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Port Lympne Hotel and Reserve

Port Lympne Reserve is Kent's Biggest Wildlife Park and a breeding sanctuary for rare and endangered animals. Wherever possible, we aim to send animals born here to protected areas of their natural habitat where they can live free – just as they should be. We always make sure that the animals come first, from enclosure design to diet, no expense is spared. Port Lympne’s award-winning short breaks range from our luxurious Lion Lodge, where your neighbours are a stunning pair of lions, to rustic and affordable family glamping in our Pinewood Pods. What’s more, you can enjoy your stay knowing that you are directly helping to support the animals which call Port Lympne home and our international conservation work in collaboration with The Aspinall Foundation.

No trip to Port Lympne is complete without exploring the Kentish savannah on Port Lympne’s iconic truck safari, which is included in your entry ticket. To truly reconnect with your wild side, consider upgrading to a Ranger-led safari and go off-road, get even closer to animals and get the rare opportunity to hand-feed species, including rhinos or giraffes!Stay with us.

BEST VALUE ANNUAL PASS Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve and Howletts Wild Animal Park's brand-new Annual Pass allows unlimited entry to both parks throughout the year, offering access to over 1,200 animals across 91 species. The Annual Pass also includes access to Port Lympne’s iconic safari tours and a terrific 20% discount on food and drink across both parks’ many cafes and Howletts’ Pavilion restaurant. Annual passes are available from £75 for an adult and £65 for a child. Read more here>>

STAY AT PORT LYMPNE Port Lympne is home to 14 different ways to stay the night, ranging from cosy glamping pods to luxurious lodges adjoining lion, tiger and wolf enclosures! Our multi-award-winning accommodation offers something for everyone, be it a family safari or a luxurious romantic retreat. Enjoy a unique getaway with all the little luxuries you would expect. Explore our stunning reserve in your personal golf buggy, eat and drink at a variety of restaurants, book additional experiences or simply enjoy nature. VIP ranger safaris, animal encounters and photography courses are among a long list of activities on offer. With our restaurants showcasing seasonal menus, foodies will be most satisfied. Port Lympne is one of the most magical venues in the UK for private parties, weddings and events. Read more here>>

DINING AT PORT LYMPNE Lunch, Dinner and Sunday roasts at The Garden Room Port Lympne’s stylish Garden Room Restaurant & Bar is a hidden gem, tucked away by the historic Port Lympne Hotel and surrounded by 600 acres of wilderness. The former stable yard of the original Sassoon estate retains its old-world charm, offering an inviting space for couples and families to sample the exceptional menus lovingly designed by Executive Chef Lee Edney. The Port Lympne team are proud to showcase the exceptional range of produce available in Kent, including ingredients sourced within the Port Lympne and Howlett's estates. The Garden Room is open to the public for lunch, Sunday roast and dinner 7 days per week (closed to day visitors on Christmas Eve). Read more here>>

AFTERNOON TEA AT PORT LYMPNE Afternoon Tea at Port Lympne is quickly becoming one of the Reserve’s most popular ways to dine. Guests can enjoy a classic or sparkling afternoon tea in the striking muralled dining rooms of the historic Port Lympne Hotel or on the sun-dappled Western Terrace at the heart of Kent's biggest wildlife park.

Afternoon tea at Port Lympne is served on traditional tiers, layered with a selection of freshly-prepared finger sandwiches and savoury morsels, delicate pastries and desserts and - of course - scones with lashings of clotted cream and seasonal jams. Read more here>>

PORT LYMPNE'S NEWEST ARRIVALS

A New King is Crowned at Port Lympne: We're thrilled to announce the arrival of a new member of our animal family at Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve, Kent’s largest wildlife park. A magnificent lion has recently been welcomed to the reserve, and visitors can now see this impressive big cat up close. The lion, a male named Hunter, was born in 2019 at West Midlands Safari Park and arrived at Port Lympne earlier this month. He has been settling in well to his new surroundings and is already proving to be a firm favourite with visitors and staff alike. He has joined the pride of lions already residing at Port Lympne, which is led by a formidable lioness named Oudrika. Read more here>>

Port Lympne’s Giraffe Tower Grows Taller In July, a 4-year-old male giraffe named Zabuni arrived at Port Lympne to join the Reserve’s beloved tower of giraffes.

