Valerie and I had a very enjoyable stay at Port Lympne earlier this year so I thought this would appeal to some other COPSErs – an animal park & safari weekend on the 15 & 16th March 2025.

Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve is set against hundreds of acres of stunning “Kentish savannah” overlooking Romney Marsh. There are 900 animals across 75 species that call Port Lympne their home and it is a haven for many rare and endangered animals. Expert keepers look after the incredible animals that call our 600 acre park home, day in and day out and invite you to catch a glimpse into where the wild things are! Please click here to view the web site.

• Access to the parks (Howletts and Port Lympne) is from opening on Saturday morning to closing on Sunday evening (about 12 hours of daylight).
• View the wild animals at leisure in quieter times, while the park’s closed to the public.
• Included is a safari in an open-sided truck with live expert commentary.
• Animal encounters and photography workshop are at extra cost and subject to availability.
• The on-site hotel has a bar and restaurant, and there are additional eateries and picnic spots in the parks. We may have a meal at the County Members pub on Saturday evening, about a 20 minute walk away.
• Stay in shared comfy Pinewood Lodge glamping pods with kettle, complimentary tea and coffee, separate shower and WC blocks, a washing-up point, games room and fire pits. See below.
• Other more expensive in-park accommodation is available, or you can just come along for a day visit (ticket is £35 including safari).
• Travel from Croydon is about 1 ½ hours by car or 2 ½ hours by public transport (train to Sandling or Ashford stations and then a bus); the return might include a short car ride to Sandling station as there is no Sunday bus service. There is no advance information on engineering works at the moment.
• The cost (park access, Saturday night accommodation and safari) depends on occupancy. The pods have two single beds and a double futon (sofa bed). For each pod:
  • four people – £70 for a single bed and £60 each to share the futon
  • three people –  £86 per person
  • two people –  £130 per person
  • costs for guidance, could change depending on the make-up of group.
• Please check out the information and, if you’re interested let me know with any caveats.
• To secure your place please pay me a deposit of £50 by 31st December at the latest.
• If you’d like a day ticket, also please let me know.
• Transport options are dependent on number of passenger spaces. If you’re a driver willing to take passengers please let me know how many.

Please contact me if you need any further information.

Thanks.

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Further update sent 31st December 2024

Paul D

Hi COPSErs.

Please see below for details of the trip. As I need to confirm the booking imminently, this is the last call for anyone else to join for the overnight option. Thank you to those who have already let me know and have paid the deposit.

Also, Nigel’s spotted another offer, half-price animal experiences if anyone would like to book one of these.  Please let me know if you’re interested and hopefully we can coordinate timings etc:

https://www.aspinallfoundation.org/port-lympne/safaris-animal-experiences/

https://www.aspinallfoundation.org/port-lympne/safaris-animal-experiences/animal-encounters/

Please bear in mind I plan to book the included safari for the Sunday afternoon. Hopefully all of us COPSErs will be in the same charabanc.

The proposed itinerary for the weekend is to start off at Howletts near Canterbury on the Saturday, then head south to Port Lympne for a three o’clock check-in at Pinewood. We can do a circuit of the park and hotel, maybe catching some “keeper talks” on the way. In the evening we’ll dine at a nearby pub and on returning spend some time around the fire pits before bed time. It’s worth getting up early for a dawn patrol to see the animal early risers doing their tai chi! Breakfast and/or lunch will be either a DIY (bring your own apart from teas and coffees provided) or in one of the cafes. Then we’ll go on safari. At nightfall on the Sunday it’ll be back to Croydon, ETA 8pmish.

Thanks.

Paul D.

1. If you’re coming as a day-tripper please let me know as you could possibly use a spare park ticket and this would reduce the cost for the over-nighters.