Port Lympne Mansion Hotel

What a fantastic place to visit and stay. The food was excellent and the place was spotless. We will return and stay overnight again. All the staff were very friendly, helpful and knowledgable and we will recommend to family and friends that have not already visited. We stayed in the hotel which we loved but all the other places available looked great as well.

Safari tour has been cut so no longer goes through grasslands passing free roaming giraffe, zebra and antelope. No longer passes the wild dogs. This means it is impossible to see many animals and only tracks fenced areas losing open safari appeal. No amazing panoramic views over wildlife. Instead it tracks the fence line most of which is easily seen in the walking route. We won’t be renewing our membership. Very disappointing as what made Port Lypne so unique and magical has been lost. I assume this is to cram in more tours as increasingly commercial. We were told in depth about accommodation options offer whereas in previous years guides discussed everything from rhino ivf to release efforts. Heartbreaking- my children used to be so inspired by conservation following these tours but no more.

Stayed at the Giraffe lodge and had the most amazing stay. People to arriving I had to change the date due to a death in the family, they were so kind to allow us to change the date! Service was simply amazing! We arrived and walked the grounds, looked so lovely and had weather on our side. The safari’s were great. Being so close to the giraffe’s as well. The tent was nice and exactly how we pictured it to be. We slept well. The food was decent, although would have preferred a little more variety for dinner. Really enjoyed the stay and would highly recommend. Was expensive but we found it well worth it. The day after going on another safari was nice too.

We had a wonderful overnight stay in the Pinewood Shepherds Hut. The reserve itself was fantastic, animals are looked after, beautiful views and staff were very polite. Safari truck ride was super, old army trucks from the 60s so they’re not made for comfort and do puff out some fumes but a good experience and you get to see some animals that you wouldn’t otherwise see! The accommodation was lovely, towels provided, body wash, shampoo etc and about 100m from the lions! Comfy enough beds for the one night and the kids loved the bunk beds. Both the Babydolls pizza restaurant and garden room offer very good food, albeit a little expensive when you’re there as a family! The views from the pizza place are lovely with a good little play area outside for the kids as well. Lots of mixed reviews but you can’t control the weather and from what I encountered the staff were very helpful if you had questions or requests!

Stayed for 3 nights in December Treetop Bubble - - We weren’t aware that it was essentially an inflatable room upon booking, so be aware that there is a fan running at all times to keep it inflated, even at night - It’s also very noisy, due to the fan and the busy road at the back of the bubble - It also is very light in the room even at night, so an eye mask is a must - If it’s windy the bubble shakes too In the day and evening, it’s very peaceful and has great views, just be aware of the lack of sleep! Food - We went in winter so there were only two restaurants open! The pizza place and garden room were great - it’s not a great place for someone with dietary requirements. - The food is pricey! We easily spent over £100 a day on food and drinks (Over £4 for a small glass bottle of coke!) The safari - We booked a safari and Ant was our guide, which we would highly recommend! - We also bought a “Meet the great apes” experience with Rick and it was awesome! Rick was great and so knowledgeable and was our favourite part of our trip We enjoyed our stay, just a couple of things to be aware of! The bubble was lovely, but book it with awareness!

My partner surprised me for my 30th birthday by booking a stay at the Giraffe cottage with a group of friends. The whole experience was nothing short of amazing. We were mainly looked after by a ranger named Charlie who made our stay really special. He was a fountain of knowledge and made the whole trip really fun and joked around with us as we were definitely cracking more than a few jokes along the trip. The food we had at the cottage was cooked by a private chef and tasted incredible! We have stayed previously in the Giraffe Lodge and this is our second time visiting and we are already excited to come back!