Tag Archives: zoo

Attractions, Days Out, Quingo Scooters

Quingo Scooters Accessible Attractions: Twycross Zoo

Have you ever wanted to immerse yourself in the wonderful world of animals right here in the UK? If so, at Quingo Scooters we’ve got the perfect place for you this week. With indoor and outdoor enclosures, Twycross Zoo is the place to explore a wide range of species from penguins to monkeys, even getting an up-close view of their lives! With over 500 animals and 100 different species to discover, there’s so much to see and do at this incredible zoo. There are literally hundreds of reasons why this award-winning conservation charity pulls in so many visitors each year.

We’re heading to the Leicestershire and Warwickshire border to discover the amazing animals living here.

Quingo Scooters Twycross Zoo 1

What’s on

  • Primates: With the largest collection of monkeys and apes in the Western world, there’s a reason Twycross Zoo is known as ‘the World Primate Centre’. Hailing from Asia, Africa, South and Central America and even the edge of Europe, discover these primates enjoying a well-designed environment. From baboons to spider-monkeys, you’ll learn all you’ve ever wanted to know about primates. With the animals free to roam and explore, expect some monkey business!

Coming soon: Look out for the new chimpanzee habitat coming in 2018! Here you’ll be able to explore as 18 chimps are all at touching distance – from each side and even over your head. This specially-built habitat will include climbing frames purposely designed to mimic a wild environment. You’ll be transported into the jungle to immerse yourself in the world of chimpanzees!

  • Other animals: There’s more to see at Twycross Zoo than just primates! You can expect to see a wide range of animals – from giraffes and zebras to meerkats and penguins. From big mammals to hundreds of insects and invertebrate – more than 500 animals are cared for here!

You can even adopt your favourite animal! It’s a unique gift perfect for all animal lovers and includes a photo of the animal, a soft toy and even a ticket into the zoo. The money made through animal adoptions contributes to animal conservation in the zoo and across the world.

Must see: Twycross Zoo even cares for the Amur leopard – the world’s rarest big cat. This is a must see!

  • EggZOOburant Easter (24 March – 15 April): Specially designed for Easter, this egg hunt will take you through the zoo where you’ll meet characters from Paw Patrol and PJ Masks, and even be one of the first to explore the new chimpanzee habitat. The little ones will love this!
  • Conservation Talk – The Lemur Conservation Association (13 March): If you love lemurs, this is the perfect place for you. Working in association with the Lemur Conservation Association, this talk will explore the research and conservation activity of the organisation so far. You’ll also learn all about the work to ensure the survival of the critically endangered Blue-eyed black lemur – with special lemur guests!
  • Zooniversity 2018 (20 August- 24 August): This is especially for teenagers aged between 15 and 18, who can discover more about endangered animals, global conservation areas, zoo ethics, animal behaviours and world habitats.
  • Daily animal talks: Running every day from 1 January to 24 December, these animal talks are fascinating! Carried out by enthusiastic and knowledgeable Education Rangers, these 10-minute talks are perfect for discovering everything you ever wanted to know about your favourite animals. The schedule can be found here – the penguin parade is a must see!
  • Animal experiences: This is a once in a lifetime experience! With animal experiences that allow you to get closer to your favourite animals and quiz the keepers about the marvellous animals. You might even be able to get involved in the feeding!

Eating and drinking

If you’re eating at Twycross Zoo, you’ll find plenty of options! The View Restaurant is perfect for any meal of the day, with tasty menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

If you’re looking for a good place for a quick drink, try the Vine Café which serves popular drinks from Costa Coffee. An in-house baker prepares a delicious range of house toasties.

At the Twycross Fish Bar, you’ll find the nation’s favourite dish! Here you’ll find cod, scampi, fish fingers and much more.

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Opening times and prices

Twycross Zoo is open every day of the year, excluding Christmas Day. From 25 March, it is open from 10am to 6pm. In the winter season, opening times are 10am to 5pm. Prices vary, with the full information available here.

Getting there

Located on the A444, this attraction is accessible by car and bus. If you are travelling by car, the postcode is CV9 3PX and can be found by following the brown attraction signs. Blue Badge parking is provided in the on-site car park. There are a number of buses which also service the area. Further information is available here.

Accessibility

Twycross Zoo is fully accessible to all visitors. There are smooth pathways throughout the attraction, including the cafés. Several fully accessible toilets can also be found throughout. The car park includes a section entirely dedicated to Blue Badge parking, which is free for all visitors. More information on accessibility is available here.

