Česky
I was going to Dvůr Králové with my granddaughter Sofia and a colleague who had her husband with her as an escort. Since I was starting from Černý Most, I had a better starting position, easier and faster arrival and also a big task, to arrange a trip called Africa by truck for 6 people at 14:00. The information that it sells out quickly made us to take this tactic.
I arrived at the location at 9am and navigation first led me to the campsite where a nice lady correctly directed me. So if you follow the directions, park in front of Restaurant Safari Brewery. The hotel is actually part of one building. In the parking lot, the friendly staff will hand you an orange parking pass and if you can't find a spot, they'll help you get one quickly. We left our stuff in the car and went to check out the hotel. Friendly young people greeted us and immediately provided us with a zoo pass, informing us that the park was free to enter and exit as needed. There are many places to get in and out, but trust that once you enter, you won't miss anything and are able to spend the whole day at the zoo.
Among the extra experiences you can book, for example, feeding the hippos
We also found out where to order and purchase various extra experiences. We wanted several of them. Apart from the Africa truck, we also wanted giraffes within reach, hippo or elephant feeding and an expedition to the people's zoo. Everything except the first mentioned can be purchased directly at the hotel reception. The faster you are, the better your chances of success. Experiences tend to sell out around noon. But you can book for both days you're going to spend at the zoo.
The moment the tickets were procured, there was nothing to prevent the relaxation and enjoyment of a wonderful park whose management really thinks of everything. No sooner had we entered than the granddaughter registered the rope castle and disappeared into the rigging, only to reappear in the first tower. So I provided her with the information to sit at the tables nearby and have my coveted coffee.
When the hungry rest of our party arrived, we ate at the brewery restaurant and then did a quick exploration of the garden. By 2pm we were at the truck stop to experience our first encounter with the zoo staff. After quickly boarding the vehicle, we were greeted by the friendly voice of our guide who provided information about the animals we encountered the entire trip. We also experienced a roadblock in the form of a Watusi herd, when our guide fearlessly stepped out and pushed the herd aside. When passing through the lion enclosure, the vehicle was secured by pulling down a metal net. However, the lions did not disappoint and continued to bask and sleep in the sun. The whole trip took less than an hour and was very enjoyable.
The hotel also has a swimming pool with a relaxation area
It was almost 3pm when we went to check in. The rooms were clean, nice and bright. There is a pool right on the premises where we could swim and sit or lounge around. Just perfect for relaxing as it was a few steps to the rooms.
Feeding the giraffes was another unforgettable experience. We met at the hotel reception and walked to the enclosure with a young guide equipped with lots of information not only about giraffes. Many interesting facts are learned as we walk past the various animals and all questions are answered for those who are curious. The actual feeding takes place on a raised platform and we are all provided with young branches and instructions on how to hold the branch and hand it to the giraffe. It's a really great experience to be so close to the giraffes, we're even allowed to pet them! Again, the whole trip took about an hour. As we have time before our next event, which is an expedition to the people zoo, we head back to the pool.
Before 7pm we are back at the reception and meet our now familiar guide, who has a backpack with him that hides many surprises. We make our way to the zoo and listen to stories about the different animals. The young man's name is Peter, he is a recent high school graduate and an avid animal conservationist. He knows a lot and can answer any question. It's clear that he enjoys his work.
From his backpack he pulls out various objects related to the animals' lives. And so we touch an antelope's paw, a zebra's hoof, an elephant's stool, a giraffe's skin or a giraffe's neck vertebrae. We get to the hippopotamuses, who show us frolicking in the pond and a little duel. Some of the information we hear for the second time and so we become a bit of zoologists too :-). The whole expedition lasts almost 2 hours and is really good. In the evening the park comes alive and the animals are more active.
We have dinner at the snack bar right in the zoo and we are all looking forward to a glass of wine and relaxing by the pool. It's almost 10pm when I put my granddaughter to sleep. She falls asleep as soon as I throw her in the water. At the pool, my colleagues and I pour ourselves some wine from our own resources and go to sleep too. In the morning we have to feed the hippos.
At 7:30 a.m. we head to the camp reception. To our pleasant surprise, our favourite guide Petr comes again and leads us past other animals and through shortcuts to the hippo enclosure. We approach the actual hippo feeding area via the antelope enclosure. We need to go slowly so as not to spook them. However, once we arrive at the gate separating the hippos, we forget everything and wait for Mona the hippo lady to approach the gate. Peter assures us that the bars may be far apart, but the hippo will not climb through them. All goes well, the hippos are fed, all members of the expedition are unharmed. We are getting hungry and head back to the hotel for a well-deserved breakfast.
After breakfast, we check out of the hotel, return the plastic room card that also served as a ticket and get a paper ticket valid for the evening.
We are packed and loaded in the car, still in the secure parking lot in front of the hotel, and we discuss that the Safari tour in our own car is included. We take advantage of this opportunity and drive the circuit once more. This time without a guide, but we can see what we remember from those two days. Outside the window we still have a card for parking in front of the hotel, so after returning from the ride we park the car there again. We are aware that we haven't seen everything yet, so we return to the zoo. Some of us manage to feed the elephants before we go home.
We would like to express our sincere thanks for making such a wonderful weekend possible. Highlighted the nice quality accommodation, the great bonus of the swimming pool in the grounds which we were able to use as soon as we arrived. Being able to add to the experience also gave us the feeling that we were supporting an endangered species. It was a perfect time and we would love to experience more of these bonus weekends. When we got to talking to strangers at the zoo, everyone was envious of our employer.
I was personally enriched by this weekend and I suspect I will live many more weeks of these experiences.
Veronika
