It was a quiet weekday when I visited the cafe and nearing the end of the day, so there was no hot…read morefood being served at that time in the cafe. There was still plenty of choice to buy other snacks such as sandwiches, cakes, flans, ice creams or drinks. At other times of day it would have been possible to buy from a limited choice of hot foods such as jacket potatoes with fillings and salad for under £4 On the whole prices seemed reasonable. The cafe was built as a timber construction, with lovely wooden floors, and a decor that was fresh and simple in both colour and design. I found staff friendly, attentive and and the place was kept spotless. I sat on the verandah overlooking the lake where I could see ducks and flamingos and enjoy my food in an attractive, comfortable and relaxed environment. I noticed that there were high chairs available for families with children, and toilets were in close proximity to the cafe. I really enjoyed just sitting and contemplating the world about me, but I'm yet to see how much a place like this changes as it's expected to cope with the added influx of holiday makers after the schools break up for summer. A short video of the cafe can be seen on this link:- http://myriad28.spaces.live.com/

This is a lovely gift shop very much reflecting the nature of the zoo with South American related…read moregifts ranging from 'pocket money' prices upwards. It's great to see many basic musical instruments for sale made from natural materials, pods and seeds, rattles, drums and rain makers and so affordable too. Most animals of the zoo are included as soft toys of varying sizes, and their images printed on many of the novelty gift ware, such as T-shirts, tiles, pencil sharpeners and key rings. You can also buy some gifts from other local Norfolk places such as lavender and preserves. I've got my eye on one of the kites draping the ceiling! It looks more Oriental..... Yes, I'm one of those people that look up and don't like to miss anything.

4 stars because I wish the website or their facebook page would let you know what attractions are…read moreclosed, besides the obvious. That being said this park is very educational and fun for kids. There's Stone Age stone race ( like 4 wheelers but fitted out for safety) a few different out door play areas, dinosaur trail that features Fiberglas life-sized dinosaurs, when hot outside there's a splash pad, and then out door Safari. He best part by far was in indoor play Center! I even had a blast running around it with my kids. The slides, ball pit play area for under 5 , all of it was so much fun! I want to get a Seasons pass just for the play area! You are able to purchase food in the play area and they have a nice selection for a picky eaters. If you happen to find yourself in the area I highly recommend stoping by, even if it's bad weather!

I visited for the first time yesterday with my 4 & 6 year old rambunctious boys and had a blast!…read more We were there for over 6 hours and the boys would have stayed longer! The facilities were clean and up to date, first aid provided swiftly (our fault, not the venue's!) and activities extensive! Staff were extremely helpful and seemed genuine.. We came on a school day so it wasn't busy.. We brought a picnic so can't comment on the food.. Great day out - I would recommend...

Situated just 8 miles from Great Yarmouth, this is a fantastic place to visit, particularly if you…read morehave children. Unlike most places you don't have to pay for children until they are four and yet children below this age will get a lot out of a trip here. So many fascinating animals to see and yet not vast and sprawling. Little legs will easily manage to walk round. One of the big attractions here is the tigers. There is a tiger walkway that goes above the enclosure and at one point you can be just inches away on the other side of the wire netting if they are snoozing on the platform. Also worth a mention is the reptile house. Again, you can be up close to the crocodiles and view them from above and below the water. Also the temperature in here has to be kept really warm so it is a great place to go and warm up for a few minutes if you are visiting on a chilly day, which as Thrigby is open almost every day of the year is quite likely. As well as a children's play area there is a tree top walk and a long bridge across the big pond where you can see birds of many sorts. There are monkeys and big cats too. Go round these in the afternoon and you'll see them all being fed. Also otters, porcupines, aviary plenty to see and do!

great value for money the promotion doesn't do it justice this is a must see in the area.read more

The variety of animals at Banham Zoo and the staff's care of them is exemplary. I was primarily…read morethere to see their Pallas's cats, but was impressed by all the animals on show, especially the snow leopards and red pandas. The enclosures are well-planned, catering to both the animals' wellbeing and the visitors' experience - I've never seen giraffes or tigers so close in other zoos! That Banham have done so well with what must be tight margins speaks to their thoughtfulness and dedication. I spent some time talking to the staff, and they were all friendly, excited to answer questions, and their love for the animals shone through. There seem to be lots of activities for kids, along with lots of food options, and the gift shop had some fun merchandise. Of course I'd have loved some Pallas cat-themed merchandise, but I'm still very happy with my snow leopard keychain! Banham is a fantastic zoo, and I can't recommend it highly enough for solo animal lovers and families alike!

