If, like us, you’ve seen the viral social media posts of people waking up in the incredible Lion or Tiger Lodges at Port Lympne, there’s a good chance you’ve added a stay to your bucket list, only to be slightly disheartened when you saw the cost. With some of the accommodation costing enough to make of us wince, we’ve wondered for years: is Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve worth the price tag?
So, at the end of summer, we decided it was finally time to find out for ourselves. Rather than splashing out on one of the more expensive lodges (as much as we’d have loved to!), we opted for the more modestly priced Bear Lodge at Port Lympne. And, as it turned out, we think we may have found the perfect alternative to the famous Lion, Tiger or Wolf Lodges.
In this review, we’re sharing exactly what our family thought of our stay and what you actually get for your money at a stay at Port Lympne.
How is Port Lympne different to other safari parks?
Port Lympne feels quite different from a traditional safari park or zoo. Rather than simply driving around, ticking animals off a list and heading home, the whole experience is designed to feel more like a wildlife escape and staying overnight makes a big difference.
One of the biggest differences is the accommodation. At Port Lympne, you can stay inside the reserve in a range of unique lodges and accommodation, with some offering views of animals from your own room or private viewing area. Waking up surrounded by wildlife is a very different experience from visiting a safari park for just a few hours.
The reserve is also home to a wide range of animals, including big cats, rhinos, giraffes, gorillas and bears, and there are different ways to experience them. Depending on your stay, you can explore the reserve on foot, take a safari experience or book additional animal encounters (more on that below!)
Aspinall Foundation
Another important difference is Port Lympne’s focus on conservation and rewilding. The Reserve stresses that it’s not a zoo and is instead a breeding sanctuary. Indeed, the reserve is part of the Aspinall Foundation, which works on conservation projects both in the UK and overseas, including breeding endangered species and returning animals to protected areas in the wild.
This was a really important factor to us when visiting, and we were really pleased to see so much information during our visit on the rewilding efforts in countries such as Tanzania and South Africa. Being able to tell Olive and Henry about this, with a focus on the importance of animals living in their natural habitats, rather than visiting a traditional “zoo” felt really important.
Another thing that makes Port Lympne different to other safari parks is that it’s spread across hundreds of acres of Kent countryside. The landscape is a huge part of the experience (with beautiful views out over the sea), and the combination of wildlife, accommodation and activities makes it feel more like a family adventure or short break than a standard day out.
Of course, that’s also where the higher price tag comes in. Port Lympne isn’t necessarily the cheapest way to see animals, particularly if you’re travelling as a family. But if you’re looking for an experience that combines a safari park with an overnight stay and something a little more memorable, that’s where Port Lympne really sets itself apart from other offerings in the UK.
Is Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve Worth the Price tag?
Is Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve Worth the Price Tag? Our Review of Bear Lodge
For our one-night stay at Port Lympne, we stayed in Bear Lodge as a group of six. Bear Lodge, located a stone’s throw from the main Reserve offers 18 luxury glamping tents overlooking the spectacled bear habitat. Bear Lodge also offers a child’s play area, as well as an enclosure of the cutest family of squirrel monkeys, who we all got a little obsessed by.
As someone who has a complete hatred of camping, I was a bit concerned about what the ‘glamping’ would be like at Port Lympne but I was very pleasantly surprised. The tents sleep up to 8 adults and include two double bedrooms, two rooms with bunk beds, a private bathroom with shower and a kitchen, dining and lounge area, complete with log burner. It felt more like a mini condo than a glamping tent and it had so much space for a larger group. The tents also have a veranda – each with comfy chairs looking out over the bear reserve (if you book a front row tent).
I would recommend booking a front row tent if you can as it does feel a little more private, with the tents offering beautiful views of the reserve in the morning. Having said that, the tents were nicely spaced out and those on the rows behind still had plenty of space around them.
Bear Lodge also offers a restaurant, which we enjoyed both for our evening meal and breakfast the next morning. Again, I was a little concerned that this would give more a kids’ canteen vibe but it was actually a super cosy, lovely restaurant with a great food selection for both adults and kids.
How much does Bear Lodge at Port Lympne cost?
Bear Lodge varies on price, dependent on if you’re booking during school holidays. Out of school holiday season, a front row, two person tent can cost just under £1,000 for two nights. A back row tent is a little cheaper, at just under £800 for two nights. Prices increase during the school holidays, with a back row, two person tent for two nights costing just over £1,100.
Obviously, there’s no getting around the fact that this is still an expensive stay for glamping but compared to other accommodation on Port Lympne, it’s considerably cheaper and a great option for families.
What does the stay at Bear Lodge include?
Although there is a price tag with a stay at Bear Lodge, the stay does include some extras, which I think make it worth the money:
- Tickets to Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve
- Tickets to Howletts Wild Animal Park
- Exclusive access to the Park out of hours, when all day guests have gone home (or are yet to arrive!)
- Short safari truck experience
Exclusive Access to Port Lympne out of hours from Bear Lodge
I think the best selling point of staying in Bear Lodge is the access it provides you to Port Lympne reserve out of hours. This was actually the highlight of our trip, especially for the kids, who were so excited to head into the Park after dinner when the light was fading and the park was empty. It felt like we had the whole Reserve to ourselves, and were able to see the nocturnal animals waking up from their sleep.
