Zufari: Ride into Africa!

The open-topped train rattles through scrubland as a giraffe ambles past your window - that's Zufari in a nutshell. It's the drive-through safari section of Chessington World of Adventures, where you board a little tourist train and trundle through enclosures watching zebras, antelopes, and the occasional camel get on with their day. No windscreens between you and the animals, which means kids get genuinely excited and adults remember why they came.

It's a solid forty-five minutes to an hour if you're not in a rush, though the whole thing works best if you treat it as one part of a bigger day at Chessington rather than a destination in itself. Families with younger children get the most from it - there's something properly thrilling about having a giraffe's head at eye level - though it can feel a touch repetitive if you're expecting a proper African safari experience.

The beauty of it is the location. You're staying on site at Chessington World of Adventures Resort, and Zufari is right there, so you can slot it in between the theme park rides and the other animal attractions without faffing about with transport. If camping appeals more, Polyapes Scout Campsite sits just three miles away and offers a quieter base. Either way, it's the kind of thing that works well when you've got a few days planned - something to do on a lazy afternoon rather than the main event.