The handsome new arrival is a hit with Reserve guests, staff and the other giraffes and can be spotted as guests explore Port Lympne’s iconic safari across the Kentish savannah. Guests wishing to get up close and personal with Port Lympne’s giraffes can book an enhanced giraffe safari, which will give the unforgettable opportunity to hand-feed some of Port Lympne’s resident giraffes! Learn more about Zabuni here>>

NEW FOR 2023: GARDEN TOURS If you love everything quintessentially English, then Port Lympne’s new Guided Garden Tour and Afternoon Tea offering will delight you. Launched in the summer of 2023 and running every Wednesday until October, the expert Gardener-led tour will take in the wonders of the magnificent historic gardens, fruiteries and architectural elements that complement the elegant 1920s mansion at the heart of Port Lympne Hotel and Reserve. Find out more here>>

For pricing and membership details, please visit www.aspinallfoundation.org

Port Lympne Hotel and Reserve Lympne Nr Hythe CT21 4LR

Opening Times

Summer: Opening times: 9:30am - 6:30pm Winter: Opening times: 9:30am - 5:00pm Christmas Eve: 9:30am - 2:00pm. Last admission 1:30pm Boxing Day: 10:30am - 5:00pm, Last admission 3:00pm

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Our Day At Port Lympne Safari Park and Wild Animal Reserve REVIEW

This year I have started to hear about Port Lympne. A safari park and wild animal reserve in Kent. Who also offer amazingly different short break experiences. I couldn’t believe that there is a safari park in Kent giving you the full safari jeep experience. The only time we had ever experienced something like that is in Disney’s Animal Kingdom , I didn’t know it was an option in the UK. We were offered the chance to visit for the day to review the park, I couldn’t wait to take the children there.

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We love sharing our days out on our blog. Make sure you visit our Days Out and Experiences post to read all about them.

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Visiting Port Lympne

Port Lympne works extremely closely with the Aspinall Foundation. They are a conservation charity who are leading the way in the reintroduction of captive-bred animals back into the wild.

Port Lympne is home to Kent’s only giraffes and spectacled bears. Gorilla feeds are a real highlight of any visit and take place at 12 and 3 pm. They also have a Dinosaur Forest that is the UK’s largest outdoor dinosaur exhibition.

The reserve covers 600 acres and is home to more than 760 animals from over 90 species. It is split into two areas, the safari truck routes, and the pedestrian routes. It has a combination of hilly and flat terrain. This can sometimes be steep and uneven.

If you are interested in a short break at Port Lympne there are over 13 different ways to stay there. Including glamping, the hotel, a stay in a bubble or a tiger, wolf or rhino lodge.

The Safari Experience

Upon entering Port Lympne we were directed to Basecamp. This is where the truck stop is to join the safari. We got there just after opening and wanted to make this our first port of call to avoid any long queuing times. As soon as we arrived at the truck stop a truck arrived for us to board with the group of passengers already waiting.

The safari takes you through a South American Experience, an Asian Experience, and an African Experience. The safari easily lasted an hour and our driver was full of information about the animals and the reserve.

At the South American Experience, you might be able to spot

• Spectacled Bears

In the Asian Experience, you might be able to spot

• Red River Hogs

• Pere David’s deer

• Asian water buffalo

• Przewalski’s horses

In the African Experience, you might be able to spot

• Eastern black rhino

• African painted dogs

The safari truck drops you at the stop in Carnivore territory. This is located at the bottom of the reserve. The driver did give us the option to return to Basecamp with him but we wanted to explore this area next. From this point, you walk up the hill back towards Basecamp. There are parts that are steep. If you stay on a short break some of the accommodation comes with the use of golf buggies. I think these would come in very handy to visit the rest of the park.

We captured our safari experience in the below video.

Dinosaur Forest

The next area of Port Lympne that we visited was the Dinosaur Forest. As expected this area is filled with dinosaurs. They are displayed in the correct timeline from when they roamed the earth.

The area contains lots of information about each dinosaur. We were even given a questionnaire about the dinosaurs to complete as we entered Port Lympne. We didn’t fill it in though as the children were having too much fun dinosaur spotting.

Dinosaur Forest is a lot bigger than we were expecting it to be and the children loved it.

The below video shows us exploring the Dinosaur Forest.

Meeting A T-Rex

Every Sunday during the summer holidays the Dinosaur Forest has had another visitor. A ‘real-life’ T-Rex . We made sure we were there when it was time for him to visit.

Joe the T-Rex was lots of fun and the children thought he was very funny.

Little E was even put in charge of him. She had to walk him around and keep him under control! You can see all the fun the children had below…

The Primate Trail

After we stopped for lunch at Babydoll’s Wood Fired Pizza we made our way around the pedestrian route. We headed towards the Primate Trail. The highlight of this part of the reserve for me was the Apes and Gorillas.

They are animals that Colchester Zoo doesn’t have, and I think they are a rare sight in many zoos.

What was really amazing was that there was a baby ape. It was fantastic to see one so small. It is also nice to know that they are happy enough to breed at Port Lympne.

