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Knowsley Safari Park Review
When we were invited to visit the amazing Knowsley Safari Park and review it – how could we resist? I mean who doesn’t love the idea of lions roaming around your car or monkeys hanging out of your wing mirrors? Where else can you get this close to animals without the risk of being eaten alive?
Knowsley safari park has the drive through safari and also the Safari on Foot too, you can do it in whichever order is best suited to you and you can go round in your car as many times as you like too.
Knowsley Safari Park is located in Prescott, not too far from Liverpool.
MyBump2Baby’s Knowsley Safari Park Review
Opening times
Opening times were 10am – 5pm but the safari drive closed at 4pm.
| Safari drive opens | 10.00am |
| Last entry to the safari drive | 4.00pm |
| Safari park closes | 5.00pm |
I do advise checking the website for opening times before you go as the times above could have changed.
We spent around 4 hours in total at Knowsley Safari Park.
Ticket prices
I would recommend getting your tickets online if you can, ticket prices at the time of writing this are;
| Adults (age 16 and over) | £17.50 | Online £15.75 |
| Children (3 and over) | £13.50 | Online £12.15 |
| Children (under 3) | FREE | FREE |
| 60+ | £13.50 | Online £12.15 |
| Family (2 Ad + 2 Ch) | £59.00 | Online £53.10 |
| Family (2 Ad + 3 Ch) | £72.50 | £65.25 |
Please note: Prices may have changed since writing this review.
Introduction
I hadn’t been here since I was a child so I had no idea what to expect, I can’t deny I was a tad nervous about my husband’s car being pulled to shreds but I was secretly more excited about seeing the monkeys up, close and personal. I love monkeys, I used to ask for one every Christmas but Santa never got me one – but apparantly monkeys aren’t always as friendly as they look.
We drove to the entrance and we were greeted by a happy staff member which is always nice to see, we got our 2 maps – the foot trail map and the safari drive map, we also got some animal stickers to stick on the map as we made our way through the safari. The idea is to stick them on the map as you see them which is fantastic and keeps it fun for the kids. The stickers worked well for me in an educational as I didn’t realise how rubbish I was at knowing what animal is what, George was asking “What’s that?” and I would quickly look at the sticker book and respond like I was playing “The Chase”.
Changing Facilities
There are changing facilities before you start the safari trip, George likes to drink a lot of juice so we got out here and changed George’s bum, I also felt it was important to have a nosey at the changing facilities for you all. They were in excellent condition and regularly cleaned by the looks of things, dirty baby changing facilities really annoy me especially when you are spending a lot of money for a day out.
Knowsley Safari Park Drive Review
We set off in to the Safari Park, I was actually dressed in army colours which was a complete coincidence but I really felt the part. As we drove towards the animals I couldn’t help but try and speak Australian (don’t ask me why).
I was so happy to see the animals roaming free across acres and acres of land. It was a beautiful day and it was incredible to see animals that we never normally see just running through fields like they are supposed to.
We made our way through the land and you could comfortably pull over at any point and have a closer peek at the animals in front of you. George was so excited as he is not used to seeing animals outside our car before.
The Rhinos at Knowsley Safari Park
One of the things I love most about animals is just how unpredictable they are. We were stuck behind a group of Rhinos because they decided to block the road and stay there, it was brilliant. A big jeep eventually came with staff members on board and they slowly guided the Rhinos off the road.
The Monkeys at Knowsley Safari Park
The great news is that you can choose if you want to enter the monkey part of the park. They do state that you enter at your own risk and if your car is damaged that is your own issue which is fair enough.
This was the part I (cough cough I mean George) was most looking forward to so I made Danny drive through. Luckily, there was a huge jeep in front of us which was so much more fun for the monkeys to hang out of than a normal ca, giving us the perfect view because we were right behind them. Lots of the monkeys had babies which was really cute to see.
Plenty of food had been scattered round to keep the monkeys close to your car to give you the best experience possible, I was a little worried about running them over as they are literally everywhere – it was like that scene from Jumanji at one point.
I absolutely loved the monkey part, no damage was done to our car, we spent around 20 minutes in this part and no damage was done to the other cars that I could see either.
The Lions at Knowsley Safari Park
There is just something so exciting about Lions roaming round your car whilst you sit comfortably and laugh in the face of danger. We decided this was THE place we wanted to park up and eat our lunch in. So we got out our chicken sandwiches and Aldi Curls and ate them as we watched the lions slowly walk around the cars. They didn’t come as close to our car as we wanted, it was a really hot day and they seemed to prefer the shaded areas but it was really fun being in the presence of Lions. Remember to put the child lock on!
