la bourbansais

We thought we might be at a disadvantage visiting this zoo - we had no excited children in tow, we could not understand any of the no doubt interesting talks given by animal keepers about their charges and we are dedicated animal lovers sensitive to anything untoward in their care. But we were wrong because we absolutely loved our day at La Bourbansais. Not really in Dinan, but an easy drive and close to it, there was plenty of parking when we reached this shady and green zoo with its contented animals. Most had reasonable sized or large enclosures, all were awake (even the sloth!) and happily moving about on this warm day. And what an extraordinary assortment of animals there were from the large and ferocious lions to the small, docile, furred and feathered. As mentioned, talks were given at intervals during the day near a number of animals such as the monkeys and giraffes which people seemed engrossed in. The bird show was fun despite being on a mammoth grassed area. We visited the Chateau which caused us to miss most of the Horse and Hounds show and in hindsight, if I had to choose between the two again, I would choose the hounds as you visit a minimal amount of the Chateau. Children appeared to be having a wonderful time and the area containing the jumping castles a wonderful way to blow off steam at the end of the day. Food is available to buy or you could picnic if you wished. However, I believe there are no "pass out" tickets available so you would need to bring the picnic lunch in with you. Clean toilets also available. The whole zoo is fairly flat with formed pathways and completely suitable for prams and wheelchairs. This is a wonderful day out for young or old, with or without children and one of my ultimate absolute favourites after three weeks in Brittany. Don't miss it.

This is a nice place to spend a few hours wandering among the animal enclosures, watching the shows or looking around the chateau

We stumbled on this place by accident but glad we did. The grounds are superb, the zoo lovely, especially enclosure you can walk through with the monkeys. Paid to look at the chateau, which was expensive for the fleeting tour. Would go back again for the zoo.

This is a great place to visit. The animals all look extremely healthy and well cared for.There is also the Chateau which you can visit separately and although we did not visit this time we had previously and it is well worth the cost. There is an enclosed area that you can get up close and personal with tame Lemurs and other species. You could picnic in the park or visit their restaurants. There was also a mini fare going on with opportunities to buy shrubs and various garden items.There is also a fantastic Bird of Prey show and a hunting dog show. However take care to check the timing of the shows as these are not advertised outside the Park. We arrived in the morning only to discover that there were two shows of each in the afternoon but none in the mornings which was disappointing. We had seen the bird show on an earlier visit but we would have had to wait around for a further two hours to catch the first show. At almost 20 euros each to get in for the Zoo only, but if you get to see the shows well worth the money. We would visit again next time we are in the area.

Really lovely place. The zoo is excellent, the animals have good sized enclosures and seem to be really well cared for. We visited with our 2 young daughters and they loved it. There's lots to do, the zoo, the house, a maze, a bouncy castle, there is a display of the hunting dogs and falconry. Definitely worth a visit.

We visited the zoo with our 17 month old son earlier this week. We arrived as it opened (open 7 days a week) and the zoo was lovely and quiet. It was not cheap, but we thought the selection of animals was great and they are obviously well looked after. Our son loved it, especially the lemur enclosure where one came up to him and licked his hand! All in all, a fun 2 hours in beautiful surroundings, and we will no doubt visit again in the future.

Once in after paying a hefty entrance fee we went are to look at the animals. The staff who was doing talks on the animals knew some basic English which was helpful. Further round is a small-medium sized 'food area's there is located multiple tables and a kiosk selling drinks, ice lollies, sweets and other snacks. Things were not cheap there either! Further around the zoo there were a few bouncy castles and swings though one of them had a puncture.Here is where part of the wasp problem mentioned in the title is. I was stood drinking water when a massive wasp went under my hat and then stung me under the eye lid. When I explained to the first aid lady in French she replied it was 'regular' as she got out some wipes.So, be Carefull and be prepared to pay a small fortune. Go and enjoy it ;-)

Great zoo - far exceeded our expectations! The birds of prey demonstration was very good, we've never seen cranes used in a display before! The birds came so close one clipped my sons head with its wing - much to his delight! Lots of different animals - lions, giraffes, birds, monkeys, tigers and zebras are just some of what's to see. All the animals look happy and were all quite active. Don't miss the lemurs, fun and interactive - they climbed all over my son! We got reduced priced tickets from the tourist office in saint cast le guildo, saved about 6€ on a family of 4.

