The Reserve Chester Zoo: I stayed at the new luxury accommodation where giraffes and zebras roam on your doorstep

The Reserve at Chester Zoo is, well you can guess where it is from the name. But we had glorious moments during our stay which truly felt like we had been transported to a continent where big animals roam freely.

We spent two nights in the most luxurious accommodation, feasting on delicious food, sipping amazing cocktails with giraffes and zebras as our neighbours. This might sound a little bit too good to be true but the team at Chester Zoo have created a place to stay which is unlike anything else you can experience in the UK.

Imagine waking up to the sight of some of the world's most incredible animals on your doorstep. Sip your morning coffee on the balcony as they wander gracefully to find breakfast or take a closer look at who is staying next door tonight. This is what you'll find every day at The Reserve as well as a whole lot more exclusives that simply don't exist elsewhere. There is no more jostling for a good spot to see the glorious mammals, this is the ultimate spot for animal lovers who want it all.

Our first out-of-the ordinary delight was the Giraffe Keeper Kitchen. Here you go behind the scenes and get hands on helping to prepare the animals' breakfasts. It is different and delightful. Another Reserve exclusive is the Heart of Africa Safari which takes you into the zoo after-hours while everyone else is on their way home. You get a secret peek at some of the biggest animals - and some peeked right back at us, a bit surprised to see humans after the usual bedtime. There was no need when we visited mid-summer, but night vision goggles and infra-red torches will be available on darker nights. Talk about a great reason to go back in winter!

Kids love zoos and, as became clear from the tens of thousands of people at Chester Zoo on an August weekend, they aren't the only ones. Not everyone is comfortable with the idea of large animals being enclosed but the rangers are quite open and happy to discuss that. Times have changed in zoos.

This is a non-profit outfit where all the money goes to help conservation and wildlife across the globe. There are information boards throughout the zoo explaining the importance of their work and rangers are very happy to go into detail if you have questions. The charity arm reaches throughout Africa and beyond, arguably that has never been more important than at a time when one million species are at real risk of extinction. The facts and figures are heart-breaking, with many more wonderful animals likely to disappear completely in our lifetimes.

The driving force behind this huge new initiative is that each stay directly supports Chester Zoo’s charitable mission of preventing extinction. Guests visiting The Reserve are expected to spend more than £10m a year. It isn't a cheap weekend away but you won't find anything like it anywhere else.

Of course, in the country's biggest zoo you will find lions, tigers, rhinos, leopards and flamingos. You can wind your way wistfully on the lazy river and see even more animals from different angles. You are never guaranteed to see everything because each creature has its own private spaces, away from human eyes, for their well being but we saw everything on our wishlist and far more. From bats and snakes to meerkats and red bottomed monkeys, there is a lot to discover.

Bosses are keen to make sure guests understand that the project aims to secure long-term funding so they can deliver lasting conservation impact for generations. If you want to know more, another of the exclusive offerings for Reserve guests is Conservation in Action. You get to head into the 'lab' to find out about the live conservation projects, experiments, and breeding work. There's even a chance to don lab gear and get hands-on, helping the science and vet teams with essential sample collections.

The accommodation is very much in keeping with the wild theme. Each of the 51 luxury lodges at The Reserve have been crafted using natural and sustainable materials, creating a one-of-a-kind safari lodge feel. Our balcony looked out onto the water with a picturesque view that will improve year on year as the resort establishes itself within nature. It all feels just right and staff are keen to make sure it stays that way. Everything is top quality and the huge smiles on guests' faces showed that they are hitting the mark before even opening.

You can eat either indoors or out in the restaurant and the furniture is created around huge, wooden tables which tell tales of quality workmanship and designing alongside nature rather than against it.

The full English breakfast served with crusty, sourdough toast and proper butter is delicious but it is the buffet part of the morning offerings that really brought smiles to the family's faces. While some opted for the fresh fruit salads and yoghurts, others struggled to tear themselves away from the wonderfully fresh croissants and doughnuts. Doughnuts for breakfast and giraffe spotting before - the kids were starting to wonder if they had died and gone to heaven.

Everything is cooked to a high standard and served beautifully. My recommendation would be to try the seafood, although the sharing steak platter for two would take some beating.

One of our surprise highlights were the Campfire Stories. The animals at Chester Zoo are brilliant, but it is the Rangers who pull the whole adventure together and leave you wanting to stay longer. They have time for every query, a quip for every comment and a welcome so warm it feels as if they have the best jobs in the world.

The sun was setting as we sat between the fire and the lake, enchanted by the magical enthusiasm of the Rangers and their tales. Our littlest laid her head on my knee and breathed a deep sigh of contentment just as a group of swallows flew overhead ... weirdly, in perfect timing to the story.

'Let's go and see it all again tomorrow,' she said as she fell asleep. Our weekend at The Reserve will live a long time in the dreams of the children, even though their school friends might find it hard to believe that they really did have giraffes and zebras as their next door neighbours.