Had booked the meerkat experience as a birthday present for my wife but it looked so much fun and the reviews were so good that I decided to partake in the Meerkat experience for 2. It was a Virgin experience with the added value of a discount voucher which made it even better value.

We booked 7 months in advance (think the voucher is only valid for 9 months) so an early birthday present especially as you have free access to the wildlife park as well

We wandered around the park and overall the park whilst small unlike a zoo didn’t seem to disadvantaged by its size. It feels very much as if its main market is for children. Anyway, the meerkat experience – headed off the discovery centre for booking in and refreshments. H’mm refreshments consisted of a cup of coffee or similar and a biscuit (no thanks) – you also get a certificate and a T shirt (on the day they only had one size). Two couples were experiencing meerkats and we were very pleasantly surprised to see that we were spilt into two groups.

Tracey our keeper was absolutely fantastic, she very kindly took photos with our camera, answered questions and generally added to the experience. Meerkats – what can I say it was an absolutely fantastic time – there were 5 in the enclosure we were in – and from when we entered until the time we left – we were human climbing frames – and burrows including inside fleeces – they were just so much fun we never stopped laughing. They were friendly, didn’t bite – even though they have sharp teeth and didn’t mind being stroked. They recommend not best clothes and we could see why – it had recently rained and the meerkats left footprints everywhere and they can be a bit whiffy – so if you are going to stay in the park I’d take a change as otherwise the other visitors may just start giving you strange looks when you walk past. But the Meerkats were IMMENSE fun and a great time (never has 30mins gone so quickly) . Would do the experience again any time

Quite small for a zoo, but it has a cosy and intimate feel and fits into a couple of hours nicely.

It doesn't have the breadth of variety that the really big zoos offer, but has enough animals of interest without exausting you with options. The facilities on site are good; plenty of eating/drinking facilities, toilets etc.

The staff make a real difference, everybody was pleasant, talkative and keen to help. We went with a "feed the penguins" gift day and, as the penguins were a bit off their food they chucked in half an hour feeding and petting meer cats behind the scenes! Excellent customer service.

Like most reviewers recently I went for a Groupon Breakfast with the Big Cats. We were very lucky and where the group is often 25-30 people, there were just the two of us so we had a private tour! Ian the big cat handler was very knowledgeable and friendly and we had a great oppurtunity to see all the cats close up.
Full English breakfast was included but like others have said, a shame it couldn't have been in the cafe overlooking the tiger enclosure.
We didn't have children with us but there are huge amounts for them to do in the way of play areas. Looking at the animals alone would take you around 2 hours to do the park at a leisurely pace but it was well worth it. Someone else commented on the cost of everything and how much running the park cost- we were told 10k per day to run! Go and see the park and do your bit to contributing to the breeding programme for these wonderful big cats!

Spent a night at the Paradise park, followed by breakfast with the Tigers. Wonderful setup and very enthusiastic keepers. Accomodation was ideal, everything you would need for a very comfortable stay. Everyone very friendly and enthusiastic.
This park is doing a lot for conservation.
Great experience and a worthwhile visit.

It was quite good really, especially considering it's so close to us. There were far more animals than I expected to see and they were much more exotic than I expected. I wasn't exactly expecting to see cats and dogs but, well, it's just in the middle of Hertfordshire. Finding Tigers and what have you was a surprise.

So on that basis it was great. However, I remember having the feeling that the trip cost me an arm and a leg.

Maybe that's just what these things cost to run these days. I wouldn't know - I don't make a habit of visiting the zoo.

