With a little squeal of delight, my five-year-old called my name: ‘Mom! I see the zebras.’
He was pressed against the upstairs bathroom window with binoculars the size of his head while I unpacked our overnight bag next door in the beautiful master bedroom of Keeper’s House at Longleat Safari and Adventure Park.
Located on the eastern side of the estate, the 220-year-old property offers the most incredible views over the park’s East African Reserve.
Earlier, as we arrived and rushed out of the car, we were greeted by a herd of ostriches, with a single Rothschild giraffe just visible in the distance. The reserve is also home to wildebeest and painted dogs, with cheetahs and lions elsewhere on the estate.
It’s difficult to ‘do’ Longleat in one day, so staying overnight is the perfect way to visit.
Lisa Snell and her family checked into the 220-year-old Keeper’s House (above) at Longleat Safari and Adventure Park in Wiltshire
Keeper’s House offers guests views of the zebra herd in the East African reserve, which is also home to a herd of ostriches and Rothschild giraffes
After leaving London in the morning, we had plenty of time to explore a number of attractions, including Adventure Castle and the Rockin’ Rhino attraction.
As silence descended over the 900-acre Wiltshire estate and day-trippers headed home – the last safari entry is at 4pm – we discovered our digs for the evening, situated at the start of the animal drive.
When we arrived there was a feeling of absolute tranquility – apart from my over-excited children who were eager to explore.
The house is homely and cozy and the walls are decorated with photographs charting the history of the park.
The interior design is inspired by Longleat’s most famous animals. The leopard print pillows on the beds are a personal favorite.
In the beautifully designed kitchen, complete with a Rangemaster oven and hob and coffee machine, guests are greeted with a large hamper sitting on the spacious island. It contains everything you need for a tasty breakfast, including a loaf of sourdough bread, eggs, croissants, muffins and strawberry jam, with milk, butter and orange juice waiting for you in the fridge.
Above: The master bedroom of the Keeper’s House, with nods to Longleat’s famous animals
The beautiful bathroom is equipped with luxury products and offers a view over the park
Lisa’s children warm up in the beautiful freestanding bath after a downpour during the holidays
We discovered that it is easy to drive in and out of Longleat when we visited a local cafe for a roast meal on Sunday.
Unfortunately for us, the weather was terrible during our visit, although we did insist on a bank holiday weekend, so we only had ourselves to blame for the rain.
After dinner we just wanted to dry off and warm up. That meant a lovely big bubble bath for the children, wearing pajamas and cuddling on the couch.
The constant interruption whenever another ostrich or zebra was spotted from the living room window, leading to a heated debate about whether it was dry enough for the whole family to go outside. Again.
Since we had made the journey from London to Longleat in a rental car, I didn’t feel like risking a safari the next morning. After a leisurely breakfast and a frantic race to convince my two-year-old and five-year-old to squeeze out the window to get dressed, we left the house and headed to the safari bus.
The kitchen features a Rangemaster oven and guests are treated to a welcome pack
The cozy living room – the perfect place to relax after a day of exploring
The second animal-inspired bedroom can be configured as a double or twin room
I made some stupid decisions regarding this trip, including not packing rain gear and boots for the kids, despite checking the weather forecast before leaving. But choosing the safari bus instead of driving yourself was not one of them.
Those Longleat monkeys were clawing parking sensors out of cars like it was an Olympic sport. And it was highly amusing to watch this mischievous behaviour from a double-decker bus, while the drivers sat at their wheels, none the wiser.
The car with the most damage had a banana strategically placed on the dashboard, so I can’t help but think that the owner in question caused it himself.
Bank holiday traffic due to the safari added about an hour to our bus tour. There is a place to stop for supplies and a toilet break before the tour starts, so it is advisable to stock up on snacks, especially if it is busy and you are travelling with young children.
Lisa and her family enjoying the Longleat safari aboard a double-decker bus
Anne the elephant has been happily retiring since 2011 after performing in the circus at Longleat
Our toddler missed the big cats while he was napping, but this part of the safari did not disappoint our eldest son.
He hadn’t mentioned cheetahs in days, so when one stalked the bus, he was thrilled.
But the absolute highlight was the rare sighting of Anne the elephant, only the seventh time our driver Dave had seen her outside her paddock.
This beautiful animal, with a tragic life story as a circus performer, has been living happily in retirement at Longleat since her rescue in 2011.
She lives in an ultra-modern house in the park and is free to roam wherever she wants, so she spends a lot of time indoors.
She is not used in the park’s marketing and visitors often miss her, making this personal experience extra special.
It was a special ending to an unforgettable stay.
For more information visit www.longleat.co.uk. Longleat is located just off the A36 between Bath and Salisbury. The luxury stays in the park cost around £500 per night.