Banham is a small village in Norfolk that is now home to one of the UK's top 3 zoos as rated for by…read moreWhich Magazine. Set in 35 acres of parkland, the zoo is home to over 1000 species of animal. About 25 minutes from Norwich and 40 minutes from Ipswich, the zoo is well signposted off the A11 and A140 so despite being in the middle of nowhere you should have no problem finding it. The zoo itself opened in 1968 and is well established, with modern well kept pens, large range of animals and a play area for all. Its a great day out especially if you have kids.

Honestly love all the animals.Especially all of the parrots (there so funny).Its to hard to decide…read moremy favourite animal so I have two the parrots and pigs.I'd recommend if your in the area.

I've taken my daughter here several times and we both love it. They have a fantastic range of…read moreanimals so something to suit all children. It doesn't look much from the outside but it's deceptively large once through the gates and is very well laid out. I honestly can't single out one type of animal because there are so many great ones although the meercats are ace as are the chipmunks. The staff are really friendly and helpful giving good service and taking time to talk to people about the animals if you want to. The prices are quite reasonable too. Well worth a visit if you've got children.

Excellent place to visit both for children and adults, spent a day there, loads of interesting…read moretalks and activities to take part in

Have to say I was disappointed Pricey to get in, with not a…read moreparticularly large number of animals. Service on the gates and in the restaurants was very slow, but the food was worth the wait and reasonably priced; only thing that was value for money: jeep trips at £15/head round the compound!!!! Falconry and Zulu shows were entertaining, though most of the animals couldn't seem to be bothered OK, I know you can't 'urge' them but give them good places to hide and guess what? The paying public can't see them. At half the price or on vouchers it would be acceptable, but £15.95 is too much for the content.

We had a family outing to this zoo, not the easiest place to find in deepest darkest Fens of…read moreLincolnshire but the sat nav got us there along some VERY bumpy but absolutely dead straight roads. (They have a free bus which picks you up and drops you in Skegness if you're holidaying there) The signage when we first entered was not very clear I had to ask a young reception what deals they did and he didn't quite understand. Anyway, they did the usual two plus two family deals plus we had two other kids and it all came to about £35 The obviously new entrance is very smart with a permanent' 'tent like cover with chairs under it for eating and coffees etc. The new restaurant ahd loads of space and was very reasonably priced with the kids all having some kind of special milk shake only £1.50 each and me the Mrs having a nice Latte for about £3.20 for two cups. An essential is to buy at least one bag of monkey nuts(only 50p a bag) and lots of millet seeds as you are actively encouraged to feed a lot of the birds as you go round. The Parrott zoo is actually a sanctuary for birds which have either outlived their owners are are no longer wanted. There are literally hundreds of different parrots. I can't remember all the names but one huge enclosure must have over a hundred what 'Macaws' in it all screaming to be fed with the nuts you've bought. They will take the nuts out of your hand and they call out 'Hello' and all the other parrot phrases. Another huge aviary has a massive collection of African grey parrots which are just as keen to be fed. It's great interactive stuff and my teenage kids LOVED it . they went round three times and cost me a fortune in nuts but well worth it. They had to be dragged out at the end. There was a large walk through aviary which had loads of smaller birds and parrots in it. A couple of these came and sat on my shoulders and took peanuts from me but were really nice and just cleared off once they had been fed. Another bird undid the shoe laces on my shoes (kids though it was great as every one else got left alone!) . great fun There are all sorts of other parrots in the zoo as well as those I have mentioned. As well as birds there's also animals. A favourite with the kids was the Lemur enclosure, they are totally oblivious to humans and play around like no-ones there. It's the same in the impressive Meerkat pen where a huge family played while one Meerkat kept guard atop a purpose built security tower. This was a great afternoon out. We were in there about two hours and it really does leave you with great memories