Blue Reef Aquarium is a brand new attraction (opening in November 2009) in Bristol. It is located…read morenear the centre of Bristol at the Harbour Side so really accessible by bus. It is, however a roughly 20 minute walk from Temple Meads Station, so if you are visiting Bristol for the day it might be worth researching bus timetables. Inside, the place is really plush and exciting! It brought be right back to being a kid again, seeing a huge aquarium for the first time! The layout is well designed, taking you slowly through the different tanks with different things to see in each aquarium. I especially liked the large underwater walk-through tunnel. The staff are lovely and really helpful. Once inside, there isn't really any need to talk to any staff as there is more than enough information dotted around, meaning its a good education ploy for parents. Prices are a little expensive, with an adult ticket costing £13.50, and a child £9.20. They do take student discount. A ticket for the IMAX 3D dolphin experience is also included in the price of your ticket, which is well worth it, and the kids will LOVE it!

I have recently set up a small tropical fish tank so when I found out about the Blue Reef Aquarium,…read morenear the Harbour Side, I thought I'd really like to go and see some big fish! Rumour is it cost 4 million pounds to develop the relatively new point on the Bristol to-do map, I guess that's why the ticket prices feel slightly on the high side, it'll take them a few years to clear £4 million! On the plus side, you really could spend hours here to get your moneys worth! The variety and just pure number of fishy friends is quite breath taking, even if your not usually impressed by fish it's difficult not to become a little entrances by them. The 3D cinema was great, a really good idea. Perfect for a rainy Sunday afternoon...

Such a huge range of fishes and aquarium equipment. I know…read morenothing about fish so can't tell you what they stock expect for saying they have plenty of fish that aren't bog standard goldfish, and well they very pretty! I went in with someone to buy a new tank system because they always had a very dirty looking, foggy fish tank that I fear would have killed the poor things if they didn't sort it. Price wise they are apparently the best in Cardiff and the staff are very knowledgeable. They also have some hideous looking reptiles that gave me nightmares!

The staff in this place are very helpful and there all sorts of tropical and fresh water fish and…read moreeven a few reptiles. Most of the stock (the staff say) are sold at the best the price in the country. One thing I can't over though is from the outside it doesn't particularly look like a very enterprising business as there is no windows although it does stand out being bright blue.

I often take my daughter into this shop naughtily rarely to buy anything mostly just because its so…read morebeautiful in there, There's loads of really beautiful fish and reptiles in this store and my 3 year old is facinated and awed by this store. they sell everything you could ever need for an aquarium as well as some truly amazing fish which sadly are often really expensive. This shop is really clean and the animals seem to be really well cared for. The staff here are really friendly and always seem willing to answer any questions you have and provide expert advise on the care of the fish thay stock.

We visited this place and were so impressed we went back again the next day!!…read more There's plenty to do for adults and children. I even held a snake! There's lovely animals and an aquarium, play centres and puppet shows. Its fun and educational and great for teaching kids about conservation. Even if the weather is bad, it wont spoil your day out but if the weather is good, you can take a picnic too!!

Was very dissatisfied with his park, I would Never again pay…read moreto visit there the animals all looked like there enclosures were too small and there wasn't much too look at. I travelled from Bristol there for the day and was very unhappy with the small level Of animals and the poor state the park seemed to be in.

I went here to buy fish yesterday, staff are very friendly, welcoming and kind. Prices are great…read moreand amazing deals on all the fish. I didn't get the man's name but he answered any questions I had, and even taught me more about other fish. My boyfriend and I had a wonderful time here, the man got his Star Wars books out to show my boyfriend and we all had a chat about tv shows. We will definitely be back to get more fish soon.

Marvellous! I finally found a place that will sell me some terrapins. To be fair, I haven't hunted…read morethat extensively, but in any case, it's always a pleasure to wander into a store and find exactly what you're looking for. The knowledgeable gentleman at Aquatic House kindly explained to me that it would cost around £160 to get my new pet all kitted out, which has sort of put me off, but I admit this seems like a reasonable rate (however, it makes me yearn for an outdoor pond that my £15 terrapin could call home) If you're not a reptile enthusiast, Aquatic House has every marine and tropical fish you can imagine, even those cute little ones that look like Nemo (clown fish, I think?). Aside from potential pets, this shop carries a wide variety of Juwel aquariums and pond supplies, as well.

This review only relates to the cafe as we stopped in here for lunch as I heard it was a good place…read moreto go with kids. The cafe is a good size, spacious, good for groups and has a great little play area with toys to keep little ones entertained. The adult menu is pretty simple, breakfasts, sandwiches, burgers, salads and a few other dishes, I had Mac and cheese. The options for kids were great, there is a packed lunch station where for £4.50 you can select 5 items that go in a cardboard box. Or a hot food menu for £5.50 that comes with a drink and yogurt or fruit. My son went for the Mac and cheese too. The food was delicious but both dishes came out lava hot and when you've got a starving child the last thing you want is to have to sit and wait while the food cools down. I also thought the hot kids meals were a little over priced but then it was kind of expected considering this was @bristol. Overall great experience though and I'd recommend this to anyone with kids looking for a good lunch spot in the centre.

