Paradise Park

2467 Reviews

Star Travel Rating

4/5

Review type

Things to do

Location

Date of travel

2013

Product name

Product country

Product city

Travelled with

Family including children under 16

Reasons for trip

Paradise Park is attached to and run by a large Garden Centre of the same name. They share a large car park and entrance – turn left for the garden centre and right for the park. You enter through the Planet Earth area which explains everything from earthquakes to sea urchins and includes several large model dinosaurs which can be made to roar and move by pressing buttons. You exit through two planthouses – the first with a good collection of cacti and the second mainly succulents but with small bridges over pools full of fish. Exiting this indoor area you pass an excellent model of Brighton Pavilion and you are then outside. On the right are the play areas and to the left the gardens.

Paths are marked by coloured arrows so you can choose the long, medium or shorter route. I recommend the longest route (black) as this takes you around the whole garden and all the model buildings. These are excellent and predominately scaled down versions of historic buildings in this part of England. Although called the long route it is still relatively short but makes sure you do not miss anything – we managed to go round it 3 times in the same with a four year old as well as plenty of time in the Play Zone. The great disappointment was that the life size dinosaur safari area was closed for renovation much to the disappointment of many children including our grandson. As this was one of the main reasons to visit with children – gardens and model buildings are more for adults – I feel we should have been told on admission and possibly given a price reduction.

There were several play areas – a good selection of climbing frames, slides etc outside as well as a large inside soft play area for younger children. In addition there were several water shooting, model steering activities for which tokens were needed – it worked out at about 40p for a short turn. Other activities for which you had to pay extra were crazy golf and the little train which ran around part of the gardens. This was £1 each but we felt it was worth it as it went round 3 times. The problem with the train is that it is accessed via the garden centre rather than from the gardens. This means that if you wish to return to the gardens you have to go out and then back in via the Planet Earth and greenhouse areas again. You have the same problem if you want to go to the cafeteria which is part of the garden centre – no food or drink is available in the gardens or play area.

Overall we enjoyed our day but feel there should be a short way of getting between the train and cafeteria and the main gardens. The cost of £9.99 for the 4 year old and £8.99 each for us seemed relatively high as the area with the large dinosaurs was closed. However, if you live in the area, the family (2 adults and 4 children) season ticket for £69.99 seemed good value.

Silver Travel Advisor

Join the club

Become a member to receive exclusive benefits

Our community is the heart of Silver Travel Advisor, we love nothing more than sharing ideas, inspiration, hints and tips between us.

Come feel the love on a Princess cruise. You’ll enjoy the MedallionClass experience others simply can’t, and it’s exclusively for everyone. Visit incredible destinations and be involved in the best experiences around each one of them.

Experience more with Princess and connect effortlessly with the world around you, spend time away with loved ones, take a moment for yourself, and fall in love with your holiday of a lifetime, every time.

With over 20 years of experience, Wendy Wu Tours has mastered the art of creating exceptional, fully inclusive tours which showcase the very best of each destination.

Each tour is led by a world-class guide, who will highlight the very best of their homeland, and includes authentic cultural experiences so you are not just seeing the sights, but truly immersing yourself in local life.

Say hello to ease at sea. Ambassador’s purpose is simple: they want to inspire every guest to experience authentic cruising, effortlessly and sustainably. Passionate about protecting our oceans and destinations, their ships comply with the highest industry emission standards and there is no single-use plastic on board.

On your voyage, you will receive the warmest of welcomes from the Ambassador community as you sail upon the friendliest ships afloat.

This is a global co-operative co-owned by local partners using real local experts and guides, which supports local communities, environments and wildlife. It offers travellers quirky places to stay, activity holidays and learning experiences. Not In The Guidebooks gets travellers off the beaten track into local culture with day experiences and longer, immersive adventures.

From wild wellness breaks in Wales to painting in Portugal, sustainable adventures in Mauritius to food safaris in Brazil, this is immersive, exciting travel.

Seabourn’s five intimate ships carry guests to the heart of great cities, exclusive yacht harbours and secluded coves around the world, while two new purpose-built expedition ships will combine exhilarating adventures in remote destinations with the sophisticated amenities of the world’s finest resorts at sea.

From the luxury of all suite accommodations to complimentary fine wines and spirits, and a no tipping policy, Seabourn exemplifies the definition of travelling well.