Safarisagood! Port Lympne.

Safarisagood! Port Lympne.

Hi there!
Just got back from our little adventure safari….didn’t have to go very far at all – Port Lympne near Folkestone!
Fantastic place I have to say, although it didn’t start out quite as I had imagined it. Since Grace and Mark have grown up, I am completely out of the School Holidays loop. 
Which is clearly NOW!
Queues of screaming, over-excited children, mothers barking at them to stop frightening the animals, loads of strollers –
and Dave & me in the middle.
I found it comical. Actually, it was Dave’s face which cracked me up. All he said was, “well, they call them zoos for a reason,”
Maybe I’m delusional, perhaps watching Joanna Lumley in India the evening before had conjured up a slightly more majestic scenario, but I honestly had visions of Dave and I in a jeep with a seasoned safari expert, following the wilderbeasts and feeding the giraffes.

In reality, we piled into an old army truck which was towing a second trailer, rammed full of about 50 kids and parents!

But once we got underway, and got over Mrs Bouquet vs Mrs Bucket, it was fabulous. The weather was excellent, the guide was super informative, the views across the park right down to the sea were spectacular –

and we saw loads of wild endangered species, from giraffes, ostriches and black rhinos,

big cats, wild painted dogs, buffalo and giraffes 

This is the Port Lympne Hotel/Mansion we stayed in overnight.
A M A Z I N G.
And not that expensive either. Only 8 bedrooms – and each one more beautiful than the other.

The interior was eclectic, wild, beautiful and really REALLY sumptuous. 

Everywhere you looked the artwork was mind boggling.

In fact, it inspired me to dig out some of our African animal stamps and have a play tomorrow.
Join me tomorrow, and I will show you some of the murals in the dining room and conference room. I want to read up a little about the place too…
But if you were ever looking for a unique overnight, with beautiful gardens, 5 star food and wonderful views, Port Lympne is your destination. I am already planning the next visit.
We also walked along the Hythe coast for miles, 
(to work off the afternoon tea before dinner!).
And today, we came home via Rye, where we walked loads more miles around the bird sanctuary. 
WINDY, VERY WINDY! 
We have only been away 2 days, but it’s as if we’ve been gone for weeks to an exotic place thousands of miles away. 
Love & Hugs,
Barb
xxx

39 thoughts on “Safarisagood! Port Lympne.

  1. Another hidden gem? I've never heard of port Lympne. We are down your way next Friday for a big cat experience at a sanctuary that we are looking forward to. Wxx

    1. Sounds fantastic, hope you have a great time. I have fed a tiger which was an amazing experience that I will never forget.
      Gayle x

  2. I frequently visit Dymchurch, but havn't made it to the zoo yet, Will make a point of it next time I visit, Glad you had funThanks for sharing love J xx

  3. I live about 25 minutes from where you were today!! Yet I've only been there a couple of times. It is quite wheelchair friendly but a bit steep in parts. So glad you enjoyed 'our' end of Kent!!

  4. Oh my word what a beautiful place and what stunning artwork too. Dave does crack me up – you are sooo well suited. Glad you had a fabulous couple of days away – you so deserve it. Xxx

  5. Haha you had me going with your safari story. I was picturing you and Dave on the Masai Mara or the Serengeti! We went to Port Lympne in May 2015. I have never been so cold in my life! We had torrential rain ,wind and hail during the morning while on the truck and then the sun came out in the afternoon and it was glorious. It's a brilliant place. We didn't stay in the hotel but it looks and sounds fantastic. Glad you had a good time and you didn't have to take anti-malarials! Can't wait for my piece of artwork to arrive, have been telling all my crafty friends. (crafty in the nicest sense of the word!)
    Gayle x

  6. The look on Dave's face is brill! Glad you enjoyed it even tho' you misjudged the school hols. Hotel looks fab and from your description it lives up to its appearance! Leyburn tickets arrived yesterday…really looking forward to seeing you all again xx

  7. Looks fantastic. It's great when you find somewhere on your doorstep where you can think you've travelled miles to have s fantastic time so different from the everyday xx

  8. Sounds like you've had a lovely few days away, thank you for sharing it all with us. So many parts of the country we haven't got to see as yet. Have visited Rye though but that was yeats ago. The look on Dave's face was a picture. Hope you have both benefitted from the little break.xxx

