Glamping and pods at a Kent safari park near Hythe, with golf buggies included for navigating the grounds.
About Port Lympne Reserve
Port Lympne Reserve offers glamping, static lodges and pods on the grounds of a working safari park near Hythe. Overnight guests arrive to accommodation within the park itself, with golf buggies provided to help navigate the hilly terrain—a practical touch that sets this apart from standard camping. Showers are available on site.
The park is home to a range of animals in spacious enclosures, and safari tours are included for those staying overnight. The restaurants serve food throughout the day. Staff are reported to be knowledgeable and helpful. This setup suits people who want to combine a wildlife experience with a night away, rather than those looking for a conventional camping pitch.
What's nearby
- The Aspinall Foundation next door
- Port Lympne Hotel 250m away
- Port Lympne Dinosaur Forest 350m away
Distances as the crow flies, via Google
Good to know
Parking
- ✓Free car park
- ✓Paid car park
- ✓Free street
Accessibility
- ✓Accessible parking
- ✓Accessible entrance
Payment
- ✓Credit cards
- ✓Debit cards
- ✓Contactless
Details via Google — worth confirming with the site before you travel, especially for access needs.
Photos
Photos via Google
People say this safari park offers a wide variety of well-cared-for animals in spacious enclosures, with many unique accommodations available for overnight stays. Visitors highlight the excellent food at the restaurants and the friendly, knowledgeable staff. Guests also mention that the included golf buggies for overnight stays and the safari tours are highly enjoyable and helpful for navigating the hilly terrain.
Summary via Google
Can I bring...?
Lodges & pods
- 13 x Pinewood Glamping Pods
- 3 x Leopard Creek Cabin
- 2 x Leopard Creek Cubs Glamping Pods
- Treehouses
- 19 x Bear Lodge
- 10 x Giraffe Lodge
- 2 x Lion Lodge
- Tiger Lodge
- Wolf Lodge
- Rhino Lodge
Facilities
Takeaway & food delivery
Handy if you fancy a night off cooking — here's what delivers near this site.
Just Eat — 127 takeaways deliver to this postcode (CT21 4LR)
The Deck Fish & Chips
5.0 · Fish & Chips, British
Costa Coffee - Cheriton
5.0 · Coffee, Breakfast
Sainsbury's - Hythe
5.0 · Groceries, Alcohol
EUGREEKA! (Folkestone)
5.0 · Greek, Kebab
Co-op - Cheriton
5.0 · Groceries, Alcohol
Checked 26 Aug 2026 — always confirm on justeat.co.uk before ordering, as coverage can change.
Deliveroo — 68 restaurants nearby
McDonald's
Burger King
Pizza Hut Delivery
KFC
Subway
Checked 26 Aug 2026 — always confirm on deliveroo.co.uk before ordering, as coverage can change.
Nearest supermarkets
Handy if you're self-catering or need to stock up on arrival.
- Aldi, Hythe 2.9 miles
- Sainsbury's, Hythe 3.3 miles
- Tesco 5.5 miles
- Asda, Ashford 6.6 miles
- Morrisons 6.9 miles
- Lidl, Folkestone 7.3 miles
- Co-op, Shepherdswell 12.4 miles
Straight-line distances — the drive will be longer. Store data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Opening hours
- Monday
- 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM
- Tuesday
- 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM
- Wednesday
- 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM
- Thursday
- 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM
- Friday
- 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM
- Saturday
- 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM
- Sunday
- 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM
What visitors say
A fantastic night away staying in Bear Lodge safari tents as a group of 4 adults and 2 11 year olds. Other than the amazing animals and the work that the Aspinal Foundation do, it’s the staff that stood out on this trip. Nothing was too much trouble and they were all friendly, polite and knowledgeable. Our safari tent was a great glamping experience with a great bathroom and shower and comfy beds. No cooking facilities at all though so you have to plan ahead and book the restaurants well in advance. We went to both Howlett’s and Port Lympne and enjoyed both days. As someone with access needs I found PL a much tougher day as it is very steep. Howletts is much flatter. But you can call guest services for lifts around the park when needed. Although they do get very busy! The safari truck ride is a brilliant way to see the bulk of the main attractions. All in all a great couple of days.
a month ago · via Google
I spent my 40th birthday at Port Lymph in one of the Treehouses which was amazing. Really comfortable with all mod cons and two separate sleeping areas. The beds were comfy, the treehouse was clean and well equipped. There were a couple of broken items but it didn’t affect our stay too much. The staff were amazing and we really enjoyed going around on the golf buggy in the evening when the animals seem to be more active. We did the giraffe encounter which was a real highlight. We are in the Garden rooms and the bear lodge and both were very nice. Would definitely stay again.
2 weeks ago · via Google
Had a wonderful time at port lympne , the views are beautiful, the animals are adorable although there was not a lot of animals to see. I enjoyed the safari ride , driver was very nice. The prices of stuff were a bit to high but the staff were lovely and very polite. One thing that does concern me is the lack of guard rails on those big white flight of stairs. I didn't feel safe walking down those stairs at all and was very worried for my kids safety while walking down them. Still had a good day in all
2 weeks ago · via Google
I can’t recommend Port Lympne high enough. My biggest regret is that I wished we’d gone there sooner! We booked one night at Deer Hog Creek and everything exceeded my expectation. The views, the huge array of animals, the welcoming staff and the accommodation. The trip was unforgettable from start to end. My 8 and 4 year old particularly loved the rhinos, orangutangs and seeing the lions and tigers. The beauty of staying overnight is you get a buggy (which we had with our accommodation - not all accommodation I don’t think) and we had the freedom to get on and off it when we pleased. We thoroughly enjoyed seeing the lions at dusk after the park had closed to day visitors. The highlight for us though was feeding the giraffes. Our rangers, Alex and Ren absolutely made this experience with their warmth and expertise! It was an unforgettable 2 hours (which flew by) and their knowledge of all the animals in the park was mind blowing. We will definitely be booking another animal experience when we return with wider family next year. Thank you Port Lympne for all the hard work you do to protect and care for all these beautiful creatures.
a month ago · via Google
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