Lions

The big cats at Whipsnade Zoo are the real draw if you're camping in Hertfordshire - properly impressive once you're standing in front of a 400-pound male with his mane catching the afternoon light. The zoo itself sprawls across 600 acres of the Chiltern Hills just east of Dunstable, so you're not just watching lions from a viewing platform; you're walking through genuine countryside to find them.

For families, this is a full day out. Kids will spend hours on the open-air monorail if they've got the patience for queues, then hunting down the pride on foot. History buffs might find the zoo's conservation work interesting - they do proper breeding programmes for endangered species rather than just keeping animals for show. Walkers get something different too: you can ramble between enclosures and actually cover ground, unlike a traditional zoo where you're shuffling along a set path.

The lions are worth seeing, but I'd be honest - they're often lounging about rather than doing anything dramatic, especially on warm days. You'll need three to four hours minimum to do it properly, longer if you're the type who reads every information board. The zoo charges admission, so it's not cheap for a family, but if you're based at Merlin Farm Camping or Woodlands just down the road, it's a sensible way to use a holiday day. Go mid-morning before the crowds arrive and you've actually got a chance of a decent view.