Drusillas Park is a great day out in East Sussex, which is widely regarded as the best small zoo in the country. As well as playing home to a range of exotic animals, the park boasts a fantastic play area and has multiple child friendly themed attractions.
Unfortunately it rained on the day of our trip, but that didn’t put us off our quest for fun, especially as we were going to visit the characters Chase and Marshall, from Paw Patrol. I started the day (somewhat regrettably) with a large latte from the Starbucks cafe on site. The girls headed straight for The Hello Kitty Secret Garden and couldn’t wait to go on the rides, starting with the teacups. It took me a minute or two for the dizziness to fade, but once I could see straight we then headed to the Hello Kitty Car Ride, where I could sit back and let Molly take over.
The next ride (which I was secretly hoping the girls wouldn’t notice) was The Hello Kitty Hopper. This is were I regretted the large Latte.
We moved on to Hello Kitty’s house, where the girls had their faces painted in the beauty parlour before entering the animal zoo. We walked passed the monkey and the meerkat enclosures, wondered around the farmyard before coming across a lake full of flamingos (my favourite). We saw Beavers, Otters, Penguins and camels and even got to experience some of the walk through exhibits.
You can walk though Lemurland, feed nectar to the Rainbow Lorikeets in Lory Landing and take a (rather quick) stroll through The Bat Cave, before entering the outdoor adventure playgrounds. Go Wild is for 7-12 year olds and is an African themed attraction housing Banana Boats, A Safari Jeep and A Helter Skelter (amongst other play equipment). Go Bananas is a separate play area for children under 6, continuing the African theme with trampolines, slides and a colourful playhouse.
There are plenty of spots to accommodate a picnic around the park and there are also two cafes (serving hot and cold food) catering for all ages and multiple dietary requirements. I also made sure to visit the various snack stations, feasting on hot doughnuts and lattes throughout the day.
We finished our trip with a visit to see Chase and Marshall from Paw Patrol, and although there were other attractions to visit (Thomas The Tank Engine ride round the park, in particular), we were all a bit tired from the days excitement. Despite the rain, we had a great day and shall look forward to returning to Drusilla’s Park for a fun, educational, and memorable day.
For more information about the park and the great experiences they have on offer (Keeper for the Day, Adopt an Animal, Feed the Penguins, and more), head to http://www.drusillas.co.uk and plan your visit, whatever the weather.
The Adventures of A Part Time Parent 