Animals, Aches, and an Important Lesson! (Day 3)

A Wild Day Out at Marwell Zoo: Animals, Aches, and an Important Lesson! (Day 3)

Thankfully, Wednesday, Day 3, dawned with a much better mood than the previous morning's caravan-moving chaos. Even the ever-present grumble of the car's failing air conditioning couldn't dampen our spirits too much. Today was zoo day! We were all looking forward to a wild day out at Marwell Zoo, though I confess, a small part of me was already dreading the amount of walking involved. My coccyx, still very much protesting after its encounter with that swimming pool slide, was a constant, throbbing reminder that this day might come with its own unique set of challenges. I knew I'd be doing my best impression of someone with a cone stuck up their backside for much of the day! Little did we know, however, that an important lesson was about to be learned, the hard way.

The Drive to the Wild Side

The drive from our Haven Church Farm site in Pagham to Marwell took roughly an hour and a quarter, give or take. True to form, our Citroen C3 Picasso’s air conditioning remained stubbornly on strike, so with the sun already making its presence felt, it was another warm journey. But, as Plato wisely said, 'Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.' Or, in our case, it at least provided a very welcome distraction and a more cheerful soundtrack to our travels! With Spotify on, the car was filled with tunes.

It was still fairly early, and the journey itself was pretty smooth. Our youngest, Grace, true to her usual car form, was either peacefully sleeping or quietly taking in the passing scenery. Mia, our eldest, was more a Tigger, keeping things lively with her chatter and the occasional song. Despite the underlying discomfort and the sauna-like conditions, there was a definite sense of anticipation building. We were on our way to see some amazing animals, and that was something to be excited about.

First Impressions of Marwell Zoo

The arrival at Marwell Zoo was fun. You start seeing the signs on the road, and the excitement in the car definitely ramps up!

The entrance area was great, setting a really positive tone for the day. My only initial complaint had nothing to do with the zoo itself, but with my own injury – the seemingly long walk from the car park just to get to the pre-entry toilets was a painful reminder of the day's main challenge before we'd even scanned our tickets!

Once we were through the main gates and into the zoo proper, I was immediately struck by two things: it was much larger and far hillier than I had anticipated! But alongside that realisation came a wave of excitement. This wasn't some small, cramped park; it was an expansive landscape. And most importantly, the animals seemed to be housed in an amazing way. It was clear they had loads of free space to roam in large, well-maintained enclosures. You could just tell they looked well cared for, which is always the most important thing for us on a zoo visit.

Our Favourite Animal Encounters

With a whole day ahead of us, we dived straight in. The girls were fantastic, enjoying the various play areas dotted around the park as much as the animals themselves. I saw some great photos of them climbing on what looked like a shark's head and some cool pyramid-like structures! One of them even got her face painted like a tiger, which looked brilliant.

Shark Surfing

The Lion and the Tiger

As for the animals, the variety was fantastic. We saw the unmistakable stripes of the zebras and caught glimpses of the majestic giraffes. The enclosures for what looked like small deer or antelope were lovely and green, giving them plenty of space. But a real highlight for us was the Tropical House. It felt like stepping into another world. The sheer number of vibrant green lizards and iguanas was incredible to see up close – a photographer's dream! I took so many photos of them just enjoying their humid habitat.

The Long Walk Back: A Painful Lesson Learned

Everything was going swimmingly – until I realised my mistake. We'd been exploring for a while, enjoying the sights, when thirst kicked in. And that's when the sinking feeling hit me: I had left all the girls' drinks in the car.

Now, you mentioned the walk was "only a 15 minutes walk there and back again." On a normal day, that's nothing. But on this day, with a fresh and acutely painful coccyx injury, every single step was a trial. That 15-minute round trip felt like an eternity. It was a stark and painful lesson: always, always double-check you have the drinks before you leave the car! Let my painful 'drinks dash' be a warning to all other families visiting a large, hilly zoo!

Homeward Bound & Evening Reflections

By about half-past two, after a good few hours of exploring, we were all starting to feel the effects of a busy day. My Fitbit stats later told the story: 13,917 steps, which is almost 6 miles! No wonder I was feeling it. We made our way back to the car for the hour-long journey back to Pagham, and this time, we really admired the scenic views of the Hampshire countryside on the way home, a relaxing backdrop after the zoo's hustle and bustle.

Once back at the Platinum caravan, the evening was a quiet and much-needed restful one. Before dinner, we broke out one of our rainy-day purchases from earlier in the week: the Lego Monkey Palace game. It started off a little slow as we got the hang of the rules, but it ended up being great fun, especially for M, our older daughter, who really got into it. (It's a really interesting game, and I think I'll write a full review of it in a separate blog post, which I'll link here once it's ready!)

After the game, it was time for dinner and then the usual bedtime routine for the girls. With them tucked up, and my coccyx very grateful for a seat on the sofa, Donna and I carried on watching the latest series of Doctor Who on BBC iPlayer. Of course, given the caravan's less-than-stellar WiFi, a bit of problem-solving was required. Out came my trusty Roku Streaming Stick, powered by my Vodafone mobile data acting as a hotspot.

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Conclusion

So ended our Day 3. Despite the painful 'drinks dash' and my ongoing battle with my tailbone, our day at Marwell Zoo was a resounding success. It's a fantastic zoo that we'd highly recommend – the spacious, natural habitats and clear care for the animals were commendable. It taught us a valuable lesson in preparation, and it gave us a day full of wonderful family memories. The photos prove it was a day well spent.

We had such a full and fascinating day at the zoo, and there's so much more I could say about it! For our complete, in-depth review with top tips, ratings, and many more photos, make sure you check out our Ultimate Guide to a Family Day at Marwell Zoo right here on the blog!

But the holiday was far from over! What would Day 4 have in store for us? Hopefully, a little less walking...

Have you ever visited Marwell Zoo? What were your highlights? Or have you ever learned a holiday lesson the hard way? Share your tales of woe (and problem-solving!) in the comments below!