There are a couple of open farms around Belfast but what sets this one apart for me is the fact…read morethat they produce their very own ice cream from their very own cows. How cool is that? The grass grows, the cows eat the grass, the cows make milk and the clever people at Streamvale make ice cream from the milk. You can even watch them making it. Of course the bet bit is eating the ice cream which is lush. The rest of the farm is well worth a visit, with all the usual farm type animals - horses, sheep, goats , ducks and chickens. When there are lambs on the farm, kids can even give them a bottle feed of milk which they love. The kids that is. Although I suppose the lambs love it too. Kids can also have a pony ride, feed the chickens and enjoy the slide through the hay bales. At Christmas, Streamvale is just magical - an elf tells a Christmas story and then you take a tractor ride up to the top field to see the herd of reindeer which live at Streamvale. After the kids have fed the reindeer, you then walk back down to the farm by torchlight singing Jingle Bells. Truly enchanted for kids big and small. PS the reindeer are very popular at Christmas so make sure you book well in advance.

Spring has sprung, summer's in the air, but wait...my little cuckoo has grown up and left the nest…read morefor college. That's why I borrowed my nephews to go to our fav farm for a day out. Streamvale is dead easy to get to (behind the Dundonald Ice Bowl) and ticks all the boxes for a family trip. Nature walks, baby animals, big animals, petting and cuddle-time...everything that's fun and informative about animals and farming. For the parents there's a tea room and toilets (again, I seem to have a toilet obsession going on, but when a 5 year old says 'toilet', you jump to it!). Streamvale has seasonal events too - and a great up-to-date website. And to finish mums off, there's insects and a Mouse Farm-bleuch! But on the plus side: Grandparents go free in May (god forbid you should want to spend time away from your precious little ones, but Victoria Square is surely a 'me-time' destination?!!!)

I was here for Farmaphobia - which runs for about two weeks around Halloween. The farm is…read morerepurposed to be a scare fest and they do an amazing job. This year there were four 'experiences'. They make great use of the dark and suggestion and, well, people jumping out and scaring you. In practical terms crowd control is really good. They not only control the amount of tickets for a night, but also stagger your entry to each event so that there's never really any crowd related danger ... And so the people in front of you being scared doesn't spoil the surprise/fright for you. You can tell the scarers get really into it and they make a great effort to get a response. I recommend going with your jumpiest friends as that's the most fun. Three of the events were inside but they also have the 'field of screams' which uses the farm element of a huge cornfield to make a maze (a maze of maize if you will) and you will hear screaming all around you. It might make a good date - at least you'd know a lot about the person by the end of it - like if they push you into a ghoul to get away themselves you're probably not going to be bother with another date! The organisers are very good at keeping groups together and if you are really lost or stuck in a corner unable to find the way out in the dark, the scary ghosts will help you. But they love a screamer and will get the maximum response they can out of people. They even have a few scarers wandering the queues to keep you entertained/frightened while you wait. They're so good at it that I began to wonder if our groups biggest screamer had been marked as they all seemed to know! A great fun evening of entertainment!

I don't think I can say enough good things about this place! I visited as part of a group for a Hen…read moreparty & I don't think I've ever had so much fun. We baked bread, which sounds a bit old fashioned but using the Bride as our instructor, the guide made it all so fun (and in fact it culminated in a food fight). We then took our left over raw dough to feed the piglets, then we held lambs, milked a cow & fed a goat. When the tour guide asked if we would like to see the bride catching a cock you can imagine the reaction of the group, but watching the bride chase a rooster around a chicken enclosure was probably the funniest thing I had seen in years (until the bog race, but we'll get to that). After this we went into a barn hosue where we were told to paint the bride's life story on a wall and then the bride had to tell her story to ensure that everyone in the room knew every gorey detail of her life... Which we of course found hillarious! Then we went into another farm house which was a beautiful room that had a fire lighting & some bodhrans in it, but we didn't have a drum circle (although I do believe that's an alternative option). We did a ceilí! Which lead to many giggles. With spirits high we went to the bog, which was a short hay ride away (us singing songs along the route too), where the guide told us we were to be split into 2 groups & race around a tree in the centre of the bog; one team carrying the bride & one team carrying another member of the party. It was dirty, messy, disgusting and probably the funniest thing I have ever ever done as part of a group! After all that it was a lift back to the farm & in for tea & scones. Amazing! Ok the pros of the day were: 1. our guide. He accomodated us with everything we wanted to do from feeding the piglets to trying to re-arrange our tea break when we all got hungry in the middle of the day. He sang all our songs with us, joined us for tea and felt like part of the group rather than someone who was just showing us around. A nice touch on the part of the farm I feel. 2. Everything I have listed above! Just everything. It was all brilliant. 3. The tea & scones (which I believe were home made) & the jam that came with them was the best I've ever had! (Or maybe we were just starving by then. Con's of the day: 1. We were very hungry by the end of the day (this was more our fault than the farms, after a night of drinking a long day of activities is probably not wise on an empty stomach). 2. The bog was very messy & although you know to expect it it's very difficult to plan for. My suggestion is to bring a change of clothes & shoes! We were warned by the person organising to wear wellies but when you get to the bog you cannot wear the wellies going in so that was pointless! Tea would have been much more enjoyable without the mucky/wet feet!

