There’s no shortage of great places to take the kids during the summer holidays. Eastlife gives you the best in the region, for any family holiday or day off with the kids!
Outdoor Adventures
Mountfitchet Castle
This reconstructed Castle and Norman Village offers the chance to experience Norman England life as it was in 1066. The village behind the castle walls is complete with costumed characters, knights, and animals. Visit the extraordinary House on the Hill Toy Museum, packed with some 80,000 toys, a rock and roll exhibition, and a dinosaur park. Stansted, Essex CM24 8SP 01279 813237. www.mountfitchetcastle.com
Go Ape!
This award-winning treetop forest adventure is set in the heart of Britain’s largest lowland pine forest. Go Ape’s first ever course is centred on 30 miles of trails from which to explore 50,000 acres of forest. The mother of all courses features the longest crossing, some 26 metres from platform-to-platform. For younger children, there is a treetop junior outdoor adventure course. And for visitors looking to take a scenic journey through the forest, forest Segway exploration is available. High Lodge Forest Centre, Thetford www.goape.co.uk
Bressingham Steam Museum
Here, you can explore one of Europe’s leading steam collections, take a ride on Bressingham’s famous Victorian ‘Gallopers’, journey over five miles of narrow-gauge steam railway, or visit the ‘Dad’s Army’ exhibition. Picnic in the beautiful gardens or dine in one of two restaurants and make the fun go on all day. Low Rd Bressingham, Norfolk IP22 2AA. 01379 686900. www.bressingham.co.uk.
KG Adventure
This Stowmarket-based group offers both residential and day camps during the school holidays at their sites in Suffolk and Norfolk. Children and teenagers can try out new sports and adventure activities to gain some independence, meet new friends, and have an awesome holiday experience. 01449 742700. www.adventurecamps.kgadventure.com
Rides and Thrills
Clacton Pier
Six and a half acres of fun and entertainment, including under cover and outside fairground, amusements, side stalls, cafes, Seaquarium, a pub with children’s play area and lots more for all the family. Open daily. No 1 North Sea Clacton-on-Sea, Essex CO15 1QX. 01255 421115. www.clacton-pier.co.uk.
Adventure Island
Adventure Island is a fabulous theme park with a great choice of rides for all age groups, from the Sky Drop and Rage, to traditional favourites like the Big Wheel, Crooked House and Helter Skelter. There are plenty of places to eat and drink – plus, it’s right at the heart of Southend’s attractions! Western Esplanade, Southend-on-Sea. 01702 443400. www.adventureland.co.uk.
Pleasurewood Hills
This award-winning park is East Anglia’s largest family leisure park. With over 50 acres of attractions, the thrills include adrenaline-fuelled rides for the very brave – such as the 120-foot tall, 50 mph twisty rollercoaster ride “wipeout’ – family rides, water rides, karts and miniature railways, and rides for younger children. Rides added just last year are the Jolly Roger – a 40 metre drop tower, The Lighthouse, Pleasurewood Pony Rail, Laser Labyrinth, and an Illusionist Magic Show. Two new rides are planned to open in later 2013, The Woody’s Tea Party tea cup ride and the Moby Dick. Corton, Lowestoft 01502 586000 www.pleasurewoodhills.com
Manning’s Amusement Park
Manning’s offers a host of seaside amusements with arcade games, children’s funfair rides – from mini Waltzers to giant bouncy castles, swing boats and funny mirrors – indoor crazy gold, a Jackpot casino, a bar and grill, and plenty of snack stops. Manning’s was openend in 1933 by Sir Billy Butlin and has been run by the Manning family since 1946. Popular too is the year-round Sunday market and regular craft and farmers’ markets on Saturdays. Look out for their Carnival Party on 18 August. Sea Road, Felixstowe, 01394 282370. www.manningsamusements.co.uk.
Pleasure Beach
The Pleasure Beach, with its mixture of high-octane rides and traditional attractions, sits at the top of Great Yarmouth’s Golden Mile dominating the seafront skyline with its famous Skydrop. Spread over nine acres, it offers huge family fun, full-throttle white knuckle rides to exhilarate and thrill, water attractions to cath your breath and fun rides to keep the children happy for hours. The roller coaster has been its star attraction since 1932 and is still a crowd-puller today. South Beach Parade, Great Yarmouth 01493 844585. www.pleasure-beach.co.uk.
Go Wild!
Colchester Zoo
This zoo is one of Europe’s finest, with over 250 species in 60 acres of beautiful parkland. Enclosures include Orang-utan Forest, Penguin Shore, Playa Patagonia, Dragons of Komodo, and Tiger Taiga – which houses the rare Amur Tiger. Plus, Colchester Zoo also has an African zone where you can see elephants, giraffes, zebra, and rhinos. Kids will love the daily shows! Maldon Rd, Stanway, Colchester, Essex CO3 0SL. 01206 331292. www.colchester-zoo.com
Hunstanton Sea Life
Visit the Shark Lagoon and watch in awe as, while you walk through the underwater tunnel, they glide all around you.
Other highlights include an incredible otter sanctuary, penguin sanctuary and a whole host of other incredible marine creatures. Southern Promenade Hunstanton, Norfolk PE36 5BH 01485 533576. www.sealsanctuary.co.uk
Linton Zoo
A combination of beautiful gardens and wildlife from all over the world with lots to see including tigers, snow leopards, lynx, tapir, zebras, wallabies, owls, and more, set in 16 acres of spectacular gardens. Hadstock Rd Linton, Cambridgeshire CB21 4NT. 01223 891308
Amazona Zoo
This wonderful zoo is home to a wide range of animals from Tropical South America including jaguars, otters, spider monkeys, birds of prey, parrots and flamingos. All animals have arrived through the generosity of other British Zoological gardens; none are imported from the wild. The Zoo is open daily, and along with a lovely array of animals, there is a gift shop and a café. Amazona Zoo. Hall Road, Cromer, Norfolk, United Kingdom, NR27 9JG.
Thrigby Hall Wildlife Gardens
You’ll find a renowned collection of Asian Mammals birds and reptiles in the pleasantly landscaped grounds and gardens of Thrigby Hall. These include snow leopards, rare tigers, gibbons, deer otters, crocodiles, and more. Filby Rd, Thrigby, Great Yarmouth NR29 3DR 1493 369477
Africa Alive
Experience the plains of Africa – an awe-inspiring presentation of the African Savannah, where the animals roam freely together as they do in the wild. Get up close and personal with the Rhinos, Giraffes and Zebras, climb aboard the road train, encounter the King of the Jungle, and enjoy a stunning birds’ eye view of the lions’ domain from the Lookout lodge. Whites La, Lowestoft NR33 7TF. 1502 740291.
Woburn Safari Park
You’ll need to devote a whole day to take in everything at Woburn. Drive through the Bedfordshire safari park with 30 species of animals in natural groups: rhinos, giraffes, lions, tigers, elephants, monkeys, and much, much more, plus the action-packed Wild World Leisure area.
There’s a foot safari, too, and seven daily animal demonstrations and feeding times such as penguin feeding and a sea lion demonstration. Children can also enjoy the swan boats and train at the Mammoth Play Ark. Woburn Park, Crawley Rd, Milton Keynes, Bedford MK17 9QN, 1525 290407.
