Longleat drive through safari in brand new Cali - unwise?

[thehorse]

Was thinking about visiting Longleat and staying in the campsite and wondered if anyone had any experience of the drive through safari.

Had the Cali less than a week and still in the overprotective mode, fretting whenever I park it anywhere other than my drive.

Will the monkeys be climbing all over it and rhinos use it as a scratching post? Wondering if I should wait until I've picked up a few scuffs and the kids have shed their bodily fluids everywhere and I've become a bit more laid back.

 

[WelshGas]

Was thinking about visiting Longleat and staying in the campsite and wondered if anyone had any experience of the drive through safari.

Had the Cali less than a week and still in the overprotective mode, fretting whenever I park it anywhere other than my drive.

Will the monkeys be climbing all over it and rhinos use it as a scratching post? Wondering if I should wait until I've picked up a few scuffs and the kids have shed their bodily fluids everywhere and I've become a bit more laid back.

Good campsite. Interesting animal noises at night.
I think you can skip the Monkey section or you could take the Safari Bus.

 

[Loz]

You can, and should, use the bypass for the monkeys but everything else it safe.

 

[GrannyJen]

As above. Longleat is quite safe, except on the roads getting there but that's a long story about a Range Rover on offroad magazine test, a tree and a truck supposed to be on-road but going off road.

 

[thehorse]

After spending the last 20 minutes watching YouTube videos of monkeys (and a lion) destrying cars at Longleat I'll definitely be giving the monkeys a miss. Even with the bubble wrap service I just found below

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...cunning-way-cheeky-monkeys-ripping-wipes.html

Though think that must have been an April fool?

 

[Fryers!]

We went through monkey enclosure with the Cali, the good thing about Longleat is the road is wide so you can get round without having to stop as you can overtake cars that pulled over. If you are going with kids you can't go to Longleat and not let them have a monkey looking at them through the window. We had about a dozen monkeys on our Cali at one point, no damage at all apart from a nibbled bike rack strap.

 

[Hotel California]

This asks for PICTURES ......!
We got a lot of monkey's IN a Cali on here but love to see monkey's ON a Cali....

 

[hirsty]

All down to personal attitude to risk, but the fact you're asking the question suggests you already know the answer!

I agree with @Loz it's just the monkeys that would be a problem, I had palpitations there in a previous family car, so I'd not be taking a brand new pride 'n joy anywhere near ... My daughter loved it though. We had a huge tiger casually stroll across the road forcing the cars to stop & brush against the front bumper to show us who was really the boss.

 

[Loz]

 

[steve and lisa]

No problem for us in monkey enclosure, its only really the windscreen wipers they seem to like but they soon run away when you put the washers on. If you have kids it is a must-do even if it means taking another car or paying the extra for the jungle bus

 

[Loz]

They really like rubber seals, perish the thought they damage the roof seal and you need to make a warranty claim for corrosion in the future..

+1 for the bus.

 

[thehorse]

Looks like the Lions can do some damage too!

 

[Verity]

On a trip to Windsor Safari Park in about 1974 the baboons ate the parking lights off our Ford Escort, much to the amusement of the people in the bus behind us, who took loads of pics and sent them to my dad!

 

[James H]

The gang of monkeys made short work of ripping off both front and back window seals of my Vauxhall Cavalier then sliding down the windscreen from the roof and starting on the wiper blades - thankfully the water put them off ! We got the impression it was great fun for THEM !

 

[WelshGas]

Try it with a Land Rover Defender with Roof Rack. Had to stop before the exit while the keepers De-Monkeyed the vehicle. No damage though.

 

[James H]

Try it with a Land Rover Defender with Roof Rack. Had to stop before the exit while the keepers De-Monkeyed the vehicle. No damage though.

You were very fortunate as they must have loved a roof rack !

 

[WelshGas]

You were very fortunate as they must have loved a roof rack !

Oh they did, and the children thought it was great.

We did make preparations. Removed the wipers and spare wheel cover. The Keepers even checked under the bonnet and crawled under the vehicle before they were happy to let us out.

 

[rich-s]

There is no way I would dream about taking any well loved vehicle through the monkey enclosure. 1/2 of it would be on the monkey's eBay page before you'd even left the compound.

 

[Borris]

By now those monkeys must have an encyclopaedic knowledge of dismantling every make of motor car. I wonder what they could they achieve with a good set of tools and a vehicle hoist? I've often wondered if they are running some form of mail order business.

I once took our chidren through the lion enclosure.... in our car I hasten to add. I had previously tied a supermarket carrier bag around the tow ball to stop me getting greasy marks on my trousers. This bag must have had the whiff of something tasty as the lions kept biting the tow hitch. It was quite alarming looking in the rear view mirror and seeing a huge male lion's face staring back at me and also feeling the car shaking as they gnawed away at the tow hitch.

 

[Cwoods1405]

I would NEVER take my Cali through the monkey enclosure. I watched them rip out the rear parking sensors and bite through the wires in a flash the last time I went through. You may be lucky but if not it's expensive!

 

[BagmanJim]

I wouldn't risk the monkey enclosure!☺

 

[BagmanJim]

I wouldn't risk the monkey enclosure, I never really relax leaving our Cali' in a car park!

 

[Loz]

By now those monkeys must have an encyclopaedic knowledge of dismantling every make of motor car. I wonder what they could they achieve with a good set of tools and a vehicle hoist?

Halfords Autocentres

 

[Dave bee]

Friends went this year, the monkeys took out their rear brake light (£100) and then popped out the parking sensors of the next car!!!

 

[thehorse]

I think it is safe to say based on the feedback on here I won't be taking the Cali through the monkey enclosure!