  9. Hi to all bloggy you friends, hope you've had a good day. Mixed weather here today, so just had to look through the sale goodies again, just how do you resist, I couldn't, so put in another order. My Leyburn tickets arrived too, the icing on the cake. Ha ha.xxx

    1. Hi Pam I had a look today too, will be putting my order in on Sunday, hubby has been warned to not let me forget! Weather has been wet and chilly here today, the washing got a second and nearly a third rinse! Have a good weekend xxx

  10. Hi Barb,
    Well, apart from the school children, sounds like you've had a fabulous time. The hotel looks absolutely fabulous- I've never even heard of it before. Dave face is a picture in the photo too! Love and hugs Alison xxx

    1. Hi bloggy friends,
      Been a mixed day here too, bit of sun, bit of rain. Gym this morning and the. When I got ho e, a lovely parcel from Clarity. My sale goodies arrived – yeah! At least the first batch! Hope everyone is ok, love and hugs Alison xxx

  11. Ha ha I thought you were off to Africa. Hotel looked amazing. Bit of luxury makes you feel good but as for trips out during school hols we do not bother. Always far too busy. X

  12. Had to laugh! Yup school holidays have definitely started. Working in a school means I only ever visit these places when they are very busy but I do enjoy the zoo. Glad your safari was good, didn't know they had places to stay, but I am now wondering if this was the place that does breakfast while feeding the giraffes. My sister would love that. Xx

  13. Evening bloggy friends, hope everyone is well. Spent today in the craft room again sorting out my glitter bottles! Phoebe is very sparkly at the moment, she doesn't seem to mind though! Xx

    1. Oh Donna poor Phoebe. There was a series on tv this year about amazing hotels with one where the giraffes come to be fed at breakfast but it wasn't in the uk and cost oodles of pennies. Marvell Zoo has a lovely viewing platform for giraffes and sometimes you can feed them, one of my favourite animals there. Have fun xxx

  14. Hotel looks wonderful. It's funny how a couple of days can seem so long to be away! I think you can really chill out from the stress of work etc because you know it is only for a short while. Mxx

  15. Glad you had fun – sometimes just a little break away from home really recharges the old batteries. John & I had a drive north today and saw salmon leaping at the Falls of Shin. There is something wonderful seeing them keep trying to scale a waterfall against all the odds, and knowing that some actually do succeed x

  16. Love it at Port Lympne, beautiful house and stunning views. Did you see Claire Baldwin on Who the hell are you? I'm pretty sure that Port Lympne was in it as her Grandfather visited there for illicit gay get togethers. It featured the murals in the rooms. Looks like you and Dave had a good time in the end. Xx

  17. Glad you enjoyed your break and the safari Barbara, and I love the expression on Dave's face, says it all..lol, I'm sure it gets rather manic at these sort of attractions once the holidays start. That hotel looks fabulous and was so restful after the busy animal park. I must admit I did have visions of you going further afield but it was obviously fun. x

  18. Hi Barbara
    Looks like you had an amazing time, I must google this as it looks lovely with wonderful views. Oh yes school holidays have started, we went swimming today and there were quite a few of the little angels in the pool! Daves face is a picture, glad you had a wonderful time. What a beautiful hotel, I'm looking forward to seeing the murals ( or Muriel's as we call them) tomorrow.
    Love Diane xxx

    1. Oooo what a great little break even if it was filled with children and parents!
      I think I'm going to hibernate over the summer holidays!!!
      Enjoy your weekend! Love and hugs! Xxx

  19. Hello Barb, thank you for sharing this with us, it looks like a lovely place to visit, so will pop it on my PTG list. Glad that you had a break together with Dave. Take care and I am looking forward to what you do with the stamps. Bx

  20. Glad you enjoyed your safari! A friend's daughter got married there and has photos of the bride, in all her finery, feeding a rhino! We took the opportunity to creep around the house looking in some of the rooms and I promised myself I'd stay there one day.

  21. Hi Barbara, I only live a couple of miles away from Portt Lympne and go to Folkestone and Hythe a lot. You and Dave could have popped in and saw my new Wheelchair that I got with everyone's help and had a cuppa. Next time maybe xxx🙂

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