About Quingo

The Quingo Scooter range features six models to suit your needs and budget. New models are now available from just £22/week on our new contract hire scheme, which includes all servicing and maintenance, Insurance, Roadside Recovery, Call Outs and Consumables including Batteries and Tyres. For more information on this, or the latest Quingo Scooter range, please visit our website. Alternatively, if you have any service questions you can always contact us or call customer services on 01582 430 900.

Keep up-to-date with the latest mobility scooter advice, tips and interesting places to visit on the Quingo Scooter Users Blog. Connect with Quingo and keep up-to-date with all our latest news on Facebook and Twitter.

All Quingo Personal Mobility Vehicles are provided by Forever Active, the UK’s exclusive distributor. Forever Active is a trading name of Advantage Marketing Corporation Limited (AMC). AMC Limited is an appointed representative of First Senior Insurance Services Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. First Senior Insurance Services FSA Register number is 308478.

Attractions, Days Out, Quingo Scooters

Quingo Scooters Accessible Attractions: Blackpool Zoo

Quingo Scooters are back with another fun, family day out for all the family to enjoy, this week we’re heading to the north west of England for an attraction perfect for animal lovers! Where are we this week?

Quingo Scooters Blackpool zoo 2

The zoo

Blackpool Zoo is a multi-award-winning family favourite with everything from zebras and penguins to giraffes and sea lions. As well as many animals calling Blackpool Zoo their home, it boasts incredible displays including the UK’s best sea lion display, an impressive array of birds and a host of animal experiences

Highlights include:

  • Gorilla Mountain – Gorilla Mountain is one of the most popular enclosures, offering natural surroundings for a family of Western Lowland gorillas. The island is accessed from their outside paddock and they spend much of their time there, enjoying the sunshine during summer and foraging for scattered food.
  • Lemur Wood – Lemur Wood was one of the UK’s first walk-through zoo enclosures, offering the chance to walk through with the stars of the DreamWorks’ film ‘Madagascar’. Popular with young visitors, there are three species of lemur in the enclosure, the lemurs enjoy jumping across the walkway to say hello to their visitors.
  • Active Oceans – Active Oceans consists of the zoo’s sea lion pool – the largest in the UK – a seating area for 400 people and a penguin pool with underwater viewing. Twice daily, the sea lions display their natural behaviours which are explained by their trainers. The Magellanic penguins are the only ones of their type in the UK – they love to meet visitors through the underwater glass.
  • Big Cats – the Big Cat House is home to African lions and Amur tigers, slotted in between the two is the meerkat enclosure – another popular destination. The lions enjoy a multi surface outdoor enclosure with a heated ‘rock’, with many hiding places for food the lions use their great sense of smell to find their meat.
  • Elephant and Reptile House – Asian elephants have been residents at Blackpool Zoo since its first opening in 1972, the indoor area of the elephant house is shared with a large collection of reptiles and invertebrates (insects), as well as two tanks of fish. Other species in the house include snakes, lizards, amphibians, tarantulas and much more.

Entry prices and opening times

The zoo is open every day from 10am, with the exception of Christmas Day when the zoo is closed. The closing times vary throughout the year, it is advised to check the closing times of the zoo when booking tickets online or planning your trip. For more information, visit the website here.

Online entry prices to the zoo are £13.99 for adults, £11.99 for senior citizens and students and £10.99 for children (3-15 years). Gate entry prices to the zoo are £17.99 for adults, £15.99 for senior citizens and students and £13.50 for children (3-15 years). There are a range of group ticket options available for visitors to the zoo, for more information visit the website here.

Quingo Scooters Blackpool zoo 3

Getting there

Blackpool Zoo is just two miles inland from the attractions of the famous Blackpool Golden Mile. For visitors travelling by car, follow the M6 to junction 32 and take the M55 to junction 4, then follow the ‘brown elephant’ signs to the zoo.

For visitors travelling by bus, Blackpool Transport provides daily bus services to the zoo on lines 15 and 16, running every 30 minutes from Blackpool Town Centre, Blackpool Pleasure Beach and Marton Mere Holiday Park.

For visitors travelling by train, trains run from two stations in Blackpool, it is recommended to use Blackpool North Station which is 5 minutes from the town centre.

For more information on travelling to the zoo, visit the website here.

Accessibility

There is level access throughout the whole of the zoo for scooters users, there are viewing options available at many of the enclosures to ensure that all visitors can view the animals. There are four toilet blocks on site, each including accessible toilets. The zoo offers level parking for up to 400 vehicles, including 12 dedicated spaces for blue badge holders, there is a parking charge of £2.50 per day. For more information regarding accessibility, visit the website here.

