Safari Garden Centre review, The Willows (Pretoria East)

Credit: Luschka van Onselen

Thank you again to Luschka van Onselen for this, her latest contribution to Plebs with Kids - keep 'em coming!

I'm not sure if it's all over South Africa, or just in Pretoria, but Garden Centres are glorified playgrounds that sell a few garden essentials on the side. 

Honestly, I've seen garden centres all over the world, and none of them hold a candle to the ones here, and in the garden centre league, Safari is my personal first place title holder.

Location and Setting

On Lynwood Road, Pretoria, Safari Garden Centre lies on the T-Junction of Lynnwood and Rubida Street, The Willows (Pretoria East) and it is pretty impossible to miss.

From the road it looks like your average garden centre. 

Parking is plentiful, free, and there's a car guard on duty.

You can find directions here.

For the kids....

Credit: Luschka van Onselen

Walk through the garden centre and you're faced with a world you didn't know was there from the road. Passing by all the plant centre things, you find a wonderland for children.

There are pony rides and a train ride on weekends and public holidays.

There's a jumping castle, and a walk in aviary / animal farm, which houses bot belly pigs, chickens, rabbits, a few goats and more varieties of farm birds.

There are also marmoset monkeys, dwarf mountain goats and rabbits.

In the centre of all this is a playground with slides and climb frames. Really, its a child's paradise.

There are also many water features, water falls, fish and a rickety looking bridge over the water, something my daughter was fascinated by.

There are ride-on machines and a large elephant for looking at, and there's plenty of opportunity for walking around, exploring and playing imaginative games.

Credit: www.safarigardencentre.com

For the adults...

There are different 'plant' sections – rose, cacti, herbs, herbaceous and indoor are only a few- and a water feature area with everything from little fountains to a roaring waterfall. 

There are also plenty of opportunities to walk around daydreaming about your ideal garden.

The key to any good child's place for me, is a decent cup of coffee, and the restaurant here serves that, no doubt. There's a full restaurant, a bar, a chapel and various function rooms.  

Outdoors there's a function area with a huge bonfire. The restaurant also stretches all the way to the play area, so you can keep an eye on the children while enjoying lunch or a drink.

Anything else?

Although the Safari Garden Centre is open till 17.30, the aviary is locked around 16.30, and the restaurant stops serving around the same time.

There is no entrance fee for any part of Safari, and only the rides and ride-on toys will cost you any money – and of course anything you purchase from the restaurant.

Credit: www.safarigardencentre.com

Final thoughts

The Safari Garden Centre is a free, fun-filled afternoon. There is so much to see that it caters for all ages, and it's hard to believe that beyond the King Kong - like walls, there's a whole bustling city.  

It's one of my favourite places in Pretoria, and I strongly recommend it for a visit.

Contact information

Telephone:

012 807-0009

Fax:

0866 800 772

Physical Address:

Credit: www.safarigardencentre.com

C/o Lynnwood Road and Rubida Street

The Willows

Pretoria East

Business Hours:

Monday to Saturday: 08:00 - 17:30

Sunday and Public Holidays: 09:00 - 17:30

Email:

info@safarigardencentre.com

Website:
http://www.safarigardencentre.com

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Papachinos, Silverlakes (Pretoria)

First off, thanks to Luschka van Onselen for contributing this article to Plebs with Kids :)

...and now, onto the review!

Papachinos is a restaurant, but it is one of the most child-friendly places I've come across.

Need to sit and work, but have your child with you? Try Papachinos. 

Need to have lunch with a friend? Try Papachinos.

Need some time out and want someone else to take care of the little one for you? Papachinos.

Date Last Visited

March 2011

Location and Setting

Near Lynnwood Road or Hans Strydom Road, in the Silverlakes area, Papachinos is attached to the big 'Seven' building, nestled nicely on the cool side of the building.

The physical address is: Cnr Silverlakes and Graham Rd, Silver Lakes, Gauteng 0054, South Africa
There's a map here.

For the kids...

 

There's a good sized, covered outdoor area, with a large-ish play area/climb frame with six slides of different sizes, heights and configurations, steps, a tunnel and a turret. It's partially shaded too – a big plus for me in the scorching summer sun.

What differentiates this from your standard Wimpy is that there are staff on duty specially there to entertain and play with the children while you can still keep a watchful eye, your kids can see you and yet you can get on with what you're there to do.

There's also a gorgeous stone-baked pizza oven, and a child-height counter where little ones can create their own pizza with help from the staff on duty. A dash of flour on the table, a pre-rolled circle of pizza dough and children can 'roll out' their pizza crust, and add the topping of their choice. 

In the oven and a few minutes later, lunch is served – food and activity for just R28. A bargain in my mind.

For the adults...

Ah! For me, it's all about the coffee. 

