ZooParc de Beauval Camp for Ages 6-12

Three days of the stay are spent at the ZooParc de Beauval, ranked the first zoo in France and holding the widest range of animal species in the country. A guided visit turns into an investigation, and each child carries a Junior Zoologist notebook of games, quizzes and activities designed to introduce the animals of the park and the work of protecting them. A cable car — the only installation of its kind in a French zoo — carries the group from one end of the park to the other for a view of the animals and the surrounding countryside from above. Two shows are on the programme: one given by sea lions and one by birds of prey. The week also includes a half-day of riding at the Saint Cyran equestrian centre, in the outdoor arena or the indoor school, with groups formed by ability on ponies, larger ponies or horses.

It's a fixed all-in package per participant, and its own product page lists no paid options for it. The package covers travel from the chosen French departure city — train from Paris to Saint-Pierre-des-Corps and then a private coach to the centre — accommodation and meals at the centre, the zoo days and the other activities, and the supervising team. Insurance, assistance, repatriation and medical costs are covered in full, and telephone assistance is available around the clock. Identity card or passport, vaccination record and a health information form are required before departure.

Participants stay at the residential centre at Saint Cyran du Jambot in the Indre, a permanent building with a capacity of one hundred. Rooms sleep eight, with washrooms directly opposite the rooms.

Meals are taken at the centre and are part of the fixed package.

Alongside the zoo days and the half-day of riding, the team runs team sports, sessions in the heated indoor pool with its slide and jacuzzi, themed evening activities, board games and the end-of-stay party.

The centre is a permanent building in the Indre countryside with room for a hundred residents, multi-bed rooms with washrooms opposite, and grounds for team sports. A heated indoor swimming pool with a slide and a jacuzzi is available, and the Saint Cyran equestrian centre with its outdoor arena and indoor school is used for the riding half-day.

Groups are kept small — around twenty-four participants, with a minimum of twelve for the departure to run. The team is led by an experienced BAFD-qualified director, with one BAFA-qualified counsellor for every eight to ten young people and a welfare assistant holding first-aid certification. All staff are salaried on a French CEE contract, and the managers hold regular reviews with the team during the stay.