We've been waiting for this place to open for years. We first saw plans at Clifton (Bristol) Zoo…read moreages ago when I'm pretty sure it was described as a safari park. I don't think they'd quite call it that at the moment but it does have that kind of feel to the place. It's a wide open place with a great feel of freedom - despite it being right next to the M5. The animals certainly have a lot more room than at the zoo and if you're somebody who is put off by the 'caged' feel of a zoo this may be for you. It's certainly a work in progress with more animals added each time I've been. I went at the weekend and they've added a brilliant wolves enclosure since I last went. While the animals are great our children love the barefoot trail where you walk... barefooted (how did you guess) across many different materials such as shredded tyres, pebbles and even glass - don't worry it's safe even for our two year old. There's a tap at the end where you can wash your feet but our tip is to take a towel. You'll be the envy of everyone there if you do. There's an indoor play fort, well it's in an open barn so you're dry but not in a stuffy, smelly room like some soft play areas can be. There's quite a few places to have a picnic such as in the fun fort, in a teepee or by the trampolines. Often we'd buy food at these places but it's just so expensive in the cafe that I can't bring myself to part with the money. Over £4 for a very average looking sandwich that wouldn't fill me. Really that's the only shame about the place, the entrance is affordable, the annual ticket is great value for money. It's friendly, it doesn't feel too big. I'd certainly recommend it if you have children.

This place is on my door step just off the M5 near cribs causeway…read more What a fantastic place it is to, a great day out for the family, children of all ages will find something to do. At £7.50 for an adult and under twos free. The Wild Place Project is a fun, family attraction that provides adventure, play and learning, with an emphasis on protecting threatened habitats on our doorstep. There's a number of animals to see from lemurs, zebras to wolfs. There's a number of lovely gardens to walk through and lots of wooded area to explore. They have a shop on sight you have to walk through it on the way in and out, that's one thing I don't like as it feels like they are pushing you in to buying things. Although most places do this now so guess it's the norm. They have a cafe too which is nice. They sell drinks coffee, cake sandwiches etc, some lovely places to sit and relax. Plenty of parking. Overall a fantastic day out which I highly recommend for all. Take a visit and I'm sure you won't be disappointed,

Before I found the Tesco at Eastville Retail Park was closer to my house I went to a big Tesco…read moresomewhere in the South (Bedminster/Southville area). On my way, I used to see signs for HorseWorld - and was always slightly intrigued by what I might find there. I almost expected to find a world run by horses! Sometimes these children's adventure playground type places are much of a muchness, once you've seen one indoor drop slide, you've seen them all! HorseWorld really does have a lot of horses, which perhaps sets them apart a little. They offer homes to discarded working horses and other horses, ponies and donkeys in general need of love and attention! Prices are reasonable at just under £7 for adults and under a fiver for kids, and there certainly is a lot to do there!

The horses were very very tall…read more They were very well trained and would sit or roll-over at the command of the "chief horse whisperer". Some of the other jockey's were taller than I expected and some seemed to have not even entered puberty. I suspected foul play and that some may have been taking performance enhancing substances but I bit my tongue because we weren't racing after all. In the end I didn't ride a horse (as I mentioned they were VERY tall.. about as tall as a small shed) but I did stroke one and it didn't kick me. Apart from the cheats it was a fully enjoyable day and when I got home I made myself a medal.

I'm not keen on seeing birds of prey in captivity, but I have been to this hawking centre once and…read moreit does offer you the rare chance to see these incredible birds up close. They have about 200 birds of prey, from small birds right up to huge owls and falcons. You can wander around the site looking at the birds, then watch the centre's falconry displays when you can witness the speed of the falcons and the silent flight of an owl - sometimes with the chance to have one of the birds fly on to your gloved hand. You also get the chance to ask questions about the birds and take photographs. There's enough to see to spend a couple of hours there, but for those who are really interested in falconry they even offer a range of different courses. There's the 'Owl Experience' course, for example, and a one-day workshop in falconry - right up to a five day Lantra Course, designed for those planning to own their own bird, which leads to the nationally recognised LANTRA award.

I took my grandson there hoping to amuse him for a few hours. We were able to get fairly close to…read morethe birds and there was a flying display during the afternoon. The chap that did the display was informative and amusing in a down to earth kind of way -- very refreshing from the slick rehearsed stuff you often get at these sort of places. Plenty of rabbits and birds running around freely. A café or little tea room would be nice but the lack of did not spoil our afternoon. not too pricey either .Will go back again.

This isn't part of Explore @ Bristol, but it's located right outside the building. It's a bumper…read morecar ride, and there's rarely a queue so you can just pay for as many rides as you want, and with at least one friend, just ride and bump away!

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!