South Africa is the only place I've been where you can ask for a cappuccino with cream, so that's what I indulge in when I'm here, and Papachino's do a good one. 

Lunch in a shaded area with a cool breeze, lovely music and a relaxed Mediterranean atmosphere, and someone to look after my child under my supervision – well, let's just say you wouldn't be reading this if it weren't for Papachinos.

That's right – I'm sitting here right now, sipping on my creamy coffee and watching a member of staff slide down the slides with my little girl, who is loving it.

Anything else?

Yes! The bathrooms! They are beautiful, and there's a baby change (and a very cute toddler potty) and plenty of room. The internal décor is very Mediterranean, with (admittedly fake) grapes hanging from the trellises.  

The food is great, and well priced, considering your location and everything you're getting for it. 

My cappuccino was R14.95, my calamari starter – I didn't need a main after it,  was a very generous portion for R48.95.

Final words

 

Well, I think my thoughts on Papachinos are pretty self-evident. I think it's great and I wish there were more dotted around Pretoria.  In fact, if they moved one into my garden that would be fine with me too. 

Getting in touch

Telephone:

012 809 3539

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Lory Park Zoo, Midrand (JHB)

Kids love animals.

You just need to mention the word “lion” or “tiger” and their little eyes light up with glee and anticipation
We have already reviewed the JHB Zoo, and of course it scores well as an outing for the little ones.

You can only do the JHB Zoo so many times though, before other animal-themed options need to be found.
Lory Park Zoo then, presents a refreshing alternative if it’s animals that you want to see.

Date last visited

January 2011

Location and Setting

If it's JHB and Pretoria that you are considering, then Midrand is about as central as you can get.

...Meditation time...

Lory Park Zoo is situated at 180/1 Kruger Road, President Park, Midrand, in and among other agricultural holdings.
It sits almost directly underneath the flight path of small aircraft departing from and arriving at Grand Central Airport, so if you are an avid aviation-type person, this would be an added bonus for you...
...and when the kids get bored of the animals, just look up at the sky and point out the aircraft as they fly by :)

Directions can be found on their website at www.lorypark.co.za.


For the kids...

It's a zoo - nuff sed :)
Ok that's not entirely true - Lory Park has a selection of some unique and fascinating animals, and the layout of the walkways and cages allows you to get up close and personal with some serious players in the animal world.

This allows for some awesome photo opportunities, and at times you forget yourself as you stand motionless, admiring the incredible sight of a Siberian Tiger as it paces back and forth only one or two metres in front of you... better hope that mesh in between you is made of sturdy stuff!

Lory Park is a sanctuary and a haven for many animals, including big cats (tigers, cheetahs, lions, jaguars, leopards, pumas), small cats (caracals, ocelots, servals), canines (foxes, jackals), primates (lemurs, monkeys), tortoises and birds (parrots, birds of prey).

Speaking of birds of prey, you can also get up close and personal with owls in their enclosure - you don a leather glove and head on in.
Lift up your arm and they just flock in to grab some grub off you. Drop your arm again and they're gone.
Very cool!

This is SO the life...

For the adults...

Growing older doesn't mean that you have to lose your appreciation for nature - and thank heavens for that, because the animals at Lory Park Zoo are as much a treat for the adults as they are for the kids.

As I mentioned above, Lory Park is a sanctuary for many animals, some of them on their way to larger facilities or different habitats.
That means that you are likely to see different animals on subsequent visits, which is always a good thing.
For example, the super-cute tiger cubs in the photo below were at the zoo during our visit in 2008, but are no longer there now (or they are just a whole lot larger :).

There is also a small Tea Garden at the zoo, but when we were there they were only functioning as a kiosk where you could get a colddrink, a chocolate or some chips etc.
According to the menu on their website though, they do offer a light meal or refreshment in between your fix of wildlife.

Anything else?

Depending on the timing of your visit, you can see the cats getting bottle-fed or as in the photo below, getting treated to a dose of fly-repellent :).
For R50 extra you can also go into some of the enclosures (cubs only, of course), for a hands-on experience with these incredible creatures.

Lory Park Zoo also offers other services like bird food sales, bird wing and nail clipping, bird lodging etc.
Best to contact them directly for any queries along these lines.






Final words

There isn't really much else to be said, that quite describes seeing big cats so close up.

For example, there is a jaguar at the zoo who was rather reclusive during our visit.
I always thought jaguars were pure black, but there is in fact a subtle yet discernible pattern on their skin that is visible from certain angles.
I am no game ranger (I run away from small spiders), so I do not know if all jaguars have this characteristic, but it was something quite fascinating to see.

For a refreshing animal-themed outing, Lory Park Zoo delivers a unique and memorable experience, and you will leave wanting to come back again soon.


Getting in touch

Telephone:

011 315 7307

Email:

curator@lorypark.co.za

Website:
http://www.lorypark.co.za

Fax:
011 312 2364

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