The other animals at Knowsley Safari Park Drive
There are plenty of animals to look out for on the Safari drive including;
- Zebra
- Wildebeest
- Forest Buffalo
- Camels
- Nilgai
- Kiang Bison
Knowsley Safari Park on Foot Safari
I didn’t realise that Knowsley Safari Park has a foot safari too, the size of the foot safari isn’t as big as a normal zoo but they have a couple of shows on throughout the day and lots more animals to see. There are also rides for children to go on but these are not included in the ticket price.
Amur Tiger Trail
Knowsley Safari Park have only recently opened the “Amur Tiger Trail”, where visitors can walk through the woods exploring the forest in search of Tigers. This fantastic new exhibit is not only an educational tour but it also allows you to come face to face with real tigers thanks to the full length viewing windows.
Our experience of the Amur Tiger Trail
We were really excited to visit this part of the park and we walk through the forest on the hunt of tigers, this experience was completely pram friendly which was handy as George was getting a little cranky…. story of my life, we loved the idea of this fabulous new feature but unfortunately we didn’t see any Tigers at all, we hung round for a while but … nothing! As I mentioned earlier, the weather was really warm so it could have been they were hiding in the shade.
Wolves on the Wild Trail
There was a wolf’s habitat that we could look in to using the peep boxes, the peep boxes made it difficult to see anything other than straight ahead, we then walked round the corner and found a bigger space where we could look for the wolves but sadly we didn’t see any.
Bird Show at Knowsley Safari Park
We found the bird show really funny and clever, it is amazing what you can teach animals. The show was full of interesting facts and funny tails – we loved the bird show.
Sea lion show
Who doesn’t love a sea lions? The show was lovely and put together so beautifully, we were introduced to the lovely sea lions and watched them in their extremely funny comedy sketch, we really enjoyed this part.
Food at Knowsley Safari Park
The restaurant is called the “Oasis Resturant”, it has a good mix of warm and cold meals. The prices in the restaurant are reasonably prices. Knowsley Safari Park also appreciates that some families may prefer to bring a picnic and with that in mind there are numerous picnic benches places around the park.
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What Knowsley Safari Park Missing?
Although there was a fantastic park for the kids to play in, I would have loved to have seen a soft play area for younger children, it just means there is a place they can cool down in the hot weather or stay dry and warm in the windy weather. It would have been good if there was a specific time that the tigers and wolves were fed so we could make sure that we definitely saw them.
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Hotel Recommendations near Knowsley Safari Park
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Our Knowsley Safari Park overall score
Our day out at Knowsley Safari Park was a brilliant day for all the family, the ticket prices were reasonable, the entertainment was excellent and we had a fantastic day, as mentioned above – it would have been nice to see the tigers and wolves as they were a big feature at the Safari foot park but unfortunately we didn’t see them on this occasion.
MyBump2Baby Score4.7 / 5 Our Score {{ reviewsOverall }} / 5 (0 votes) Readers Score Cleanliness5Customer service4.5Family Friendly4.5Food & Drink4.5Value for Money5 MyBump2Baby readers say... Leave a review Order by: Be the first to leave a review.
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MyBump2Baby Score
4.7 / 5 Our Score
{{ reviewsOverall }} / 5 (0 votes) Readers Score
Cleanliness5
Customer service4.5
Family Friendly4.5
Food & Drink4.5
Value for Money5
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I could not help but notice how clean and well-kept the park was. It was really open so it was perfect for George to have a run around with his reigns on. It was beautifully decorated for Halloween with pumpkins and spooky skeletons scattered throughout the grounds. As it was October and term time the park was quiet which worked to our advantage. There were no queues and it was easy to get around with a pram.
There are plenty of places to eat from burger bars; a fish and chip restaurant to an “all you can eat” pizza and pasta. My husband, George and I absolutely love “all you can eats” and we also love Pizza too so it was a no-brainer for us and we headed to Adventure Point Pizza & Pasta which was located near the entrance of the park.
