Monkey World

I am a massive monkey fan is this place was a must-​see for me! My friend had arranged a private tour and that was definitely worth it! Our guide walked around with us for an hour and half and went at a pace that suited us. He really helped us understand the work that is involved in the site and told us stories about most of the apes. The weather was wonderful, so that really helped as the animals were out and about and happy. You can see them sat inside, but I think if it had been a rainy day our experience might have been different. There was plenty of space for people to take in their own picnic and also climbing area for the children. We only stopped for an icecream, but there was a café onsite. The shop was great — I had to restrain my self;) I only came away with a few things;)
We spent 4 and half hours there in total which was about right I think, but you can ofcourse walk round much more quickly.
Try and time your route so that you can hear the keeper talks:)

Wer in Südengland unterwegs ist, sollte nach Möglichkeit einen Abstecher zur Monkey World machen. Kein klassischer Zoo, sondern ein riesiges Areal mit großen Gehegen. So groß, dass man einige Arten gar nicht oder nur aus einiger Entfernung zu Gesicht bekommt. Andere Affen sind dagegen sehr neugierig und können fast wie in freier Wildbahn bewundert werden. An Arten ist so ziemlich alles vertreten: Orang-​Utans, Gorillas, Kattas, Brüllaffen, allerlei Makaken usw. Der Ansatz hinter diesem Rescue Center ist unterstützenswert: viele Affen wurden aus Laboren oder aus privater katastrophaler Unterbringung freigekauft. Im Rescue Center werden sie wieder hochgepäppelt und umsorgt. Je nach Art können die Affen in kleinen oder großen Verbänden leben und wieder zu einem artgerechten Leben zurück finden. Auch steht das Rescue Center weltweit mit anderen Einrichtungen dieser Art in Verbindung. All diese Fakten sollten einen nun nicht mehr von einem Besuch abhalten der auf den ersten Blick recht hohe Eintrittspreis ist absolut gerechtfertigt!

The rescue centre is really easy to find as it’s well signposted. Cost us £34 for a family ticket.
All the primates looked so happy and lively, jumping around, eating, playing, making everyone laugh and smile. So different to a zoo! We were fascinated by the chimps, could have watched them for hours.
Some of the abuse and neglect they encountered is shocking, we are so glad they were rescued and brought to such a fantastic place.
The kids also enjoyed the play areas there, we liked the long rope swing in the great ape play area! The Treetops café sold the usual types of food, there was a small soft play area in there so that kept my youngest amused whilst waiting for lunch.
It was very clean and kept and we had a great day out here.

We had a great time here, good value on a family ticket and my eldest at 3 was in her element and would gladly have been left behind!!!
Great play areas as well for kids of all ages.
Food can be bought but is typically expensive (3.50 a hotdog, 3.25 a sandwich Oct 11) but plenty of places to sit and eat your own if your organised enough to bring anything!

Great place out for all the family. This has to be one of the most enjoyable days I have spent as a family. There is plenty to see and do. Well priced too.

This was a really cool family day out. I took my three sons aged 10, 8 and 2 and they all really enjoyed the day.
It was bank holiday Monday but didn’t feel too busy or overflowing with people.
The monkeys are interesting to watch and captured the attention of all of the kids. There was enough variety to keep you hooked in.
The play areas where also great fun. The larger of the two is really aimed at children over the age of 8 so it might not be worth the walk if you have little ones although the other two smaller play areas where cool for our two year old.
We did have good weather it might not be so much fun in the rain as there is nothing under cover and I imagine the monkeys aren’t too keen on the freezing rain either.
Worth a visit in good weather.

Monkey World is a great day out. These people do a fantastic job looking after these wonderful creatures. We stood looking at one of the enclosures for 1.5 hours just watching the antics of the young chimps. We didn’t know where the time went. Plenty of parking available. I recommend watching some of the Monkey world TV shows on Sky to get to know some of the characters before you go.

My son loved visiting this place. It’s a big walk for a three year old, so bring the pushchair. He particularly loved the gorillas, who were on good form on the day we visited — there was a little baby one that came really close to the glass and pressed his nose up against my son’s! Lotso f little things for the kids to be amused by on the way round, and lots of good work going on int eh sanctuary — they rescue abused monkeys and former medical research monkeys too. When we were there they were just rehabilitating a bunch of monkeys who had been rescued from a lab in South America — they have to take their time puttin gthem in large cages as the monkeys get scared, having never been outside before.
There are lots of great facilities so you can make a day of it, good restaurants and of course a shop FULL of cuddly monkeys — who could resist?

