getting close to being red now! red is my favourite colour! Come on guys!
getting close to being red now! red is my favourite colour! Come on guys!
Member since:09.07.2007
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The summer months, as usual, have been terrible. The kids were off school, but the weather meant that they were really bored. we thought long and hard about something that we could all do as a family, as we have a 2 year old, a 5 year old, and an 8 year old.
Sometimes it is hard to keep them all interested. For example, the cinema would be a non-starter, as little Grace would just not sit at peace. A walk might keep Grace, and Emma at bay, but my eldest Daniel would be bored to the point of tears! So, we sat down as a family and decided that the zoo was a good idea.
We went on to the website, to find out what attractions there were, and more importantly for a family of 5, what price it would be. we found the following information on the site. The first figure is the price for the peak summer months, and the second is off season.
Adult £8.10 / £6.70 Child (aged four to 17) £4.70 / £3.40 Children under four years Free / Free Disabled Free / Free Seniors (60 years and older) Free / Free Family ticket (two adults and two children) £22 / £18 Individual season ticket (adult) £24 / £24 Individual season ticket (children) £12 / £12 Family season ticket £67.50 £67.50 Reductions for parties of 25 or more £7 (adults) and £3.50 (children) £5.60 (adults) and £2.80 (children) Education rate (bookings necessary) £7 (adults) and £3.50 (children) £5.60 (adults) and £2.80 (children)
Parties of 250 people or more receive a 30 per cent discount on normal admission prices.
So, given that Grace was two, the best value for us would be the family ticket, two adults and two children for £22. Quite reasonable, I thought.
That done, we made up a packed lunch, brought crisps and drinks, and of course a nice flask of coffee for my good lady wife and I. It was with genuine happiness that we loaded all into the Zafira and set off. All the family were looking forward to it, and for the first time in a few weeks, the sun came out. Little Grace spent much of the journey talking about little monkeys. I told her that we didn't need to go to the zoo to see little monkeys, that we had some in the car. I don't think she got it though, because she spent the next few miles looking around the car with a worried expression, expecting a monkey to jump out of the glove box or something!
The journey did not take that long, and we were soon unpacking and getting ready to enter the zoo. The car park was really big, and we managed to get parked close to the gate. We did not have to wait long, and soon we were inside. My first impression was that it seemed well maintained. Although it was busy, there didn't appear to be too much rubbish about. Hedges and plants looked in good condition. The only downside was that there was the remnants of an old hall close to the entrance. It looked like it may have been grand at one time, but had become derelict. I read later that Pink floyd had played there years ago, but it was damaged buring the troubles in Northern Ireland. However, Belfast city council are seeking funding to do it up again. I think that this would give the zoo a better look.
Belfast Zoo is one of the top attractions in Northern Ireland, receiving more than 295,000 visitors a year.
Located in north Belfast, the zoo's 55 acre site is home to more than 1,200 animals and 140 species. The majority of the animals are critically endangered in the wild. I could not possibly list them all, but I will give you a little insight into my families favourites.
New to the zoo, is a little rainforest exhibition. It is a walkthrough, with closing doors at each end. Inside there are a multitude of animals, the best of which was the two toed sloth. He is sooo lazy, and just like to lie there, not very exciting, but interesting nonetheless. Other animals in this exhibition include.
Other favourites would be, the white tiger, the gorilla enclosure, the bird exhibition, the various monkey houses, and the large enclosure that holds the elephants, Giraffes and zebras. The sheer size of the animals scared little Grace at times, but she loved it, as did all the kids. When Grace saw the meerkats, she actually tried to climb in with them, shouting about how cute they were, and how she wanted to take one home!
All of the animals seemed in good health, and happy in their enclosures. The only negative that I would have on that front, would be that the zoo itself needs a wee lick of paint here and there. A little bit of a revamp would just make the whole experience fresher, cleaner, and more modern. Dont get me wrong, its not in bad condition, but it could be made so much better, relatively inexpensively.
Overall, the zoo is well worth the money. It is not on the same level as Dublin zoo, but it has some nice attractions, and is very reasonably priced. My kids were really happy with their day, and if my kids are happy, then so am I. We enjoyed our pic-nic (though to my embarrassment, my fear of wasps led me to run away from my family at one point!), and got a really good walk out of it. Thats one thing. If you have small children, or are travelling with the elderly, or disabled, bear in mind that the zoo itself is set on a very steep hill. Its was a hard trek for our, relatively fit family, and you should be prepared for this before you go. We drove home happier, and the zoo should count its monkeys, because the back of the car certainly sounded as though I had a few extra! We got home, and the kids went to bed early. They were wrecked, but happy. They slept like they had never slept before.....
Reccomended. G
P.S. I have published this review elsewhere on the net.
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Advantages: A good day out for families and fractious mothers. Disadvantages: If they keep losing them at the current rate, there'll be no animals left.
tallulahbang 04.04.2009 (05.04.2009)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: exceptional
Review of Belfast Zoo (Belfast)
Advantages: A good day out for families and fractious mothers. Disadvantages: If they keep losing them at the current rate, there'll be no animals left.
tallulahbang 04.04.2009 (05.04.2009)
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Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: exceptional
Review of Belfast Zoo (Belfast)
Sep 14th, 2008
very helpful by (100%):