About Quingo

The Quingo Scooter range features six models to suit your needs and budget. New models are now available from just £22/week on our new contract hire scheme, which includes all servicing and maintenance, Insurance, Roadside Recovery, Call Outs and Consumables including Batteries and Tyres. For more information on this, or the latest Quingo Scooter range, please visit our website. Alternatively, if you have any service questions you can always contact us or call customer services on 01582 430 900.

Keep up-to-date with the latest mobility scooter advice, tips and interesting places to visit on the Quingo Scooter Users Blog. Connect with Quingo and keep up-to-date with all our latest news on Facebook and Twitter.

All Quingo Personal Mobility Vehicles are provided by Forever Active, the UK’s exclusive distributor. Forever Active is a trading name of Advantage Marketing Corporation Limited (AMC).  AMC Limited is an appointed representative of First Senior Insurance Services Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. First Senior Insurance Services FSA Register number is 308478.

Attractions, Days Out, Quingo Scooters

Quingo Accessible Attractions: Edinburgh Zoo

Quingo Scooters are always encouraging users to get out and about to visit interesting or unusual places on their mobility scooters, especially places that you didn’t think were accessible enough. Over our series of blog posts we’ve been sharing with you some extremely accessible attractions to explore on your mobility scooter for a fantastic day out!

One of Scotland’s most popular visitor attractions, Edinburgh Zoo is also one of Europe’s leading centres of conservation with over 800,000 visitors a year. Set over 82 acres, the Zoo is non-profit. It lies on the south facing slopes of Corstorphine Hill, providing excellent views of the city of Edinburgh.

The Zoo plays an amazing part in the conservation of animals, with its co-ordinated programmes, funding and expertise. On top of this, Edinburgh Zoo is involved in many scientific pursuits, such as captive breeding of endangered animals and research into animal behaviour. Overall, the Zoo is a great day out for all the family with something that everyone will want to see!

QUINGO ACCESSIBLE ATTRACTIONS: EDINBURGH ZOO 2

What can I see?

There are many amazing animals to be appreciated at Edinburgh Zoo, such as:

The Giant Panda Exhibit – Edinburgh Zoo is the only home to Giant Pandas in the UK. Give Tian Tian and Yang Guang a visit at the Giant Panda enclosure. Both pandas are entirely solitary animals that only meet during breeding season once a year. The enclosures feature tree trunks for the pandas to scratch against and climb, large wooden climbing frames, tree houses, caves and ponds.

Penguins Rock – Here you’ll find Europe’s largest outdoor penguin pool, at 65 metres long and 3.5 metres deep containing 1.2 million litres of water. The newly refurbished enclosure features lowered perimeters to make viewing more accessible. The mock sandy beaches add a great visual touch, and also provide the penguins with different textures which are suitable to their feet. When you visit the penguins you’ll also see them have fun with a beautiful stone waterfall feature, a water shoot and a diving board made out of carved rock. And if you catch them at the right time, you’ll be able to see the penguins in their famous parade!

QUINGO ACCESSIBLE ATTRACTIONS: EDINBURGH ZOO 3

Accessibility

Overall, Edinburgh Zoo has great accessibility. Many of the paths around the Zoo can be accessed by mobility scooter. The entrance to the Zoo also has an accessible entrance. Due to the hilly nature of the location, some routes are accessed by steps or steep slopes. However, the Zoo provides transport for mobility scooter and wheelchair users enabling you to access parts of the zoo which have steep hills. Simply make a member of staff aware upon your arrival.

The Edinburgh Zoo accessibility map has all the information you need when planning your journey. There are accessible toilets throughout, and the car park has blue badge spaces. Visitors who require special assistance are offered free admission for one accompanying carer when paying the full adult or child price.

If there’s any other information you need, don’t hesitate to give the Zoo a call on 0131 314 0326.

Share your accessible attraction with Quingo!

If you’ve been to visit any great accessible places on your Quingo or would like us to write about a particular place you have visited, we’d be delighted to hear from you! You can email your stories, recommendations and pictures by filling out the contact form on our website and we’ll feature them on our blog.

About Quingo

The Quingo Scooter range features six models to suit your needs and budget. New models are now available from just £22/week on our new contract hire scheme which includes all servicing and maintenance, Insurance, Roadside Recovery, Call Outs and Consumables including Batteries and Tyres. For more information on this or the latest Quingo Scooter range, please visit our website. Alternatively, if you have any Service questions you can always contact us or call customer services on 01582 430 900.

