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one are the days when looking at birds meant shutting yourself away in a hide for hours on end.

At Slimbridge, you and the kids could hire a canoe and paddle around the wetland for a close encounter with the ducks, waders, water voles and other creatures that call this place home.

In fact, if you’re feeling adventurous, why not hire a coracle – an ancient type of boat which looks like an upside down dustbin lid – and cruise along the waterways just like they did here in pre-historic times?

On the other hand, if you prefer your water in a glass, you could always head to the café for a quick thirst quencher, before embarking on a private Land Rover safari – escorted by an expert guide of course.

Alternatively, if you’re after some good old-fashioned twitching then you won’t be disappointed; there are 16 hides dotted around Slimbridge’s three-square kilometres of pristine wetland. That should be enough to get a glimpse of the world’s largest collection of swans, geese and ducks.

And we haven’t even told you about the tropical hot houses or children’s play area yet…