Short break: Glamping at Port Lympne Reserve in Kent

Last week, I found myself feeding a giraffe and stroking a rhino. When I posted a picture on social media, the inevitable question was, 'Where are you?'

With my usual playfulness I replied, 'Africa,' and to my amusement, some even believed it (despite some even seeing me earlier that morning at my local coffee shop!) The truth, however, was that I was in the lush landscape of Kent, at Port Lympne.

Port Lympne is a 600-acre reserve, home to over 900 rare and endangered animals. It offers fourteen distinct ways to glamp, camp, and bed down with the wild things.

Some of the wildlife you can spot (Image: Port Lympne) The wildlife park has redefined glamping by providing stress-free, unique accommodations under the stars in the tranquil Kentish savannah.

The accommodation collection at Port Lympne Reserve has something for everyone and all budgets from Pinewood Glamping Pods, Treehouses, Wigwams, 180- degree stargazing Bubbles with panoramic views, ranging up to the premium Lion Creek, Tiger, Wolf and Rhino lodges. For family or group stays, Bear Lodge, an elegant Scandinavian-style cabin, accommodates up to eight people.

Imagine waking up in a luxury cabin with rare and endangered animals right on your doorstep, only a stone’s throw from London.

Inside Bear Lodge (Image: Port Lympne) Bear Lodge offers nineteen lodges on a hilltop overlooking the spectacled bear enclosure, with expansive views extending to the Romney Marsh and the coast. We chose a lodge with a front-row view, nearby to the monkeys dancing happily in their enclosure, allowing us to enjoy breathtaking orange and pink sunsets and a perfectly clear starry sky from our private deck whilst sipping on a Prosecco (or two).

Inside, rustic charm meets modern comfort, with Scandi-style wooden touches, an en-suite bathroom, a functional kitchen, and a log burner for chilly nights. Luxury is taken to the next level with two double bedrooms featuring cosy beds and two rooms with double bunk beds – a fridge and kitchenette. We all slept so well, followed by a powerful rainforest shower both spacious and clean with high quality toiletries - a perfect home-away-from-home.

Inside Bear Lodge (Image: Port Lympne) Bear Lodge Restaurant is right by the accommodation, it serves alcohol in the evening and a hearty breakfast in the morning using artisanal suppliers. We chowed down on avocado and poached eggs on toast, and the kids devoured their pancakes with maple syrup. For dinner, the delightful Garden Restaurant (originally a stable yard) offers classic British dishes with a twist - I, in the theme of the weekend, had the Gorilla bowl!

After dark, young explorers can enjoy the sounds of the animals while toasting marshmallows at the communal fire pit and playing in the area designed for children, echoing the adventurous and wild spirit of their fellow animals.

Something you should never miss: the 2.5 hour Ultimate Safari Experience with Charlie the expert keeper at the helm (answering every question we fired at him with aplomb!)

The view from Bear Lodge (Image: Port Lympne) I was dubious the kids wouldn’t sit still or be well behaved for 2.5 hours - but was proven very wrong. The immersive safari adventure transports you through the South American, Asian, and African Experience zones, where you can see spectacled bears, giraffes, zebras, wildebeests, camels, and more. Special encounters are only available if the animals are up for it (you wouldn’t want to have leaves shoved in your face if you weren’t hungry). Lucky for us Rosie the rhino couldn’t have been any more welcoming and the giraffes were the most gentle and loving creatures (although quite strong pulls on the willow bark!)

There also add-ons such as gorilla or baboon scatter feeds which allow you to get close to the animals, always guided by your expert keeper.

Staying at Port Lympne helps to fund the care of the animals and also supports overseas conservation projects.**

It's a staycation like no other.

Inside Bear Lodge (Image: Port Lympne) Your glamping booking includes access to Port Lympne and Howletts Wild Animal Park.

Accommodation prices start from £139 per night up to £2,350 (dependant on time of year, peak season is mid July - end of August. Bear Lodge starts at £354 and ranges up to £549 (dependant on time of year, day of week and row). With all day visit tickets and overnight bookings guests get free seats on the Iconic Port Lympne Truck Safari.

The Ultimate Safari starts from £105pp

portlympne.com

Giraffe safari (Image: Port Lympne) The Aspinall Foundation (TAF): is a UK based charity that is devoted to the conservation of endangered species and returning them to wild protected areas. TAF believes animals belong in the wild, in their natural habitat and not in captivity. TAF are leading conservation specialists who are on the forefront of rewilding captive animals in areas of protected wilderness. TAF’s major conservation projects include the reintroduction of the Western lowland gorilla to the Batéké Plateau region of Central Africa, using both wild-born and captive-born release stock; the successful rewilding of cheetah born at Kent’s Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve and Canada’s Parc Safari; the reinforcement of small isolated gibbon and langur populations in Java; the transfer of eight captive-born Critically Endangered Eastern black rhinoceros to protected reserves in South Africa and Tanzania; and the implementation of a species survival programme for the Critically Endangered greater bamboo lemur in Madagascar.