This is Bristol's science museum. Kids will enjoy themselves most here, but it is probably one of…read morethose places that wants to be fun for all the family. An engaging day out, and a lot more refreshing than a stuffy art museum. Aiming for that (at least for most teachers) impossible goal of making learning fun, it certainly is a fun day out but I'm not sure if too much is learnt there. The exhibits are all interactive, you can pedal to generate power for a T.V. and lift a four foot diameter globe with a very long lever (this is some sort of reference to the ancient Greek mathematician Archimedes, for those that care). This means almost any kid will enjoy themselves here, and you'll see plenty of ten year olds hurtling between each thing, eager to try out everything. The staff are young and keen, and will earnestly explain the science that each exhibit is meant to teach you about. With lots of glass and primary colours it generally feels fresh, something most museums are nothing like. Go there if you've got curious kids to distract, or if you're just a bit of one yourself.

It's like an Aquarium only you can go for free and take some fishy friends home. There's a…read moremahoosive tank, seriously impressive. If you're into statistics - '10.5' x 10.5' x 3' (3.8 x 3.8 x 0.9m) and holds in excess of 2000 gallons/9500 litres' - apparently the biggest tank in any UK retail outlet! And lots and lots of little tanks too. Small boys and girls totally love this place. Adults are pretty keen too. Crying babies are soothed by the dark ambient lighting and the gentle waft and waggle of the passing fishies. There are some pretty gross things too, sort of wobbly intestinal sea-creatures. And some cuties like star fish and sea horses. It looks like a pretty innocuous warehouse from the outside, but even if you actually meant to go next door to buy daffodils you really have to see this. It's the biggest fishy thing going on in Wales with more fish than you could cast your net at.

Maidenhead Aquatics is located on the premises of Pugh's Garden Centre…read more Specialising in underwater animals, the centre is a haven for those who are fascinated by sea creatures. With everything from goldfish and sea urchins to manta rays and piranhas, the Aquatic centre has a vast range of sea life that will captivate even the most casual passer by. With such a wide array of sea creatures on display, it is only fitting they offer such habitat to house these animals, should you choose to purchase one of the slippery customers. Ranging from the most basic of fish tanks to perfectly intricate exotic aquariums, the centre caters for pet owners of all levels of experience. Although the price does differ significantly with the quality and size of the tanks, this is only to be expected with such specialist products. There is also a variety of ornaments on sale for those who like to personalise their tanks and aquariums, with items such as Spongebob Squarepants figurines for younger owners to meticulously detailed models like sunken ships and skulls for more mature enthusiasts. A great place to find anything you need for your underwater pet or an interesting place to go if you're at a loss on a weekend.

One of the best zoos I have ever been to! Every single animal had an enriching, expansive enclosure…read moreand there were many interactive elements like the lemur walk. The zoo was very much rooted in nature, allowing for a more intimate experience. The pizza at the pizzeria was pretty good, and we could eat it with a good view of the cheetahs. I love what they are doing by expanding the zoo into a modern zoo fit for conservation. Definitely a great experience with or without kids in Bristol.

If animals tickle your fancy and you're in the Bristol area then this is the place for you! You…read morehave to expect screaming kids (like at any zoo) but everything else is excellent! The animals are clearly well looked after by the zookeepers, and you can see so many! If you have marvelled at all of the animals already, there are many onsite activities to take part in. I visited back in the summer, where there was a barbecue in the middle of the zoo. My favourite part was the lemur enclosure that you can walk right through. There are lemurs in a perspex area of the zoo, but there is an enclosure which you can walk through! This was definitely a highlight of my holiday, and I'd recommend this to anyone!

First confusion is the sign says Staple Hill Carpets - that's moved up the road. The sheer amount…read moreof stuff that isn't carpet outside the shop should give you a hint that it is no longer stocking carpets. Second confusion, yes they have moved from one side of the road to the complete opposite side! Third confusion - surely they can't stock EVERYthing? Well yes, yes they can. Lightbulb with a vintage fitting in green? No problem sir. Skirting board tacks hand made by virgins in Argentina? Third aisle at the back. One of those squeaky balls my dog lost in the park and now he won't play with anything else? You mean this one? *squeak*

I'm a bit of a novice to say the least when it comes to DIY. Since moving to the area I've used…read moreStaple Hill Stores twice. Although on both occasions I knew I had a DIY problem I needed to fix, I didn't really have a clue what I was going on about and it probably sounded like I was asking for various 'thingies' in broken English. However both times the shopkeepers have been really helpful and pointed be in the right direction straight away, the items purchased were fit for purpose and good value. On the last visit I wasn't to sure which colour thingy to go for and the shopkeeper advised me to take the ones I thought were right and bring them back and exchange for a different colour if need be. Just the sort of friendly service you want from a local hardware store! I'll definitely be returning if I need to purchase any other thingies.