This zoo was huge and had so many great things for kids. It is an easy to navigate zoo with…read morebasically one main walkway in a figure eight. Lots of great animals and the staff was so nice to our kids. There were two ladies showing my kids the orangutan exhibit and a mold of their hands, feet, and skulls and were very engaging. Would definitely come again, even though the prices are a little expensive but everything in Dublin is.

What a lovely Zoo! Never know what to expect from Zoos in other countries, but I really loved the…read morezoo here! Everything was so well kept up, clean, modern, and very beautiful. Animal welfare seemed to be kept paramount. The exhibits were well kept. I honestly have never seen so many animals out and active at any other zoo before, it was amazing!! We saw Wolves like less than 10 feet away it was amazing! If you love animals I would highly recommend to come here!!

I have a young son, Gilles, he is 18 months old and his current lexicon consists of 3 words…read more.. tacter (tractor) mo (cow) and ship (sheep). so, when we brought him to Newgrange Farm a couple of weeks ago it was like all his future birthdays had come at once. leaving aside the critical view of an 18 month old ("tacter, tacter, tacter tacter...") for Mom and dad it was a very plesant day out and as a bonus if you pay the 2 euro each (child for free) and take the tractor ride you get nearly a full 360 view of the nearby newgrange hill (see my review on the monument) - \I'll not go into another rant about how important it is!

I have a somewhat strange soft spot for seals so the Exploris Aquarium is one of my favourite…read moreplaces to go for a family day out. The experts at Exploris take in and care for seals which have been rescued from the coast suffering from injury or illness. Mind you, sometimes there are no seals in the seal sanctuary which is obviously good news for the seal population but not for the selfish visitors who want to see them. Check the website before you go to see how many seals are being cared for. The aquarium has loads of other stuff to see and learn about. The first thing you see when you go in is a huge touch tank where there are frequent talks from the expert staff who encourage visitors to touch the fish and rays which is great fun. There are lots of tanks and pools as you make your way through the aquarium, including one which has a wave splashing too and fro. The most exciting bit is the largest tank which has sharks in it. Only little ones but still very exciting nonetheless and throughout the day divers go into the tank to feed the sharks. There are loads of fish and rays in this tank too to really give you an idea of how the species interact in the open sea. You can view this tank from the side through the glass walls or from above as a bridge is suspended above it. Exploris is relatively pricey to get in - £22 for a ticket for a family of 4 and even if you take a break in the café and visit the shop (both of which will see you forking out more cash), I think the most you will spend there is a couple of hours. Stretch out your visit by taking a picnic and going to the park right next door.

Jaw dropping, awe inspiring, beautiful marine creatures…read more Take a trip to Exploris Aquarium and witness the amazing spectacle of what life is like in our local waters. I'm a water baby, always have been, always will be and sea life fascinates me. Lucky mites get to live in the water all day every day, why can't I! They don't even get wrinkles! Bah! Jealousy aside, this attraction is a fascinating peek in to the marine world. It's educational and fun; a great day out for the family or there's a tour/workshop facility available for school trips. You can watch in amazement as the divers hand feed the sharks, even walk across the murky depths on the bridge above the shark tank! Make sure you visit the discovery pool where you get hands on action with the flat fish! The staff give regular presentations and talks throughout the day about an interesting range of topics, so if you're a sea geek, don't miss this! The aquarium is also home to The Seal Rescue Centre *arf arf* where sick pups are nursed back to health before being released into the wild. This is a great programme which ensures the rehabilitation and ongoing care of our local seal population. Yay! There are regular exhibitions held on location so contact them before you come to see whats on. For example, this year there is; shark week, seal week, a puppet theatre and art / photography exhibitions. This year seal week is 6 - 14 Nov ...See you there! As of August 2010 - Prices: Adult £7.00 Junior (16 years and under) £4.50 Family (2 adults and 4 children) £22.00 Family (1 adult and 4 children) £19.50 60 years +, Disabled and unemployed £4.50 Under Fours Free Opening Hours: April - August: Mon - Fri 10am - 6pm Sat 11am - 6pm Sun 12noon - 6pm September - March: Mon - Fri 10am - 5pm Sat 11am - 5pm Sun 1pm - 5pm For such an interesting, informative day, Portaferry is only about an hour away from Belfast so if you're stuck on a rainy day don't miss it! Or do as we used to and pack the kids away, hook up the caravan and come stay in the caravan site next door and make a weekend of it!

