Zufari

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Feeding the Giraffes at the Zufari

The newest attraction at Chessington World of Adventures is Zufari a jeep ride through some freshly developed landscape housing various African animals. The ride has obviously been inspired the Kilimanjaro Safari at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Florida but it doesn’t take Einstein to guess that it is on a slightly less dramatic scale! The question is does the inclusion of a safari experience in the depths of Surrey work?

As a large section of the park had already been themed around Africa with the inclusion of Zebras and Ostriches the ride sits well in that area of the park and is a natural extension of what was already there. The visitor experience begins with a short pre-show in the shape of a video explaining that the guests’ services are required as researchers in a newly discovered region of Africa. The show initially appears to be merely a pre-recorded piece but it soon becomes apparent that there is a hidden cast member voicing portions of the film and they use this surprise element to embarrass some members of the audience. The ploy seems awkward and does not sit well with the largely British clientelle.

Guests are then led onto 30 seat safari vehicles for their journey through the jungle. The first animal sighting is a flock of flamingos which looks a little underwhelming and the vehicle then passes a thinly disguised warehouse building before encountering some Giraffes. The giraffes do look spectacular and can come quite close to the vehicle which often has to stop as they pass across road in front. There are also a few Zebras visible beyond the giraffes. The ride also features a drive through a cave complete with a waterfall and water jets which spray the vehicle and its occupants and there is a further stop to view a pair of rhinoceroses before returning to the station.

Zufari is a little underwhelming for adults but kids will probably like it a lot and it will look better with time as the landscaping and planting matures. It is a comparatively short ride with only a few animals but it is nicely constructed and the animals are close to the vehicle and clearly visible. The throughput, however, appears to be low which will result in some very lengthy queues on busy days and the whole experience would have benefited from a live commentary from the driver of the Jeep rather than the recorded soundtrack it currently offers.

Overall the ride is perfectly OK but nothing to write home about. It does extend the number of attractions on offer at the park and will probably appeal greatly to the many younger visitors but they may have to wait in excess of 2 hours on a busy day and that is a long time for children. The whole experience will probably leave parents closely examining their watches as they see an entire morning evaporate in a lengthy queue. If you are going to give Zufari a try visit off peak!

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Sally Stacey is a regular blogger and theme park enthusiast who currently writes on behalf of Watch Hub purveyors of Hugo Boss Watches