Parc Safari — Attraction in Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle

3.5 stars, but definitely not 4.

This is going to be a bit of a strange review. Largely because this place has some really good high points, but some seriously low points. For anyone who wants the short version, it's this: were it not for the Cool Box experience, my review would be scathing.

Firstly, we arrived on a July Wednesday at 10:30 AM. The line up to get in was brutal (which is so strange, because when we left on Thursday at the same time there was no entry lineup at all). The parking lot is a gong show and the parking spaces are so tiny that many people just take two.

Walking through the gates, the first impression is of a place that is dated and has been let go and the entry is eerily devoid of any life or excitement. Wander up a ways and there's a food court, per se, with only one functioning restaurant and an ice cream bar (which was out of order on day 2). Continue up the path and you pass some jungle gym play structures, some of which are barricaded and out of commission, on your way to the water park.

The water slides were okay for my 8 and 6 year old kids, but kids older than that would likely be bored. Follow the narrow path which is mixed with tube riders and clothed people trying to get to the zoo exhibits (total lack of planning there). When you arrive at the large cat enclosures it's not clear at all which route one should take, so you will inevitably end up either double back or skipping a section or two.

The lion exhibit is quite cool with the glass tunnel. And while the animals were lethargic in the mid-day heat, going back in the evening is well worth it to hear them call and to be there for feeding time. The rest of this section is mediocre at best, with not much variety of animals and no real sense of organization, so I won't elaborate.

The deer section is great for kids to be able to hand-feed the fawns, but get there early, as by the late afternoon, they're stuffed and bedded down.

Up to this point, I would have rated this place 2 stars max. But then we checked into our Cool Box, which is a well-designed living space built in a wide sea can - think tiny house bungalow - with lots of kids running around and playing in the adjacent field. What really changed the level of entertainment was the bird of prey show after dinner and an evening walk-through of the deer zone. Both were great fun.

The 10:30 curfew ensured that there were no late-night shenanigans that would have kept the kids up, so that was appreciated. In the morning of day 2, the pressure from staff to get you moving and checked out was annoying. Especially, since we ended up standing around waiting for the safari team to get ready and get their security staff deployed. They really need to improve this.

As for the safari itself, the vehicles were fine and the ability to see the animals fairly up-close made the time spent well worth it (but for the annoying wait to get started). Feeding the giraffe after was also a hit for the kids.

One pleasant surprise was the giftshop. The contents were pretty decent and the prices were far more reasonable than most giftshops I've been in (except for the stuffies, but they're always overpriced).

So, in summary, I would recommend this park with the Cool Box experience, but just barely. Without the Cool Box, I definitely would not.

Lastly, the fact that there is ZERO recycling in the entire park is an abomination. A place that draws in this many people and drives all that waste to landfill is, quite frankly, disgusting. While the place still has the feel of 1988, we are living in...

Yesterday I visited Parc Safari and overall I enjoyed it. I knew that they were still doing some construction and when I arrived they let me know that one of the zoo areas was closed due to construction. My plan was to do the car safari first and then visit all the animals and then go hang out at the water park to try out the slides. I actually really enjoyed the car safari and there were a lot of animals that came up and said hi to each car (to get snacks) which meant there was a little bit of a line but that was okay. I also enjoyed seeing the animals inside, though many of them were laying down due to the mid-day heat. The only recommendation in this area that I have is if the zoo could put up more signs naming all of the animals in each enclosure. Especially in the five continents area, there were often a lot more animals in each enclosure than just the one or two that were labeled. Then I moved on to the water park and this is the area where I was a little disappointed. When I arrived I had seen people walking near the slides and someone coming out of the big pool but I was focused on getting to the changing rooms and finding a seat in the shade first. First, there was no signage in the changing rooms about how to get a locker. So I found someone to ask and found out that you could rent one in the little store. I got a locker key and then I thought I would start with the lazy river to get a little wet before plunging in. After, I was getting ready to go on the slides when I saw some lifeguards shooing people out of the large pool. I went over to ask why and I was told that this pool and the slides were closed today due to an unexpected pump failure. Apparently they may have posted something about this on Instagram or Facebook but it wasn't on the web page. This was really disappointing because I had checked out the website before I left home, no one had said anything when I entered the park, there were no signs at the front gate or near the water park section, and none of the lifeguards had said anything up to this point until I asked. I was frustrated but I thought I'll go over to the wave pool for a few minutes before I leave. And there I found out that even though I had read all of the rules on the website, it didn't mention that glasses weren't allowed in the wave pool (unless they had a strong strap to hold them on). I hadn't brought one with me because it wasn't listed on the website and I didn't want to spend more money because I already felt like I wasted money on the locker that I barely used. Suffice to say I was a little frustrated by the time I headed out. I stopped at the customer service and thankfully there was a very kind lady named Caroline who sat with me and was able to calm me down and make me feel better so I was able to leave with a smile on my face and a hope that next time I come back everything would be open and I'd be better prepared for all rules. I also know next time to check out Facebook and Instagram, not just the website, for updates. Another thing that is not a rule, but I would have liked to know ahead of time, is that there's a fair bit of walking between the end of the lazy river and the pool areas - next time I will bring water shoes to avoid walking on the...

Filthy washrooms everywhere in an attraction where children are the main clients. You spend a minimum 200$ dollars per visit with a family of 2 adults and 3 small children, and you feel you are in an old, abandoned bus station if they need to go. I would not publish photos, of course, but you get the picture.

The installations are getting old, and the glass and plastic in many areas is dirty or full of mold, so you can not see well, including the lions glass tunnel, which is otherwise amazing.

Animals are dying, and others were affected by an old sickness. My 6yo is crazy about tigers, and you can imagine the drama when we discovered there were no tigers! What zoo this size doesn't have tigers? And apparently, the only one left was "put to sleep". No plans to have tigers anymore. Nobody tells you those things. A large jiraffe sticks out its tongue because he was sick, although it's supposedly recovered. Other animals look sick too.

The pass through the trail of the monkeys has to be done with oxygen mask (figurative speech) because of the strong smell, as cleanness is not the strong point here.

Safety is sometimes a personal concern, as in some areas, they request you keep your children's hand, because otherwise a small unattended and curious child could easily climb up and manage to fall into the enclosures of animals, although it's rather exceptional.

If they had told me prominently on their website that there were no tigers and that it was so dirty, I would probably go to Granby Zoo instead, which I think has more variety of animals. At Parc Safari, you won't see reptiles, crocodiles, gorillas, kangaroos, bats or, like I said, tigers, which you will be able to see in Granby Zoo.

That said, if you are not picky with cleanness, Parc Safari offers a more interesting and interactive experience to children, as they can feed lots of animals. They have a beautiful trail where deers will approach you and your children easily to be fed. Picnic areas in the entrance, a trail where you can pass with your car or onboard a bus if you prefer and feed many different species like camels and african livestock. They also have an aquatic park.

I don't think I will come back in the near future. Will give Granby a try first. Kudos for the children's experience... as long as Nature...