Dude, there's a monkey on your car!

Driving a good couple of hours to Wiltshire would seem such a waste if all we drove down for was to see the Stonehenge. For that matter, the night before, we researched other places in around that area that we could possibly go visit. We thought Windsor and also Bath but we wanted something a bit more exciting. Not that the other two options aren't, of course.

So, after Stonehenge, we jumped back on the A303 towards Warmister and an hour in, we arrived onto the extensive grounds of Longleat. I remember watching those nature programmes a long time ago referring to this place but I didn't think much into it as it was far. But guess it was time =)

As we drove into the enclosure, we were given a CD which was to accompany us during our drive through the Safari Park. Burst of excitement, we couldn't help but go to that first. Now, with the Longleat Safari, you are provided with the freedom to see wildlife animals with no barriers or boundaries and best of all, in the safety of your own car. Its at your own pace BUT you will be warned that Longleat are not liable for any damages etc. Charming... we weren't worried lol.

Our first stop was to see the wallabies, giraffes & zebras. I found this part really incredible; being able to go up close to these animals, close enough to see their intricate patterns. The giraffes really amazed me especially. Seconds turned into minutes just watching them. Unfortunately, I was dragged back into the car to move on.


Next stop was the East Africa Reserve, where we got to experience other wildlife animals such as the monkeys, deers, rhinos, ostriches, wolves, tigers, lions and many many more. I tried to take a couple of pictures along the way but I often found that difficult because I didn't want to miss out on anything, whilst trying to fiddle with lens or buttons hoping to capture a perfect shot.

Our favourite part of the Safari Park journey has got to be the monkeys. Now, we were a little weary bringing the car into this section, simply because we've heard the reviews; 'vehicles will get tampered with!' But we risked it and it was absolutely great! Monkeys jumped onto our car, even whilst we were moving along; finding bits to eat from between the wipers, stamping on the spoiler, biting the rain guards, breaking into fights on the car, nibbling the antenna - they were so entertaining. Thankfully enough, the car was fine, no serious damages - just muddy footprints everywhere (just when we had got it cleaned). Others, on the otherhand... well, they won't be seeing their antennas or windscreen wipers anymore as they'll be used as ornaments in the monkey habitat LOL.

There was also the Longleat House owned by Lord Bath; the estate was enormous. You couldn't miss this from a mile away. We personally chose not to visit inside as we were running short of time but I'm sure it would be rather interesting. Instead, we went and looked at more animals: common ones like rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas, iguanas, ferrets... the list is endless. We were entertained by parrots, which even till now astonishes me how clever they are. I was pecked by a random turkey that was roaming around. We got to hold a snake, which was a first for me. Sean held a giant centipede (yeh, no thanks). The meerkats and chipmunks were really cool to see. We also spent a little time in the butterfly house. I'm such a butterfly fan, having them fly around me felt like a fairytale; they were so pretty. All these animals were obviously monitored by staff but they roam free in their environments; that's the great thing about this place.

It's sooooo awesome. A fun day out to spend with your family for sure. To those with little ones; you'll have a blast. I definitely recommend the visit. We had the greatest time, so thank you Longleat x

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