Families staying at The Westcliff hotel can view the Johannesburg Zoo from the hotel’s lofty, cliffside location or just “cross the road” to the zoo itself for specialised tours where visitors can learn about the history of the zoo, how it was donated to the people of Johannesburg in 1904 and why its animal collection is so unique.
The Behind the Scenes tour allows guests to get up close and personal with the animals, visiting the zoo kitchens and accompanying staff to feed the animals. It also includes visits to the zoo hospital and the animal “night rooms”- areas protected from the elements where the animals can relax, sleep or hide.
Guests can also bring a picnic basket and a torch and embark on a Night Tour, where they will learn about the lives of nocturnal animals while encountering a variety of interesting creatures from crocodiles to civets, honey badgers to hippos and many more. Afterwards, guests can enjoy a picnic, toasting marshmallows around a roaring bonfire.
The Westcliff’s concierge desk can make bookings for any of the tours on offer and can also arrange picnic baskets for guests.