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 you're a Christmas-lover, you're going to love Cardiff's Winter Wonderland, full stop. I came…read morehere on the 23rd and the atmosphere was fantastic. ~ Atmosphere: Really where the stars come from! Even though the place is super crowded, it wasn't dirty because there was constantly staff walking around ensuring that all the litter left by drunk people were cleaned up. There's music playing and be sure to snag a seat by huge German sausage BBQ pit, the smell is divine! The Christmas decor was top notch as well, with the traditional wood cabins for all the food stalls and shops. ~ Variety: The main reason why they don't get a full 5 stars from me. Don't get me wrong, there's plenty of things to do if you have kids. A good 3/4 of the event space is composed of kid-friendly rides! Guaranteed that your children would be massively entertained for hours here. Unfortunately, my partner and I didn't have any kids and adult entertainment is limited. There's ice skating, a bar, ice sculpture viewing, and a ferris wheel. A small selection of things that doesn't really populate an entire evening (though I guess you can spend plenty of time at the bar). ~ Food: The food they had here was definitely amazing, though I'm slightly disappointed at the choices. They had plenty of drinks options, but only sausages for hot food. Desserts however include crepes; nutella crepes anybody?! They were absolutely delicious! --- Overall, Winter Wonderland gets a 4 stars from me. Lacking in entertainment for adults, but what I did get I was really happy with!

The Winter Wonderland is the most Christmasy thing to possibly do this side of the North Pole…read more Now be warned this make-shift park is only open from November and closes in the January, so try and plan your visit around these dates if you fancy a 'festive fancy'. With an ice-rink, fairground, tents filled to the brim with winter warmers and treats, if your not feeling festive by the time you've left your name must be Ebaneezer. Even me, the harshest Christmas critic left planning on putting a tree up. With so much to do and such a pretty, happy atmosphere this is a must for people who still believe in the guy with the red suit. The ice rink is a nice size and plays up to the date chart music mixed in with the odd carol. Staff have that friendly aura that usually only comes with Disney Land. The hot chocolate, although slightly pricey is seriously out of this world and if you feel like being really cheeky add a sneaky Baileys. I'm off now to play; 'Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!'

Adventure Island is Barry's biggest and brightest indoor play arena for children…read more It's not just slides and big pools of plastic coloured balls either, it's an extensive all-weather indoor attraction with a bouncy castle, play climbing frames, ceramic painting, arts and crafts, and face painting. There's a special area for under 3s with a mini ball pool, see saws, activity rings and even a double storey giant dolls' house. They can also host children's parties (from £7.50 per head) for a wide range of ages, even up to 10 year olds - with their 5-a-side sumo soccer theme for the older ones. For the summer holidays, they're currently offering a special entry of £2.50 for any ages at any times, up until 5 September 2010.

A fab childrens soft play centre, with bouncy castles, abll pits and a two-storey areas for older…read morechildren. Reasonable entry makes this a good few hours out for children of all ages. There is a small food area on site. The only downside to this playcentre is that it is on the second floor of a building and there is no lift access, so it is near impossible to get a pram or buggy upstairs. Nevertheless there is a train station nearby and the beach is a minutes walk away so it does provide an extra playtime activity for children on a day out to Barry Island. Parties can also be booked here.

This is a beautiful old house just outside Newport, very easy to get to from the motorway, and well…read moreworth a visit. For anyone who's a fan of BBC costume dramas, then this is the type of house that would make any Jane Austen heroine fall in love with even the most ruthless and cutthroat of villainous rich men. It packs quite a punch. Sitting in 90 acres of surrounding parkland, this is a lovely oasis of tranquillity. The house and gardens are open to the public during the summer months, and there are also countless festivals and seasonal events happening throughout the rest of the year. There is also a short avenue of arts and crafts shops which are open throughout the year. Here you'll find Busy Bees Patchwork and many other pottery, art and smithies. Pop along for a cultural afternoon.

Tanya is right on the money when she says this park is straight out of a BBC costume drama (don't…read moreeven get me started on their version of Pride and Prejudice - I know the whole damn thing by heart and that series is most likely the reason I moved to the UK in the first place). I used to work at the government building that's right around the corner, so a few lunch hours were spent walking around this park's stunning grounds. The park and woodland walk is open from 9 am to dusk. The House is open from Easter to the end of September, with house tours from Wednesday - Sunday. Tours last a little over an hour starting at 11am, then run hourly until 4pm. Events are held year round, and more information can be found on their website. Tredegar House is licensed for weddings and caters for conferences, although I'm happy just meandering around the park with the grand house serving as part of the background. If you're not a driver, you can get here via the number 30 and 36 Cardiff Bus, which I'd recommend instead of taking the train, as Newport Railway Station is a fair bit away.