I nearly gave this a 4 because of the poor signposting to the venue and in the venue....BUT that aside, this park is magical. Lots to do for children, everything is close by. The animals can be seen because the enclosures are done in such a way that the animals can have privacy but people can still see them. I had a tiger tea experience, the guide was passionate about conservation and welfare, he clearly had the animals best interests at heart and judging by the park, so did everyone else. I am a vet nurse and can spot a sick animal a mile off...there were none here and the animals appeared content and unstressed. I couldn't recommend it more. Take kid swimming costumes as there is a pool outdoors, there are bouncy castles,tons of free activities for the children and a speedway track next door...just go and see

arrived at 8 30,was able to have drink before private tour of park which was nicely done by ricky;we were able to get really close to cats;after an hour were taken to cafe to be given nice choice of cooked breakfast.they have a second park in kent and are one of the largest parks for breeding programes;so i would definatly recommend park

we did the breakfast with the big cats with a Groupon deal,we were give a private tour around the park with on of the handlers and then finished the tour with breakfast, the cats were unberleaveable and the whole experience was superb as a whole definately worth the money

Took my wife to celebrate her 50th and we fed the Lions and Tigers-a very special experience-it wasn't cheap but as an animal lover it was worth every penny as you physically allow the animal to take the meat direct from your own hands. Awesome!

Lovely well laid out zoo with lots of various animals, birds and reptiles. Son enjoyed his Zoo Experience spending 30 minutes with the Meerkats. Staff are very friendly and welcoming and the restaurant was good value for money.

Plenty of parking for starters!!!! Good mixture of zoo animals and other outdoor activity.

We had a lovely day out with my kids. Lots of activities and attractions you can choose from. Excellent playground and in case of rain there is a nice soft play area as well. Recommended.

This zoo was small but a lovely day out, sadly i didn't see it all because I became quite sick during our visit and left. We did pay for an experience and the guide was extremely knowledgeable and gave us facts we would never of known otherwise. I went on the Brunch with Tigers experience.

Mainly for the kids, but fun for the whole family. A time to get close and personal with the wilder side of our planet.

We had a package deal with Groupon to stay in the local Marriott hotel and then have "Breakfast with the Big Cats". The hotel was lame but the park was great - good complimentary gift bag, warm friendly staff (despite the distinctly unwarm rain) and a very knowledgable and enjoyable guide round the big cat enclosures. The breakfast was very nice, well-cooked and you could eat as much as you liked.

I have been to the park before and would thoroughly recommend it, and this experience (barring the meal at the Marriott which the park cannot be held responsible for).

Had bought a "Tea with the Tigers" which ran from 2.30 to 4.30 so decided to get there early to have a look around before the activity.

We loved the big cats but whilst it was lovely to see the big cats close up their homes were very open and they had no privacy. We felt very sorry for the cats having nowhere to go to avoid the children who thought it was ok to tease them and the parents who did nothing to stop them.

As has previously been said some of the enclosures are a little on the small side but the walkways giving aerial views of the enclosures are very well planned.

All the animals looked in good health and seemed well looked after and none were showing any signs of distress so well done Paradise on the animal welfare side.

Unfortunately the park is only very small - in one and a half hours we had looked at all the animals twice, read all about them, had lunch and visited the shop twice.

Tea with the Tigers was a bit of a disappointment - there were about 22 in our group which meant that we were unable to hear all that the keeper was saying due to some of the viewing locations meaning the group was quite strung out. We viewed Lion, White Lions, Cheetah, White Tigers and Siberian Tigers before stopping for afternoon tea and we had thought that after "tea" we would get taken to Snow Leopards and African Leopard. Afternoon tea was a selection of sandwiches (very nice even my daughter who doesn't really like sandwiches found one she liked), the selection of cakes and biscuits were limited but the scones with jam, cream and strawberry were delicious. The disappointment was that the coffee/tea was out of a portable flask that is often used in meetings. The keeper left us at the "tea" and I had thought she would come back but by 4pm she had not come back and others said that was it which was disappointing. It also meant our 2 hour experience only lasted 1 hour 30 minutes. Am glad I got the tea with the tigers on a 2 for 1 deal otherwise I would have been bitterly disappointed rather than just disappointed.

Can get quite close to the animals. However, this is achieved at the expense of providing large enclosures which would better suit many of the animals.
The speedway museum is a little gem and is well worth a visit.

