Pettitts Animal Adventure Park

The animals here are the real draw - Pettitts is a proper hands-on affair rather than a stand-and-stare zoo. You'll find yourself feeding goats, meeting alpacas, and watching the kind of creatures kids actually get excited about rather than distant big cats behind glass. It's intimate in scale, which means the queues don't grind you down and you're not trudging for hours between enclosures.

Families with younger children will get the most from it. Toddlers can handle the pace, school-age kids enjoy the interaction element, and frankly, adults won't be bored either - there's something satisfying about hand-feeding a friendly llama after a greasy breakfast. Allow three to four hours; longer if you're not in a rush and want to linger in the play areas.

Great Yarmouth's just a short drive away if you need proper shops or fish and chips for lunch. For a week-long holiday, this pairs well with staying at Haven Wild Duck Holiday Park - it's barely three miles off - or The Wildings Elms Meadow if you prefer something smaller and quieter. Either gives you easy access to the park without feeling tethered to it.

Check ahead for admission costs and opening times before you go - these things shift seasonally. Spring and early summer are the sweet spot: better weather, animals more active, and fewer school holidays pushing crowds. Go on a weekday if you can stand it; weekends can feel rammed.