When I told my four-year-old we were going back to Knowsley Safari Park he had four words for me... "but not the baboons".
So this time, we opted for the safe route around the outside of the baboon enclosure and watched as the babies played with each other and learnt how to destroy the passing cars from the elders - it was quite wholesome actually. And it was healing for us as we felt we could finally laugh about last year's incident as we saw one of the baboons rip a windscreen wiper from a car and run away with it, probably to do a victory lap; thank goodness it wasn't us.
And of course, they still have all the existing rides. It is £12 for an unlimited rides wristband and some rides that need an adult, the adult rides free, which I thought was a great and reasonable deal and perfect for kids aged between four and nine. Height restrictions apply on the rides, but don't be fooled into thinking they are not thrilling, my husband was a bit white coming off the sky ride.
As well as learning our lesson from our last visit and not going into the baboon enclosure, we also took our own advice and arrived early went around the safari, enjoyed the rides, carnival and snacks, then went around the drive safari again. Knowsley is a great day out for the family and I am so glad it is on our doorstep.