If you havnt been here before its defo worth the visit. ..been here a few times with the family…read morethe last time we wnt it had new things added to it Pay a pound at the shoo and can get a cup of food so that u can feed the animals which the kids love. Goats were out walkin about the last time we were here came to us to get food and a pet Theres a peting part were they bring aniamls and u can hold and feed them Kids love it The cafe is good Good picnic areas Park Lake to feed ducks Big boucing thing for kids And an ark Ive put sum pics up wel worth the visit

I have now been to The Ark three times in the last two years. I think this should tell you that I…read morereally like it. The first time, we had some visitors staying and we thought it would be a nice day out. We had a great time feeding and stroking the animals -it was like being kids again! The second time my fiancé took me to visit as part of my birthday fun things to do. It was raining but we still had a great time as many areas are enclosed. There was a school trip there and we lingered by the petting farm area to watch the kids feed the kids (baby goats) using a bottle and to listen in on the educational talk given by the guide. The third time I took my nephew - what a hoot that was - one of the enclosures houses a really big goat who can almost stretch out of his pen - he took a rather large lick of my nephews ice cream which then had to be chucked even though Niall protested by screaming his head off. The farm is well run with a shop selling farm themed toys, animal food as well as farm produce. There are many different types of farm creature that you would expect to find on any farm- pigs, horses, sheep and, rather randomly, a wallaby. For a few quid it's well worth a visit. Apart from the farm animals there is also a really great playground for the (human) kids to enjoy. With a café on site as well as a large indoor area full of toy tractors for the younger ones to ride about on you can have a nice time in the sun or the rain. The owners also offer pony and horseback rides for a few pounds more. Most of the animals have a lot of space and are in pens with just one other of their species - I did notice that some chickens who were locked away did look a little cramped but in fairness most of the chickens are free to wander around the land. A great day out!

Closes at dusk. Open at dawn, there is a large selection of waterfowl, barn museum, and picnic…read moreareas. They have rare breeds such as Dexter/Irish Moiled cattle and Saddleback pigs. This is a Georgian farmhouse with Gloucester Old Spot or Tamworth pigs and ornamental fowl. You have to arrange farm tours but there's a barbeque, children's play area, and sculpture trails.

Brilliant place to spend an afternoon. Best bit its FREE!!…read moreFarm is good, usuel farm animals pigs, chickens, sheep etc. Goats are brilliant and loads of ducks etc to feed. You can feed them your own bread, got to be fresh. Wash hand basin for cleaning hands available also. Good car park but the farm isnt really very busy. Park beside it is good, again another good sized car park and nice walk upto the park. Lovely place for a picnic in the summer.

If you're visiting Dublin and looking for a free, relaxed tourist spot to visit I'd highly…read morerecommend coming to Phoenix Park, one of the largest public parks in Ireland. We taxied up from city center to Phoenix Park and it wasn't too far. There are local bars and such not too far from the park if you need a snack or brew before hitting the park. We were told that this park sometimes hosts concerts and some major events, even that Obama had visited and spoke during one of his trips. The park is lush, spacious and with lots of nature to see. My favorite thing about this park is the free roaming deer that you can see. They are extremely friendly and gentle. It's so unique to get an experience like this to walk with deer and to have them be so comfortable that you can approach them and that there were so many. A beautiful place to spend an hour or two in nature and not far from Dublin City, worth checking out.

I didn't explore too much of Phoenix Park, just the end near the Wellington Monument. But what I…read moredid see is super. The park is one of the largest enclosed recreational spaces in any European capital city. 1700 acres, it's home to the Dublin Zoo, the Flower Gardens and more. Lots of walking paths. Lots of monuments including the Wellington. Lots of meadows and woodlands and landscaped spots. The park is peaceful even with the buses running along its main avenue. There are a number of benches and lots of space for laying out a blanket for a picnic. Well worth the time to explore. [Review 1986 of 2024 - 167 in Republic of Ireland - 23008 overall]

Although the bus tour only drove in, stopped for a rest stop, then left, the limited time looking…read moreout at this vast park in the city was a good experience. I would love to go back, there's an embassy residence on site, that I would like to explore. The roads around the center are narrow and tight. I wouldn't have wanted to drive the bus. If you have a young family, you could spend all day here.

Beautifully maintained walled and open Victorian gardens. We stopped to stroll and admire the…read moreluster - wishing our thumbs were as green. The visitors center is an educational experience for all ages & experience levels. The Cafe is especially nice with outdoor seating in the courtyard and inside. Make sure if you're a first time visitor look for the large evergreen tree just outside the watchtower gates. It's worth the time to walk inside her bows and experience to hidden charm of a Hobbit Lair.

The wildfowl and wetlands trust are tasked with maintaining and protecting sites throughout the…read morecountry such as castle espie in comber. Protecting sites for birds also helps protect other wildlife and provides refuge from development of housing in rural areas and gives generations of people the enjoyment of seeing our wildlife not just within parks but outside of site boundaries too.