ZSL London Zoo

Family of four travelled weekend 13th September 2008. Getting over the shock of paying £60.00 to get in (I know, I know...some of the money goes towards the undoubted good work of the society), I was shocked & saddened to see just how much the zoo looks tired, run down & decrepit. Not only have the elepahnts & rhinos gone (I admit to more spacious surroundings) but the rest? Tatyy with large parts of it closed for rennovation (the petting zoo) and others unoccupied as animals have been moved and as their former houses/pens are "listed buildings, there's not much the zoo can do to them".

We stopped for lunch - two sandwiches, two kids sandwich boxes, two coffees...not much change from £30.00...total rip-off.

Kids wanted to see the feeding of penguins...what an utter shambles - too many people, not enough room and, alas, too many adults pushing in front of the kids. Shameful...

All in all, a waste of money...the zoo should be closed down & the funds raised (however that might be) spent on conservation rather than passing this off as a major tourist attraction.

Tips-put your walking boots on, not your high heels. Long walk from whichever station you arive at-having walked from Regents Park, Great Portland Street, Baker Street and Camden Town, the latter is much quicker, but tis a nice walk across Regents Park frm the other stations-leave 15-20 mins to walk it. Loved all the animals-not too busy even on a Saturday pm, lovely sunny day in september. Try to get the 2 for 1 deals that are always around. Guilt trip to pay extra £1.70 for the tiger protection-more like hidden tiger-only saw one through the branches! Don't feel guilty and pay it if you're hard up-they get plenty of money I'm sure. Bug world was good. Have been to the zoo and other zoos many times but have yet to see a tapir! Got told off for intimidating a gorilla-I squatted down to it's eye level through the glass!! Leave 4-5 hours to see round. Otters and Meerkats soooo cute! Penguins-could watch them all day. Sights and smells and sounds-whiffy! Aquarium and reptiles-old fashioned housing in need of renovation but adds to charm as not changed much since I went as a child in the 70s.

I must admit that I love zoos (or anything to do with animals) so I'm a pretty easy sell when it comes to zoos. This one is located in beautiful Regent's Park, and it's an easy stroll over to gorgeous Queen Mary's Gardens after your visit for a picnic lunch or rest, so keep that in mind if you plan to visit.

Try and get there early, like most attractions in London. I arrived a half hour after opening time and there was no wait. Two hours later the queue that I passed on my way out was very, very long.

The zoo's animals appear happy, healthy, and in superior habitats, so I just enjoyed watching them. You can get very close to most and get some candid photos.

The layout of the zoo is confusing, I'll admit. And if you aren't watching closely, you'll end up backtracking to see things you'd missed the first time around. But some clever zoo official has painted a line down the pathways, follow this colored line and you'll see everything and won't get lost or pass anything up. Want to beat the crowds? Do this backwards and follow the same line in an opposite path around the zoo so that you start at the exit and come back to the entrance. They are in the same area so it isn't hard to find.

Entrance fees are steep, and the food is worse at the cafe. A simple meal of a sandwhich and soda cost me thirteen pounds, so I reccomend either timing your visit around meal times, or bringing in your own food. There are designated picnic spots around the zoo.