Ive been to this park 5 times now and each time i wowed by the animals. the monkeys have the most amazing homes and are really loved and well looked after. As you walk around the park you can read the history of each monkey, some of these little fellas have had horrible lifes before coming to a caring home.
Theres hot and cold food served, put also picnic areas. Also massive play ground for your little monkeys to play and let of steam.
The last time i went a mother orangutan brought her baby to the glass of one of the windows. i held my hand to the glass and she put her hand up to. then she seemed to offer me a look at her baby, i was in tears. an experiance i will never forget.
R.I.P Jim Cronin founder of monkey world.

A fantastic day, most certainly worth the long drive. We were on holiday and had our dogs with us so therefore needed to find a boarding kennels for the day near Monkey world but were not successful thou we email many of them months in advance. We took a chance not knowing the area or car park set-​up but still arrived and announced to the staff we had our dogs. Even thou they do not offer boarding facilities they already had a few visitors that day who also had dogs and we were told to park under some trees in the fields what are used as the car parking area. The staff took our mobile numbers and checked on the dogs on a regular basis.
The day in the park was to our expectations and was well organised. The entrance fee was reasonable and food and drinks inside were not over the top.
In general a great day by all.

Another great day out for adults and children. Located in picturesque Dorset this conservation project set in acres of land provide a wonderful home for a variety of primates, such as chimps, orang otans, lemurs etc. Far from being a zoo where animals are in cramped living spaces with nothing to do all day, these enclosures are filled with immense climbing frames, ropes, ponds, trees and alike and the animals look at ease in their surroundings. You will see plenty of monkeys up close, but have a good zoom on your camera for some of the more shy species. Best time was had in the lemur section where they run around you and in the trees up close and personal. At the end, adopt an animal and receive photos of your new found friend and get free admission for a year. You’ll want to return!

Monkeyworld is a fantastic day out, but be prepared to spend a full day there as there is lots to see.
Monkeyworld rescues orphaned and abused primates and gives them a new, kinder home where they can try to relearn what it is to be a monkey or ape.
If you have watched any of the Money Business series on tv then it is likely that you will already know some of the characters, like Sally the foster mum chimpanzee and Ro-​ro the Orangutan.
This is a fantastic day out and your admission fee will help the continuing work at Monkey World so it’s win win.

We have visited monkey world several times, it is one of our favourite days out. It is mainly a monkey sanctuary, a lot of the inmates have been rescued from nasty fates such as being used as photographers muses and from owners who had ill treated them. Some had even become addicted to drugs which had been given to them to make them more compliant. The marmosets are the cutest monkeys they are small and fluffy and come up close to the glass to have a good look at you.

This is an amazing place to visit, young and old will love it and you’ll need to give it a full day as theres so much to see!
We’ve watched the tv programme where the owners rescue monkeys and apes from accross the world and bring them back to live in sanctuary. Which is most definately a very worth while cause. Any profits made at the centre are used to help the animals that live here and that they save.
So after seeing the wonderful work they do and having a camping holiday in that neck of the woods, we couldn’t resist a trip.
Im glad I have a digital camera as its a photographers dream to capture all these beautiful animals.
I’d definately go back. My family and I had a fantastic day and its a day out not to be missed.

Monkey World is a great place to visit especially with children. The place is a sanctuary for monkeys when they are rescued and they are given a good home here. The entrance money is well worth paying as you know you are doing your bit for the cause.
I find the park to be well laid out and you are given a map to follow when you go in. The monkeys will keep you entertained for hours as you wander round the park.
There is plenty of free parking available on site and the campus is signposted well from major routes.

I love this place and visit several times a year. My son adopted a chimp for me for my birthday (Ash) so I always pop in when passing just to check her out. When I am not in Dorset I can see her regularly on the tv programmes which have been filmed at the park. Well done to all the staff for their dedication and love of the animals.

Back in February 2006 we took our niece and nephews to Monkey World for a day trip.
They absolutely loved it, and so did we. The enclosures are large, airy and the monkeys obviously comfortable, and it was entertaining to see how some of them interacted and ‘played’ with their human audience.
The adventure playgrounds were great — though I could have done without clambering all over them to rescue stranded sprogs!
A great day out, even on a cold winter day as when we went. Great for adults and kids alike — and you’re also being a good person, supporting conservation worldwide.

A wonderful, inspiring and simply brilliant place to visit as an individual, couple or to take the children to. A great place to teach kids or anyone about the frighteningly common mistreatment of monkeys and apes world wide as well as domestically! This place is an amazing monkey sanctuary. Full of all kinds of monkey’s and ape’s which have been rescued from the hands of an individual or company which seriously abuse or mistreat these animals. There’s not much you can say to justify how wonderful it is to visit and what incredible passion and positive determination it would have taken for Jim Cronin R.I.P to get this place up and running. What a legacy to have left behind just don’t travel from london by train when there are engineering works — it’ll take 3 times as long!