A lovely local zoo

My family and I came here for a day out and Red Panda & Penguin feeding experiences.
Had a very lovely day. All of the staff we encountered were friendly. Keepers very knowledgeable not only about their own animal groups, but the rest of the sections too.
Would recommend a trip out :)

Got the Groupon deal for this, overall very happy.

I have been to a few zoos and wildlife parks around London, this is definitely the best in terms of getting up close to the animals via your feet (the other best one is Wolburn Safari using your car).

They have lots of animals not including Rhinos, Elephants, Giraffe aka big animals that need lots of room to roam.

The highlight of the park are the Lions, tigers, cats in general you can get arm length to them.

Be warned the place is catered to children and have lots of kids zone areas.

Only downfall is the facilities in terms of food, most of the places where closed on a Monday at 2pm. Had to settle for the vending machines to feed myself.

Would I go again?
Yes, but only with a deal like Groupon, wouldn't spend the full price on the ticket.

P.S check out the bike museum and nature trails, most miss this where you can see foxes and more animals.

The big cats were very impressive and the guided tour was great. It was interesting to learn about the history of the zoo and hear the stories of each animal. We also greatly appreciated the mini bus service from Broxbourne train station.

The afternoon tea was a real let down. The sandwiches were more school packed lunch style rather than afternoon tea, the cake selection consisted of dry tasing fruit cake, angel cake, half a scone with cream and jam and bourbon biscuits. You got given one cup of tea in a paper cup. Am glad we had only paid half price for this experience as to pay full price would have been a real rip off.

Would happily visit the big cats again but would prob head off to Luton Hoo for a real afternoon tea

we treated my husbands parents to the big cat brunch... they really enjoyed the tour and brunch - whilst they were joining the tour we strolled around the park - its not the biggest park but lots of big cats... great place for smaller kids as a great childrens playground if the sun is shining

Nice zoo with a large variety of animals, which are well-looked after. There's plenty of feeding times and discussions throughout the day, and the zoo is easily navigated. It also has children play areas around.

I bought "afternoon tea with the monkeys" on buyagift for 99.00. While the experience was good an informative, it was a bit costly for what it was. We were meant to have tea at one of the cafes at the zoo (as it read on the paper we received), but we ended up being herded back to a dingy room to have a tea buffet, and it was massively crowded with no room. That was disappointing. Our group was also quite large and I ended up wishing I'd booked the experience in winter (I'd bought it before Christmas and booked it right after Christmas) instead of my birthday weekend in mid-June.

This place is brilliant. We took our 3 year old for a birthday treat. She absolutely enjoyed herself. Ok, the zoo is much smaller than London or Colchester zoos but I enjoyed this better than the other 2. Perfect size for a toddler. Animal park in one side and other other side there are various play areas, large sand pit (can buy bucket and spade in one of the shops), huge soft bricks, rides and lots more. After all the walking and playing you can settle down for a picnic in the picnic area and then cool down in the paddling area. Several ice cream places and a few bouncy castles. I will definitely be returning to this place.

This is one of the best places for all animals , and one of the few places where the public can feed zebras and other gentle creatures. There are creatures that you'll only ever see in the deepest Amazonian rainforest, so to see them here is amazing. And the Snow Leopards are simply breathtaking,considering how endangered they are, not to mention the rest of their cat exhibits.
Our family love this place as it isn't too big, and the elevated walkways are superb. The staff talks are great, and the keepers have a good knowledge of their animals and are always happy to make time to chat about the lives of the cats. The play facilities are vast. There are plenty of places to eat and drink. The face painting by the lovely lady in the shed is the best we have ever seen. The restaurant fast food isn't the best, but is good value, but there are plenty of picnic tables. The cafe overlooking the tiger enclosure is a joy when the cats are out, but service Is ok it's cash only. Those are probably the only negatives, we've grown to love this place, we've visited many zoos and conservation centres around the country, and we really like this one. We'll definitely return we have been here at lest 6 times brillrant day out.