Last weekend my sister-in-law and I took my nieces and nephews to Whipsnade Zoo. Even though I grew up in the area I don’t think I had been to the Zoo for about 30 years, and had forgotten how nice and - at 600 acres - just how huge the site is. Even with 8000 visitors a day it doesn’t feel crowded. There is a lot of walking involved - and a bit of advance planning of what you want to see is definitely advisable. You can also bring your car in for an extra charge.

The place has changed and improved a lot since we used to go there as kids. In some ways it feels more like a safari park as many of the animals have acres of space to wander round in, including a new monkey forest just opened. Some animals like lions and tigers can be hard to see, especially if they are hiding / sleeping during the daytime. Others, such as the wallabies, are bouncing around in amongst the visitors, which the kids loved.

The kids were most excited about the “Great Whipsnade Railway”, which for a small charge transports visitors around the Asia segment of the Zoo. It’s a really special attraction in its own right - not many zoos get to boast their own heritage steam railway.

Ron, the Station Master, runs an impressive operation: the Railway carries over 200,000 people a year, almost double that when it first opened in 1970. It is supported by 400 volunteers as well as regular staff, and full-time engineers who keep the locomotives pristine. You get to see elephants, rhinos, camels and monkeys as well as some beautiful countryside, in a fraction of the time it would take you to walk.

There is tons of extra stuff for the children including an excellent, newly-refurbished outdoor playground, an indoor soft play and a fairground carousel. It’s impossible to do it all in a day - especially with little legs 😂 and you can even purchase special experiences such as feeding the tigers and staying the night with family camping. Here are a few snaps from our day.