The Windsor Safari Park, which opened in 1969, was one of the first safari parks to be established in the United Kingdom. The park was a highly popular tourist spot, attracting droves of visitors, and was even featured in several films and television series. It housed a number of ferocious animals including lions, cheetahs, tigers and bears. The park also had a special Serengeti Zone where llamas, zebras, camels and buffalos lived. One could drive through certain animal enclosures to get an up close and personal view of the animals. Seaworld, which contained penguins, sea lions and a variety of dolphins including killer whales, was another key attraction inside the park.
Despite its popularity, the park shut down in 1992 with the animals being relocated to different venues across the globe. The site was soon sold and a Lego theme park, the Legoland Windsor, opened up in 1996. The sole remaining attraction from the original park is a funicular railway. While the Windsor Safari Park may no longer be operational, it has inspired the opening of other parks just like it. These are terrific places to visit, especially for families on vacation.
The Longleat Safari Park in Wilshire is probably one of the best choices available. It is the oldest such park in the country and sprawls over an area of about nine hundred acres. Other options include the Blair Drummond Safari and Adventure Park in Stirling, which is noted for having the only elephants in Scotland; the Combe Martin Dinosaur and Wildlife Park in Devon, with animatronic dinosaurs and a real dinosaur egg; and the Knowsley Safari Park in Merseyside.
The United Kingdom is composed of four nations, each with plenty of attractions and activities to keep visitors thoroughly occupied. Those planning a trip to the United Kingdom will definitely enjoy staying at the range of Millennium & Copthorne Hotels UK. By staying with a popular hotel chain, one ensures that one gets an excellent quality of service and a full range of facilities. Consult their website and w through some competitive UK hotel specials available for redemption at all Millennium 4 star UK hotels.
Angela Fernando is an impassioned travel writer who composes pieces under the pen name Sumaira Narayan. She loves writing about new and exciting places around the world and hopes to visit them all someday.