Livingstone Lodge, the original and authentic overnight tented safari experience is officially the best tourism experience in England.

Livingstone Lodge, the overnight African safari experience located at Port Lympne Wild Animal Park in Kent has scooped a Gold award for the Best Tourism Experience in England at the VisitEngland Awards held on Tuesday 22nd May in Leicester.

Commenting on the award, James Beresford, VisitEngland’s Chief Executive said: ‘This year we received a record of 392 applications of extremely high quality. It is a tremendous achievement for Livingstone Lodge to win a gold award – the highest accolade for Excellence in Tourism which VisitEngland can bestow. They have raised the bar for excellence which others can aspire to. I warmly congratulate them.’

Judges were wowed by the experience, when they visited earlier in the year to assess the overnight safari experience for the prestigious VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2012. This is not the first honour bestowed on the unique safari experience - Livingstone Lodge was also awarded Gold for Best Tourism Experience in 2010.

Bob O’Connor, Managing Director of Howletts and Port Lympne said: ‘This award is absolutely fantastic. Not only is it a testament to the wonderful staff who work so hard to make the experience excellent for every guest but it also highlights how unique and original Livingstone Lodge is for visitors who have not yet stayed. With these awards guests can be assured of a truly outstanding and authentic African experience with us.’

Livingstone Lodge offers an authentic taste of Africa in Kent with safaris at dusk and the following morning, a mouth watering five course African meal cooked on the open fire pit accompanied by South African wines, ciders and beers. Guests enjoy a magical night under the stars in luxury tented accommodation with private balconies overlooking the African Experience – 100 acres of Kentish savannah where black rhino, giraffe, eland, zebra, ostrich and many more can be seen roaming freely as if on the plains of Africa.

Bob added: ‘Based on the outstanding success of Livingstone Lodge – the first of its kind in the Northern Hemisphere, we have launched two brand new short break options, Livingstone Cottage – A luxury rural retreat and Elephant Lodge – A family glamping experience with a wild twist. We are all looking for holidays with a difference and these short breaks provide something completely unique.’

For further information and to book a stay at Livingstone Lodge, Livingstone Cottage or Elephant Lodge please visit www.aspinallfoundation.org/shortbreaks