West Midland Safari Park is a Safari experience like no other in the UK. With an extensive drive through safari and large walk around area it is a fun filled day out. We went for a family day out with our 9-month-old and here’s how it went.

West Midland safari park is an animal park in Worcestershire, England where you can explore African plains, wild Asia and Elephant valley. We arrived at 10:45am (45mins after opening) and had a lengthy queue to get in. If you are planning on a family day out get there early to avoid the queues.

Walk through area

The safari park is split into two different parts, a safari area and a walk around zoo type area which also includes theme park rides. We began our day in the walk-through part of the safari. This part of the park is home to penguins, bats, creepy crawlies, sealions, snakes, meerkats, lemurs, fish and hippos.   

For Where to find Hippos in the UK check out this post.

 There are also a range of interactive experiences where you can get up close and personal to the animals. We did the Lorikeet Landing. When you enter the aviary there is the option to buy some nectar, it’s only £1.50 per pot and the parakeets land on you to feed from the nectar, it’s a great experience, although they do like a little nibble on your fingers. YOU’VE BEEN WARNED.

In hindsight I would recommend doing this part of the park after the safari as it would have been a good place to stretch our legs after the long drive.

Safari area

After a quick picnic lunch on one of the many picnic benches located just outside the leisure park we headed into the drive through safari. The safari can get very busy so make sure that you have drinks and snacks for the journey especially if visiting with little ones. Our little guy has impeccable timing and decided it was time to fill his nappy just as we set off so be mindful that there are no changing or toilet facilities on the way around so make sure to use them before you set off. Sitting in the back with Mr. Stink didn’t make for the most enjoyable 2 ½ hours.

 The safari is divided into three different sections including the African plains, Wild Asia and Elephant valley. When buying tickets for the park there is an option to buy a box of animal feed, I highly recommend that you do as this was the highlight of our day. You are able to feed certain animals on safari, including deer, antelope, camels and giraffes. I squealed like a little girl when the giraffe bent down and gobbled up my animal feed.

Top Tip – remember to allow at least 2 ½ hours for your safari journey, the route is very busy and there are often queues to feed the animals.

Adventure Theme Park

There is a large theme park area, with large roller coaster type rides, log flumes and some smaller child friendly rides. These are charged at an extra cost;

Wristbands;

Adults – £15.00

Child (up to 15yrs)- £13

Concessions – £14

Little penguin (0.8m-1.0m in height) – £8

Little penguin accompanying adult – £8

1 ride – £2

4 ride – £7

6 ride – £9

We didn’t use this area as our little one is too small, but it looked like a brilliant place for other kids and adults. However, there was plenty to do at the safari park without the addition of theme park rides, so these are only necessary if members of your party particularly want to do the rides. If that is the case it is cheaper to buy the wristbands in advance as there is a 20% saving. The option is always there if you need to buy them on the day.

Dining at West Midland Safari Park

There are lots of takeaway options in the lost city food court at the entrance these included burgers, hotdogs and pizza. There are also other take away options dotted around the walk-through part of the park. There are two main restaurants; Dino Diner and Burger Co. we had packed a picnic but while we walked around the smell of the restaurants enticed us towards Dino Diner, unfortunately the restaurant was full so picnic it was. There are lots of picnic benches available just outside the main entrance.

Boj Giggly Park

We spent a little time in the Boj Giggly park to allow our little man to stretch his legs after a long car ride. The park is perfect for tots and toddlers. It features burrows, music making, rocking horses and an exercise area. It was very popular with younger children. There is also a snack takeaway, sheltered seating and baby change, which we thought was ideal.

Covid-19

It would be wrong if we didn’t mention the Covid-secure measures that were put into place at the park. In the interest of full disclosure, we felt that the park (mainly the walk-through part) was too busy to feel 100% safe in the midst of a global pandemic. Social distancing was not being managed by staff, and there were only a few one-way systems in place. Face masks were required for all of the indoor animal houses however, this was not being managed in some areas. To ensure our own safety, we made sure to follow all guidance provided by West Midlands Safari Park.

Overall we had a thoroughly enjoyed our day at West Midland Safari Park, the extra experiences that they provide make this is memorable day out for children and adults. Visiting the park with a 9 month old was easy and enjoyable because of their exceptional facilities to accommodate babies and young families.

Ticket Prices

Adult £24

Child (3-15yrs) – £20

Child (under 3 – free

Senior (65+) – £22

Student – £22

Carer – free

Why not PIN this post about WEST MIDLAND SAFARI PARK – AN UNFORGETTABLE SAFARI EXPERIENCE

---