We wondered around for an hour at twilight, watching a pack of wolves play under the moon, and a bunch of baboons grooming one another before bed. Olive and Henry couldn’t believe their luck and ran around with their torches, beside themselves with excitement.
From Bear Lodge, it’s a 10 minute walk into the Reserve and we also made the most of this before breakfast the following day, heading down to see the gorillas before the park doors officially opened. This experience was absolutely magical and, for that to be included in the Bear Lodge stay, I think, makes it well worth the price tag.
Black Rhino Safari Experience at Port Lympne
As well as our stay at Bear Lodge, we also booked a Black Rhino Safari Experience during the day of our visit. This was a 120 minute experience in a small group with our own guide and was another highlight of our visit to Port Lympne.
The experience began at the Black Rhino enclosure, where our incredibly knowledgable guide, Norman, talked us through key facts about the rhinos, before we were allowed to have a go at feeding one of the rhinos. Obviously, Olive and Henry were SO excited by this and it was amazing to be able to watch them feed the rhino and gently stroke his face.
After our special encounter, we jumped in our own jeep with our guide, to explore the rest of the Reserve. This was so much fun, and much more intimate than the generic, shorter safari experience that you get with your ticket. We were able to stop for as long as we wanted with certain animals, ask as many questions as we liked and really get a personalised safari experience.
The rhino experience is £65 per person, and is well worth the price tag if you’re looking for something a little more up close and personal while visiting Port Lympne. The reserve also offers a Giraffe Safari encounter (£90-£95 per person), and an Ultimate Safari experience that includes both sets of animals for £150 per person.
I really think these are great additions, especially if you’re visiting for a special occasion, for example, a birthday.
Dinosaur Valley
Much to Olive and Henry’s delight, a brand new Dinosaur Valley has recently opened at Port Lympne Reserve. This is a new woodland area home to life size dinosaurs, hidden amongst the foliage. This area is free to visit, as part of your entrance ticket, and is a nice area to visit for a break from all the walking.
There’s lots of picnic benches nearby, so you can also combine it with your lunch break.
Pin for later: Is Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve Worth the Price Tag?
Is Port Lympne walkable for young children and toddlers?
Yes, Port Lympne is designed to be walkable but I do have some caveats.
Firstly, exploring Port Lympne by foot is not a gentle, easy stroll. The area is vast and there are a lot of sharp inclines. For adults, I think it’s fine but for little kids, it’s definitely testing and we did have to give a lot of piggy backs to our 5 year olds, which was quite exhausting up the hills. If you have a toddler or a baby in a pram, therefore, be aware of the hills or perhaps use a carrier instead.
If you’re visiting for the day, you will want to allow the entire day for the park, as it’s not something you can look around in just a couple of hours. Be ready to explore the whole day, wear comfortable shoes, and pack plenty of water and snacks!
At some of the Port Lympne accommodation, you are given a free buggy to use, which I was incredibly jealous of. Bear Lodge doesn’t offer the buggies but I think it would have been so useful to have with young children, in being able to see more at a quicker pace.
There is a free shuttle bus, however, that runs between different parts of the Reserve, for those with tired legs.
Is Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve Worth the Price Tag? Final Thoughts
So, after years of seeing those enviable Port Lympne lodge stays popping up on our social feeds, was a stay actually worth the price tag?
For us, yes – but with a slight caveat.
Staying overnight at Port Lympne opens up an entirely different experience to simply visiting for the day. You’re not just paying for a bed for the night; you’re getting the opportunity to experience the reserve outside of normal day visitor hours, when things feel quieter and a little more special. Being able to stay right in the heart of the reserve makes the whole experience feel much more like a mini safari adventure than a traditional family day out.
And the good news is that you don’t have to spend a small fortune on one of the iconic Lion, Wolf or Tiger Lodges to experience it.
We stayed in Bear Lodge, which is considerably more modestly priced but still felt like a lovely luxury family stay. The glamping accommodation itself was comfortable and beautifully done, with plenty of space for the kids to enjoy the novelty of staying in a tent. Being positioned overlooking the spectacle bear enclosure was the real highlight – especially being able to watch the bears wait for their breakfast as the sun came up the following morning.
We also loved having easy access to Bear Restaurant, which made the whole experience much more straightforward as a family. After a busy day exploring the reserve, having somewhere on-site to eat was a definite bonus, particularly as it has a lovely cosy feel and serves delicious meals.
Would we have loved to stay in the Lion Lodge? Absolutely. But did we feel like we’d missed out by choosing Bear Lodge? Not at all.
If you’re a family looking for something a little different and have the budget for a special stay, we’d definitely say that Port Lympne is worth the splurge. Bear Lodge, in particular, feels like a good middle ground: still special and luxurious enough to feel like a treat, without quite the eye-watering price tag of some of the reserve’s most famous lodges.
Ultimately, Port Lympne isn’t a cheap family getaway but if you think of it as an experience rather than simply a hotel stay, the price feels more understandable. For us, the chance to stay inside the reserve – experiencing it outside of regular opening hours – made it an experience we’d happily do again. Particularly as we know our support is contributing to impactful rewilding programmes for some of the world’s most vulnerable animals.
Pin for later: Is Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve Worth the Price Tag?