hi just a quick one really I have a ticket for me and a guest to go to either London or whipsnade, at the weekend Which is rated higher in your opinion? Yes its a date, and originally I was going to go to London zoo, as I love pygmy hippos (and tapirs) however it seems tiny in comparison, so should I go to whipsnade instead? opinions and reasons please
If the weather forecast is bad go to Regent's Park: there is much more indoor viewing. Whipsnade is not much fun on a rainy day. Alan
Like a romantic date? I think London is much better. It'll be warmer and dryer if outside is neither of those things. Whipsnade is A LOT of walking but actually London will take longer to see everything because there are so many smaller exhibits. Really it fundamentally boils down to whether the two of you like ungulates or other things more.
I know the woman, seen her quite a bit - more of a nice day out will be a 2 hr drive regardless, however I thought I would ask peoples opinion I guess I can decide on the day so I can factor the weather in,although I can take the car into whipsnade, due to a blue badge! we have both been to neither of them, however my personal favourite is chester zoo
If it's a nice day out that you are looking for, you can't beat Whipsnade in good weather, but it's not the place to go on a cold, wet, windy day. As others have send it may come down to what you are more interested in? Whipsnade isn't just better for ungulates either!
If you like pygmy hippos you needn't worry as both collections have them! As a long-time member/visitor to both collections I will boil down the best things about each: LONDON = Walkthrough exhibits abound, from lemurs to squirrel monkeys to a rainforest exhibit to butterflies to birds to spiders! Not to mention a very good reptile and aquatics collection. Large mammals are on the low side in regards to quantity, and a few carnivores (hunting dogs, lions and tigers). They have gorillas and one of only five breeding pairs of aye-ayes in Europe. The enclosures can seem/can be small, but that's what comes with a city zoo I'm afraid. Lots of shelter and indoor areas, but can get very busy and quite expensive due to its location. WHIPSNADE - A LOT of walking, but much more space due to its location. All the larger animals are here; elephants, rhinos, common hippos, bears and sealions. Much better butterfly and lemur walkthroughs than London, but those are the only decent ones in all honesty. The train is worth it as it allows you to see Passage Through Asia (a large Asian exhibit with deer, yaks, wild horses and camels) unless you plan on driving around Whipsnade in which case you can drive through PTA yourself. Chimpanzees here, not the best enclosure for them but it does the job. The penguin pool is much smaller than the one at London. Larger number of carnivores (lions, tigers, cheetahs, bears, wolverines, lynx, sealions) and the giraffe herd is much bigger with the added bonus of babies. Red pandas too. However shelter wise you won't have much going for you so only go if the forecast is going to be good. Due to the size it can also be a lot quieter than London, plus there are astounding views of the surrounding countryside from the top part of the zoo.
