Safaripark Beekse Bergen

Beekse Bergen is the biggest wildlife park in the Netherlands and it is built around movement. You drive through the enclosures in your own car at walking pace, or take the bus safari with a commentary, or the boat that runs along the water edge, or walk a circuit through the sections where that is safe. The animals are mainly African, kept in mixed groups in paddocks large enough that they are frequently at a distance rather than at the fence. A holiday resort sits alongside, with lodges looking directly onto some of the enclosures, and a separate play park next door. It is a full day out aimed at families rather than a quick stop on the way somewhere.

History

The park opened in 1968 as the Lion Park Beekse Bergen, where visitors watched lions from their cars, an idea so new in the Netherlands that it was a great success; two years later leopards and baboons were added, followed within four years by zebras, giraffes and an elephant (Wikipedia, Safaripark Beekse Bergen).

What to look for

• The car safari - driving your own vehicle slowly through mixed paddocks of African species.
• The boat safari - a water route along the edge of several enclosures, with animals coming down to drink.
• The walking safari - a circuit on foot through the sections where visitors can be let out.
• The bus safari - a guided round with commentary through areas closed to private cars.

When to go

April to October, with animals most active in the cooler hours at either end of the day. Arriving at opening avoids the worst of the car queues at the safari entrance. Summer weekends and Dutch school holidays are the busiest by a wide margin. Winter opening is reduced and many animals are indoors.

Good to know

In summer the car safari becomes a slow queue of vehicles, and at midday most animals lie in the shade at the back of the paddock. The boat and bus safaris cost extra on top of admission, and parking is charged again. Distances are long and the circuit takes hours. The adjoining resort and play park make the whole thing feel more commercial than wild.

Nearby

Tilburg and Den Bosch are both close, with the Brabant drift sand dunes a short drive north.

Key facts