SO excited to get a chance to see them so close inside the giraffe house.
Pickle loves penguins
Penguin Beach was one of the best areas of the zoo for all of us, but especially Pickle. She loved getting so close to the penguins, and the smile on her face made having to stand in the rain so worthwhile.
It rained all day
But that's not always a bad thing
I have mixed feelings about the weather we faced when we went. Although it meant ZSL London Zoo was super quiet, which is great for being able to check out different activities, viewing points and more around the zoo; it also meant most of the animals were hiding away. The pigmy hippos, zebras and wild dogs we spotted sleeping or hiding in their huts, but some, like the tigers, we only saw in statue form.
Some animals didn't mind the weather
Even though the weather wasn't so great, there were some animals who didn't care. The flamingos and penguins for example were quite happy to say hello!
There are indoor areas to escape from the rain
The giraffe house
Quite a few people were taking shelter in the giraffe house, where they even have benches to sit on! The giraffes were too, so we were able to get a good view of them from inside.
The reptile house
This was one of the first areas we visited. The girls loved being able to check out the different creatures found inside the reptile house. From chasing the projected reptiles on the floor; to getting the chance to feel croc skin textures; and of course seeing everything from frogs and snakes to turtles and crocodiles there was plenty to keep them occupied inside the house.
Gorilla kingdom
Some of the Gorilla Kingdom at London Zoo was outdoors (which didn't seem to bother the girls anyway, after they spotted the photo cutout!) but you could also go into the area with the gorilla house! Amongst a few other primates, we even spotted the gorilla family inside.
In with the lemurs
Thanks to the rain, the lemurs weren't in the outdoor walkthrough (where you actually walk through the enclosure!) but the indoor areas were full of the lively beauts; and the girls had a whale of a time watching them bounce around from one area to the next.
Night life
Nocturnal animals are a bit of a nightmare to see, and most were hiding away despite the darkness of the whole indoor space. The galagos (bush babies) were amazing though… I was surprised by how quickly they moved! The bats were also up and about for feeding time; although it's nigh on impossible to get a good picture of them as they only alight for a few seconds before flapping away quicker than my camera shutter could capture them!
Rainforest life
This area was warm and humid… obviously designed to imitate a real rainforest environment. Although we spotted a few rainforest creatures we were unfortunately in there at the same time as an animal encounter group was down in the enclosure with bowls of food; so most were more interested in them than hanging about for us to watch!
It's educational
Especially when it comes to conservation
When going on days out, I actually quite like if the place we're visiting offers educational opportunities. Being part of the ZSL (Zoological Society of London) group, means that London Zoo had a lot of information about conservation of both animals and their habitats; amongst other teaching opportunities.
It's actually bigger than I thought…
… But you'll never be bored on the walks between each animal
There are so many different maps, statues, fact boards, interesting pictures (such as a cave-man style painted tunnel) and more all around the zoo. No matter where you walk you are bound to see something, even if it's not a live animal!
There are spots to eat and shop too
Obviously most of the ice cream huts and snack bars were closed due to the rain; but there was still plenty of spots available to grab a gift or two as well as restaurants and toilets too (which, being pregnant, is an obvious must!) The girls picked out a small gift each from the main gift shop on the way out. Can you guess which animals they chose? (Hint: earlier on I told you their favourites!)
We didn't get to see everything
As you can see from the map below there are a lot of animals and spots around ZSL London Zoo which I haven't mentioned… and that's because we didn’t make it to see everything. To be fair, with my bad hips and pelvis this pregnancy; any amount of walking can cause excruciating pain, and the rain certainly didn't help with the rest of the gang wanting to carry on. We were there for hours though, and still didn't see it all. In that respect, at least you know that you could make a day trip and make the most of the money you spent on the ticket.
It's not the cheapest day out
But was it value for money?
In spite of the rain soaking us through, and missing out on the chance to see a few of the animals we still had a great time at London Zoo. The girls loved the adventure of travelling by train, visiting London and of course they didn't miss out on their favourite animals. Over all it was a lovely day out, and if you ask me if I'd do it again? The answer would for sure be a resounding, “yes!”
For more posts about our family adventures, from UK staycations to days out for kids visit my Travel blog. If you have any questions about ZSL London Zoo, feel free to ask in the comments section below.
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