London Zoo, Parks & Gardens with Nina & Netty

 London Zoo, Parks & Gardens

The smiles on our faces said it all! With anticipation we entered the gates to the world famous London Zoo.

We did our best penguin impression as we watched them waddle and show off their graceful swimming skills. 

It was straight into the reptile house, where slithering snakes and ancient crocodiles captured our attention. We also met the huge tortoises in their warm environment. They were huge.

We encountered majestic lions, basking in the sun and it was lovely to see the lioness and her cubs all cuddled up. A little sing song was in order as we walked towards the monkey enclosure, and I Wan’na Be Like You from the Jungle Book was the perfect song! Swinging through the tree branch to branch we just stood and were almost mesmerised at these funny little animals. 

Now it was time for something none of us had experienced before, walking through the colobus monkey enclosure. We had to be let in be the keeper so they wouldn’t escape. As we walked over the bridge these furry animals were literally by our feet. We had to be careful not to tread on their tales. It was just amazing to be so close to them. 

Oh what a beautiful day it was to be exploring the biggest royal park- Kew Gardens. This botanic garden houses the largest and most diverse botanical and mycological collections in the world. Arm in arm we wandered up the tree lined path admiring the 100’s of year-old trees basking in the sunshine. The smells all around were divine and we couldn’t believe we were in London.

In the distance we noticed a sculpture made from wire and we were keen to get a closer look. The Hive was an incredible 17 meters tall and is a celebration of bee’s and their role in sustaining life. At night time 1000 LED lights glow and we all bet it looked stunning.

Our walk then took us to our first greenhouse called the Princess of Wales Conservatory displaying items from global ecosystems like orchids, carnivorous plants and so many different cacti; we were careful not to get pricked! Right in the centre was a large pond and Tracey noticed the huge carp swimming towards us. The Lilly pads were floating on the water, and we couldn’t believe how big they were. 

 

Then we spotted some incredible contemporary stainless steel and bronze sculptures by artist Marc Quinn. His light of life exhibition was inspired by nature and science, and everyone was in agreement they were fabulous. This then led us perfectly to Temperate House where we discovered rare and threatened plants in the world’s largest Victorian glasshouse. It is home to 1200 species from Asia, Australasia, the Americas, and Africa. We felt like we were in the rainforest! As we wandered round, we couldn’t believe the size of some of the plants, especially how big some of their leaves were.

      

In true JollyDays style we enjoyed an evening of karaoke belting out all our favourite tunes. We felt like popstars as we received a huge round of applause for our brilliant efforts.  

We didn't need any excuse to visit one of London’s newest interactive attractions Frameless. Lots of inquisitive questions were being asked about what it was and upon entry we couldn’t believe what we were about to see. Featuring 42 masterpieces in four different galleries showcasing some of the world’s most famous pieces of art presented in ways that had never been done before. As we entered our first room, we felt a sense of ourselves floating as images moved and reflected off the walls. It was hypnotic. As pieces of art changed places, colours and shapes we were fully immersed in an imaginary world. It almost felt like a scene from Mary Poppins when the street paintings come to life.

The rest of the afternoon was spent at The Transport Museum where we were taken back to London in 1800 where the streets were filled with horse and carts and sail boats on the river Thames. As we wandered through, we learnt about the heritage of the capital and its transport system and how people travelled to work over the last 200 years right up to its present day.  It was fascinating to see a display of how the underground was built, right under people’s houses! We got to sit in an old-fashioned train carriage and drive a famous red bus, beeping the horn at each other.

We explored the museum all the way through to the  present day and it was incredible to see all the modern modes of transport. 

Keen to make the most of the glorious weather we jumped in the minibus and headed Richmond Park. This famous park is 2,500 acres of space and home to ancient trees, herds of deer and the Isabella Plantation. As we walked through the grounds, we were blown away by the vast amount of purple wisteria growing over the historic Georgian mansion. We enjoyed a leisurely walk through the perfectly manicured lawns spotting azaleas and the pretties pink rhododendron tree. Everywhere you looked was a kaleidoscope of colours and vibrant smells. As we continued our walk to our utter surprise, we spotted a herd of red and fallow dear. It is said that Charles l turned this landscape into hunting ground in around 1625. It was a real peaceful moment stopping to just watch these incredible animals in their natural surroundings.