Zoo de Cerza — Attraction in Lisieux

Cerza is a fantastic zoo. Excellent day out for children and adults with so many animals which are kept in large enclosures. The animals look well looked after and have lots of space to roam and climb. The zoo takes a whole day to explore with two circuits (yellow and red). One should be taken in the morning, and the other in the afternoon with no particular recommendation. The boardwalk and path circuits are buggy friendly and there are no steps along the way, some doors/gates are harder to manoeuvre. The circuit is however very hilly and some of the terrain could get muddy when wet. Toilets in the zoo could be better as they look a bit grubby and have no toilet seats. Baby changing facilities could be improved also and not just placed in women's toilet. A lunchtime pitstop can be taken in one of the restaurants at the reception area or if you get hungry along the way or need a break, there are cafés serving sandwiches, croque monsieurs, paninis mid-circuit (one overlooks the zebra enclosure, open in the summer season). Restaurants are Baobab with views of the Giraffe and African Rhino enclosure offering pizza, burger, nuggets, chips etc. and Pagode with views of the Asian rhino, camels and monkeys offering a 3 course sit down meal and buffet. You can bring a picnic but it has to be eaten in the picnic area situated near the car park and not within the park. The zoo offers a safari train which runs very regularly, queues are busiest in the afternoon so recommend taking the train first thing on arrival if possible. No...

Arrived at Cerza around 10am. Paid on the gate then got straight in and parked. Unusually, the ticket guard was on the right, so I never had to get out of my British car to pay! Makes a lovely change!!

Worked our way around the red route, then headed for lunch in the restaurant near the entrance. Gorgeous pizza, perfect fries, and an exceptional view overlooking the giraffes and rhinos!! After lunch we headed for the train. So glad we did, as this is the only way to get a good view of the zebras - one of my favourite animals!! Not only is the view decent, but you're in the enclosure with them!!!

After the train, we completed the yellow route, taking a couple of hours. Both routes could be faster, but we wanted to enjoy the views! The animals that you can see are breathtaking! They have so much room, and I loved that they're in mixed enclosures!!!

If we return to France, we'll certainly be returning to Cerza. An incredible day!! Key highlights were the baby pygmy goats that we could stroke, and the giraffes that we could be up close with, along with the lion settling down and roaring right in front of...

Avoid La Pagode. Does this sound like a €12 burger? Two digestive biscuit-size burgers thrown in between some salad in a floured bap does not make a burger. Add to that our request (en Français) for just chips with an fried egg, for our veggie 5 year old daughter, that was met with a surely 'non', and you have the makings of a grim dinning experience. If that weren't enough waiting 25 minutes to order and asking three different serving staff we'd like to order, but we weren't in their serving jurisdiction all meant the rest of the park had to be over and above what we were expecting. Once ordered (after the three tables of people who had all arrived after us – surely it could be because we were British?) the food arrived swiftly. Luckily the park is great, really good, lots of space for the animals, and it's possible to get really close to some of the more friendly creatures.

Do as the French did, take a picnic and avoid the overcrowded lacklustre food places and inattentive service, and just enjoy the animals.

A fantastic park, that was badly let down by its ...