We grabbed a plate then off we went to the buffet. The restaurant had a wide range of pizzas, all of which were absolutely delicious. The Chefs were constantly cooking and adding new pizzas to the buffet which meant that the pizzas were always warm. There were many types of pizza to choose from including Hawaiian, Margarita, Meat Feast and Pepperoni. The salad and pasta buffet was lovely and fresh, the spaghetti bolognaise was a huge hit with George, he couldn’t get enough of it. They had a drink machine which was included in the price. The drinks were; Pepsi, 7up, Fanta, pure Apple juice, pure Orange juice and Oasis too. The great thing was it was all inclusive so we had lots of different drinks and even filled George’s juice cup up before we set off to enjoy the park.
I noticed that the restaurant was baby friendly with a baby feeding area with a microwave which is perfect if you need to heat any baby food up.
I am obviously extremely excited for Christmas this year too… the reason why I am thinking of Christmas so early this year is because last week we were invited to The Snowman Tour at The Tower Ballroom in Blackpool.
After George and I finished our lunch, Rocco came back and the three of us headed to the soft play area and ball pond. I saw it as a great opportunity to have some fun with the little guys so I got my shoes off and jumped in. After some fun in the ball pond we decided to climb in to the soft play area and play inside for a little while. We all slid down the slides and got back in to the ball pond for more fun. Rocco enjoyed throwing balls and George enjoyed eating them.
Now this is where the grandparents came in very handy. They looked after George whilst I made sure that Rocco was ok… being the caring auntie that I am of course and the only way that I can look after him properly is if I head in to the play area with him. So I did. We played for the remainder of the time in the brill play area, we climbed, rode the slides and chased each other for a good 30 minutes and then we headed back to my mum and dad for a drink… I felt about 5 again. The play area has a wonderful range of swinging, sliding and climbing facilities. It has a huge four lane Glide Slide.
We all had a lovely time and I was really happy with the cleanliness of the baby changing facilities, the annual pass allowing 20% off at the café and of course the wonderful play area. It is a shame that in busy periods they only allow an hour at a time but they did explain that this was due to safety and you can also leave and queue again to come back in with the next group. If you want your kids to have fun, tire them out and have a brew in peace then Jungle Jim’s Blackpool is the place to be. I will definitely be heading back there more often now I have my annual pass.
I was over the moon to be asked to write a review on the Sea life Centre in Blackpool, I had been wanting to go for ages and this was a wonderful excuse to head down there with my friends and our babies and have some fun. There were four adults and 4 babies from 2 months old up to 3 years so I thought it was a great way to see how the different ages interacted at the Sea life centre.
We eventually made it in to the Sea life Centre, we were all very excited especially little Faye (age 3), we were given a card with different challenges that must be completed during our journey through the Sea life Centre and if all the challenges have been successful you are rewarded with a prize at the end, I thought it was a great idea and Faye ran through the double doors ready to start her first challenge. As you complete challenges you collect stamps. We also followed a story called “The Snail and the Whale” written by Julia Donaldson. The Snail and the Whale tells the story of a snail who wants to see the world and travels on the tail of a Whale. They go on an amazing journey together, passed Icebergs and Volcanoes, Sharks and Penguins, and the little Snail feels so small in the world. But when disaster strikes the tiny Snail saves the day.
My son George is 10 months old and I am not used to him paying attention when we go on day’s out and between me and you …. I usually go to exciting places for me more than George but the Sea life Centre was totally different. It was dark with lovely UV lights so George loved it as soon as we got in there. It was great to see him interested in something other than food for a change. We headed to the first tank where some very old looking fishes were and a gentleman that worked at the Sea life Centre headed straight over and started explaining about the history of them… A fish that I would normally just walk past became all of a sudden very interesting.
We carried on with our journey through the Sea life Centre and we especially enjoyed the Stingrays, they are beautiful to watch and I couldn’t help but think of poor Steve Irwin…. “He was a Crocodile Hunter that got killed by a Stingray???” I still can’t get over that. We watched the stingrays for a long time… the way they move is just so relaxing to watch and we all got especially excited when they put their funny faces up to the glass.
Once we made it through the Shark tunnel there was a beautiful area where you could sit and eat a picnic or have a drink opposite a huge fish tank full of Sharks. The lights and colours were gorgeous and I sat there for a good 20 minutes whilst I fed George just watching the Sharks swimming strongly around the huge tank like they owned the place. I love tuna sandwiches but I don’t think it would have been appropriate for me to eat tuna that day.
We then headed through to another area where the fish ponds were open so you could actually look in… George used this as a chance to try and grab some fish luckily he missed. There were some absolutely stunning fish and we especially loved the little seahorses.
