You wake up, open your tent, look outside and see a herd of antelope grazing. A couple of zebras soon join, while a giraffe is also heading over.
No, you’re not in the Serengeti. You’re in Kent. And you have a stunning view across Romney Marsh and the English Channel. There’s France in the distance too.
What an incredible way to start the day. But how did we get here?
Our adventure began the previous afternoon, arriving at Port Lympne near Hythe just after 1pm. Our destination: the exclusive Giraffe Lodge. Unlike the usual overnight stays at the wildlife park, we weren’t driving ourselves to the accommodation in a golf buggy. Instead, we climbed aboard a safari truck and headed off-road for something far more immersive.
Our group of eight guests was joined by ranger Charlie, whose sharp wit and encyclopaedic knowledge brought the landscape to life. During our hour-long journey, he delivered enough fun facts to power an entire pub quiz. My favourite was that African Painted Dogs are democratic, with their various grunts and barks determining who their next leader will be. Sounds just like Westminster!
Our safari took us past drills (short-tailed monkeys), wolves, rhinos, capybaras (the world’s biggest rodents), vicuñas (a bit of an alpaca lookalike), wildebeest and even a camel roadblock – three stubborn females who refused to budge until a keeper arrived, broom in hand, to persuade them.
Eventually, we reached the giraffes. Nine in total, with names like Sebastian and Gary.. Unlike the safari that day-visitors go on, we were able to stop for about 15 minutes and watch these beautiful creatures. Again, Charlie came up trumps with a fantastic fact: giraffes are always walking on their tip toes and what looks like their knee is in fact their ankle.
The truck chugged up one last hill and we arrived at Giraffe Lodge. We were ushered straight to the bar for our welcome drinks and before long the giraffes had joined us once again for feeding time. They came right up to the balcony to rip some tasty leaves off strategically placed branches, perfect for a selfie.
Meanwhile, in the distance, past the green fields of the Marsh and Dungeness power station looming on the horizon, the English Channel had never looked so blue. The view here is breathtaking.
Next, we checked out our room for the night. This is glamping and then some. A huge canvas tent with a double bed, a kettle and tea. Then, attached to the back, a shed-like structure with a toilet and a shower.
There was no TV – but why waste your time watching a screen when you’ve got priceless viewing outside?
Dinner was at 6 back at the bar. A buffet to die for. You could choose from: mixed bean and coconut stew, grilled chicken breast with chimichurri dressing, lamb stew, South African sausage – and seabass wrapped in banana leaf with masala sauce. I tried the lot!
All delicious but perhaps the most memorable was the side dish of beetroot and kale. The tastiest kale I have ever tasted – but probably because it was deep-fried!
Sleeping in a tent at such a height, unsurprisingly the canvas shook and rippled in the wind as night fell. But I slept like a baby. Ranger Charlie had advised looking out for the giraffes again in the early hours. (Another fun fact: they only sleep two hours a day.) I had every intention to – but before I knew it, it was time for breakfast. A fantastic Full English.
Back on the balcony outside our tent, the minutes slipped by as the antelope gathered around a watering hole – some drinking, others taking a dip. With such a vast area here for them to graze, they seemed at peace. Time seemed to slow down to match the pace of their unhurried day. Modern life often seems to go at 100mph, but watching wild animals turned out to be a brilliant way to relax.
At 10am it was time for the safari trip back to our car. This time we passed the painted dogs, more rhinos, gorillas, lions and were able to say one last goodbye to the giraffes.
It was the end of a truly unforgettable experience.
KentOnline stayed at Giraffe Lodge as a guest of Port Lympne. Lead price £599 per night, ranging up to £709 (weekends peak season). A full safari is included and all dining. Guests get access to the park over two days to explore before check-in and afterwards and free admission to Howletts Wild Animal Park. For more information, visit the Port Lympne website