Awesome little Zoo, well kept and played out, the displays are really good including the hunting dog walkout and the bird of prey display which includes a balloon fly out. The Château is really nice and worth a visit but there are many around France so it might be a nice idea to leave it and visit one on another day as most are stunning.

Travelling with friends we spent a day at the zoo and found some areas of the zoo really good - the giraffes, tigers, some of the monkeys. Other areas looked rather neglected with weedy stretches of water and little wildlife in evidence. We did the chateau tour in english at 1530 and the interior is sadly not as impressive as the exterior and the english script somewhat limited. The definite high spot of the day was the first bird display at 1430 which was well organised and really enjoyable. We stayed for the second flying display but this was not quite as good ( a warm day and no doubt the birds do a limited amount of flying in a day) The catering was average but they do allow pick-nicks.

I had my reservations about visiting Zoological Parks in France and chose this one as the focus is on conservation I was pleased to find the animals appeared content and cared for and we enjoyed our afternoon. There is also a Chateau tour available unfortunately we didn't have time to do this. My rating would have been higher except for the catering facilities as there were no 'healthy' options available and we had to settle for a hotdog!! Next visit I'll take a picnic :0)

Fantastic family entertainment at this beautiful venue. Lovely gardens and zoological park, set in the the grounds of a charming French Chateau. Plenty of food outlets and very friendly staff. - all round a brilliant family day out.

I've been coming here on and off for 20 years, and it keeps getting better. The animals have always been well-cared for but many more are now in large, open enclosures. There is an excellent variety (especially primates), with plenty of opportunities to get very close. Greenery and a winding route add interest. A bonus is the various activities during the day. We saw the falconry display, much more close-up than would be usual in the UK, and well choreographed. One doesn't need to fully understand the French commentary to enjoy it. We also saw the pack of hounds - an impressive sight and very much part of French culture whatever one's views on hunting. All the timed activities (which are included in admission) start exactly on time.For a family visit, all this would suffice for a day or half-day visit (there are also several bouncy castles and a maize maze) and there is no need to pay for entry to the chateau too. Zoo admission also gives admission to the gardens which are worth a look.We took a picnic and topped up with treats from the cafes, which were efficient at lunchtime and understaffed in the afternoon. Prices were OK - plat du jour for 9 euro, formule for 13, bottles of coke 2.5 euro, crepes and waffles after 2.30 pm for about the same price. Although many visitors bring picnics, the cafe would be acceptable for lunch.

We've been a couple of times now about 3 years apart. Both times with small children. The zoo itself is very well done. I'm not normally too bothered about zoos but the chateau does it well, and the Lima sanctuary is a pleasure, just don't let them anywhere near your handbag. At the end of the walk there is a rather large playing field full of bouncy castles that both parents and children enjoy. The kids bouncing, the adults having a nice relaxing ice cream/cup of tea etc. A great day out.

The zoo is tightly laid out like a maze with many paths branching off. This adds to its attraction. It is reasonably stocked with animals or a regional zoo. Don't expect what you'd get in one of the capital city zoos.I went thinking all I would get was the zoo with a nice Chateau nearby that we would not bother with. However, I was pleasantly surprised to see many other attractions. Near the chateau there was a cafe area surrounded with with five or six free bouncy castles gave us some downtime. The grounds of the chateau are impressive and include a maize which wasn't great (not very high) but a good adventure for the two six year olds with me.I really There were a number of shows hunting birds and dogs but it was a really hot day and we ran out of steam.My tip would be to bring lunch and have your own picnic on the grounds as the cafe is pricey.