Keep up to date with the latest mobility scooter advice, tips and interesting places to visit on the Quingo Scooter Users Blog. Connect with Quingo and keep up to date with all our latest news on Facebook and Twitter.

All Quingo Personal Mobility Vehicles are provided by Forever Active, the UK’s exclusive distributor. Forever Active is a trading name of Advantage Marketing Corporation Limited (AMC).  AMC Limited is an appointed representative of First Senior Insurance Services Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. First Senior Insurance Services FSA Register number is 308478.

Attractions, Days Out, Quingo Scooters

Accessible Outdoor Places to Visit in London

Here at Quingo Scooters we know how much fun it can be to spend the day doing something different, or visiting a place you thought maybe wasn’t accessible enough. Now that summer is coming into full swing, you’d probably much rather be spending time outdoors on a lovely day instead of being indoors.

In this blog post we’re taking a look at the best outdoor attractions to visit in central London – and of course, they’re all fully accessible. Whether you live near the capital and have everything on your doorstep, or you live further afield but fancy a trip to London for a nice day out – there’s always loads to do! From theatres to zoos, many of London’s outdoor attractions are accessible for mobility scooters.

Quingo ACCESSIBLE OUTDOOR PLACES TO VISIT IN LONDON 3

Kew Gardens – Richmond

The impressive Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew is set over 300 acres in the borough of Richmond, around 30 minutes from central London. Any gardeners out there are sure to love this day out, as there are more than 30,000 species of living plants – the largest collection in the world. There are many attractions on at the gardens and loads of things to do to keep every member of your group entertained. The gardens are fully accessible, as are the glasshouses and galleries. There are eight designated extra wide parking bays in the car park which are nearest to the ticket kiosk.

WWT London Wetland Centre – Barnes

Recreating 105 different habitats from around the world using a mosaic of pools, ponds and lakes, the WWT London Wetland Centre offers something really different. New technology and TV monitors let you explore the wilderness areas of the reserve. There are free guided tours and bird feeds daily, and loads of lakes, ponds and gardens to explore. The majority of paths have tarmac and are accessible for mobility scooters. Other accessible features include low level access to the ground-floor hides and a fixed hearing loop in the audio-visual theater.

Quingo ACCESSIBLE OUTDOOR PLACES TO VISIT IN LONDON 2

Shakespeare’s Globe – Bankside

Located on the bank of the River Thames, this reconstructed open-air theater brings the world of Shakespeare to life using interactive exhibits and demonstrations. A full theater programme runs between May and September at Shakespeare’s Globe, and all the details of what’s on can be found on the website. The entrance to the exhibition is via a ramp, and the theater has a provision for mobility scooter and wheelchair users.

Battersea Park Children’s Zoo – Battersea

Located in the borough of Wandsworth, the zoo is situated on the south bank of the River Thames opposite Chelsea. Definitely a great one to keep the younger members of your group entertained, the Battersea Park Children’s Zoo is home to all sorts of animals – from farmyard favourites to monkeys, birds and reptiles. There is also a contact area where children can see all the animals up close and stroke them. The zoo is fully accessible, made so by ramps throughout the attraction. There’s always a different exhibition taking place at the zoo, so make sure you check what’s on in order to plan your trip the best way possible!

Share your accessible attraction with Quingo!

If you want to share your mobility scooter accessible attraction, we’d be delighted to hear from you. You can email your stories, recommendations and pictures by filling out the contact form on our website and we’ll feature them on our blog.

About Quingo

The Quingo Scooter range features six models to suit your needs and budget. New models are now available from just £22/week on our new contract hire scheme which includes all servicing and maintenance, Insurance, Roadside Recovery, Call Outs and Consumables including Batteries and Tyres. For more information on this or the latest Quingo Scooter range, please visit our website. Alternatively, if you have any Service questions you can always contact us or call customer services on 01582 430 900.

Keep up to date with the latest mobility scooter advice, tips and interesting places to visit on the Quingo Scooter Users Blog. Connect with Quingo and keep up to date with all our latest news on Facebook and Twitter.

All Quingo Personal Mobility Vehicles are provided by Forever Active, the UK’s exclusive distributor. Forever Active is a trading name of Advantage Marketing Corporation Limited (AMC).  AMC Limited is an appointed representative of First Senior Insurance Services Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. First Senior Insurance Services FSA Register number is 308478.