I really wanted to experience the Gorilla feed but Ethan had struggled during our visit so we decided to give it a miss on this visit. I’m hoping there will be a future visit where we can experience this.

The below video is the full vlog of our day at Port Lympne.

Our Thoughts Of Port Lympne

Port Lympne doesn’t have the feel of a zoo. There is a more relaxed feel in the atmosphere. There are so many different animals to see there.

The safari was a real highlight for us. Amazing to have this experience in the UK. It was also very educational for us all.

The children loved their time there and also enjoyed playing in the different playgrounds.

I feel like Port Lympne want to offer its visitors an experience to remember at their reserve. They do this by offering a very different short break experience. Even down to the restaurant where we ate lunch, it just feels so different from a normal zoo-type visit. Babydoll’s could easily be a standalone restaurant found in your local town.

We would love to return but we would like to experience an overnight stay . Preferably accommodation that includes a golf buggy. The hills of the reserve did call for the purchase of cake on our return to Basecamp.

DISCLOSURE – We were gifted entrance to Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve for the purposes of this post and to create our YouTube videos. We always give our honest opinions, findings, beliefs, and experiences.

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Short Breaks at Port Lympne

Book your stay now

Dream safaris right here in Kent!

Port Lympne’s award winning short breaks range from our luxurious 4* boutique hotel stays to a romantic night under the stars in our 180 degree, panoramic bubble pod. What’s more, you can enjoy your stay knowing that you are directly helping to protect wildlife, with profits from the parks and short breaks supporting our animal conservation charity work that takes place around the world.

Immerse yourself in the lives of the lion pride at Lion Lodge and explore the rest of the Reserve on your private golf buggy.

Leopard Creek

Leopard Creek offers luxury accommodation with stunning views of our expertly-designed Amur leopard enclosure.

Forest Hideaway

Exclusive hidden forest dens, for the ultimate romantic retreat. Includes a golf buggy to explore the reserve at your leisure.

Mansion Hotel

Get away from it all with a stay at our 4* boutique hotel.

Port Lympne Gift Vouchers

A range of Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve gift vouchers are now available to purchase. Choose from unforgettable short breaks, fun family day drips or decadent dining experiences in the Kent countryside.

Enjoy a unique getaway with all the little luxuries you would expect. Explore our stunning reserve in your personal golf buggy, eat and drink at a variety of restaurants, book additional experiences or simply enjoy nature.

New The Lookout Bubble

Immerse yourself in a luxury romantic retreat, with a spectacular view of the stars. Includes your own personal golf buggy.

Tiger Lodge

Wake up in a tiger’s world, then head out in your own personal golf buggy to meet the rest of the animals in the 600 acre reserve.

Rhino Lodge

Make friends with your wild neighbours and explore the reserve in your own personal golf buggy.

The Treetop Bubble

Immerse yourself in a luxury romantic retreat amongst the treetops, with 180 degree panoramic views. Includes your own personal golf buggy.

Enjoy stunning views from your award winning self-catering treehouse suite and explore the 600 acre reserve on your own personal golf buggy.

Be part of the pack and watch our wolves from your private viewing window. Then discover over 700 animals as you explore the reserve on your golf buggy.

Hog Deer Creek

Stay in the wilds of Kent in your cosy shepherd’s hut. Explore the 600 acre reserve on your own private golf buggy.

Enjoy glamping at its best with family and friends or treat your loved one to a romantic African-style night under the stars!

Put the fun back into camping without the need to pitch a tent at Pinewood, where you can sleep within roaring distance of lions!

Unforgettable glamping getaway overlooking the spectacled bear habitat. Camp out under the stars and immerse yourself in an exciting safari experience.

Giraffe Lodge

Camp out under the stars and immerse yourself in an exciting safari experience - right here in Kent!

Pinewood - Shepherds Hut

Camp in style and comfort at Pinewood's Shepherd's Hut and fall asleep to the sound of the roaring lions!

How your stay helps

Simply by enjoying a short break with us, you are directly contributing to the care of the animals in our parks here in the UK and supporting the trailblazing overseas work of our partner charity, The Aspinall Foundation (charity number 326567). Thanks to the generosity of guests like you, The Aspinall Foundation has released more than 75 gorillas, 41 Javan gibbons, 14 Javan grizzled langurs, 125 Javan ebony langurs, 12 European bison, 8 black rhinos and many more animals back to the wild!

Your next adventure awaits

Book a stay at Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve for your next short break and you could find yourselves looking for pirates, setting sail for faraway places, saying hello to all the animals or even discovering lost tribes!

Terms and conditions

Please ensure you have familiarised yourself with our short break terms and conditions.

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