In La Flèche, in Sarthe, a night transforms into an enchanted interlude thanks to the new lodges placed on the outskirts of a vast African plain. At dusk, the giraffes glide silently past your terrace, offering a graceful ballet that prolongs the moment until the first light of day. Between a total immersion in the heart of wildlife and high-end comfort, the Zoo de La Flèche promises a rare experience, where one can even savor breakfast in front of these slender silhouettes.
Want an escape that evokes “wow” sounds as long as a giraffe’s neck? At the Zoo de La Flèche in Sarthe, a handful of giraffe lodges promise you a timeless night: sunset over a reconstituted African savanna, crowned heads speckled with spots greeting you in the morning, dinner in jars to savor facing the plain, and for the curious, a keeper for a day experience that takes you to the other side of the barrier. High-end comfort, total immersion, and animal anecdotes to recount for years.
At the entrance, a laterite-colored roundabout, named after the naturalist Jacques Bouillault, sets the scene: here, nature regains its voice. On nearly 18 hectares, no less than 1,500 animals and 160 species compose a true living tableau. Founded in 1946, the site attracted over 315,000 visitors in 2024, making the Zoo de La Flèche one of the three most visited places in the Pays de la Loire. The parks have changed, their mission too: conservation, care, education… and guaranteed strong emotions.
The Sarthe savanna, XXL decor for giant necks
The 3-hectare African plain
In front of the lodges, a plain of 3 hectares stretches out, looking like a dream of Africa. Twenty-five animals coexist there: giraffes of course, but also flamboyant zebras, graceful impalas, ostriches with their unmissable sway, gemsboks, and other antelope. The evening light transforms every movement into a cinematic scene.
The spotted stars
Uzul, Dioni, Nyala, June… The giraffes approach, curious, with soft footsteps. These peaceful giants consume nearly 60 kg of vegetation and drink around 35 liters of water per day—enough to justify their long ruminating pauses. Behind the glass window or from the terrace, one meets their inscrutable gazes: the moment is suspended, almost unreal.
Your lodge: chic cocoon at the front row
Since 2013, the zoo has been rolling out a concept of high-end safari lodges. Accommodations already overlook wolves and white tigers, as well as lions, cheetahs, polar bears, Sumatran tigers, and lemurs. In June 2025, eight brand new giraffe lodges joined the collection, bringing the total number of immersive shelters to 28.
Space and materials
Inside: 60 m² of elegance for up to six people, with a king-size bed and two double beds. Wood, stone, and natural tones make up a warm decor; a few graphic patterns, a mustard yellow curtain, a fluffy armchair, and a solid wood coffee table add a cozy touch. Regarding amenities: television, microwave, capsule coffee machine, tea assortment, hairdryer… nothing is missing.
Panoramic views
The living room opens onto a terrace where the show unfolds slowly. From the master bedroom, one can see the plain, and a second bedroom offers a huge window: your spotted neighbors stroll within view. It is not uncommon to see zebras trot by, reminding us that the savanna has a rhythm.
When the door closes, the immersion begins
At 8 p.m., the lodge doors close: it’s time for full immersion. The silence fills with rustlings, the sky turns pink, and the necks are outlined like calligraphies. Around 9 p.m., the giraffes return to safety for the night, before heading back to the plain by 8 a.m.. Between these two times, your refuge becomes a privileged observatory, like a chapter of a logbook written with nature.
Jar dinner, breakfast at the rise of the necks
The adventurous menu
Upon arrival, dinner awaits you chilled, presented in grandmother-style jars. You heat it in the microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds and savor it in front of the plain: ricotta-spinach ravioli, vegetable medley with carrots, zucchini, and confit new potatoes, followed by panna cotta and red fruit coulis. Drinks available (juice, water, coffee, tea). Optionally, the “Cheers Adult” package (from €39 for two) combines two artisanal beers from the zoo and a generous apéritif platter.
Gourmet morning
Early in the morning, there’s a knock at the door: a wicker basket filled with artisan pastries, yogurts, jams, spread… A savory option (€10 per person) adds scrambled eggs, grissini, cold cuts, smoked salmon, and cheeses. Everything is ready for a tête-à-tête with the giraffes at dawn.
Put on the keeper for a day outfit
The “keeper for a day” experience takes you behind the scenes for 3 hours and 30 minutes (€155 for 8–14 year olds; €195 for 15 years and older). It is not included in the lodge price, but residents benefit from a 30% discount. You choose two sectors from primates, carnivores, herbivores, or birds, put on the “keeper for a day” T-shirt, and, in a small group (maximum six people), follow the caretaker—let’s say Claire, a great storyteller of animal tales.
Privileged encounters
In a little cart, we glide along the paths like in an immobile dream. Stop by the lemurs, greet Bys, the Indian rhinoceros taking his shower, meet a 20 kg tortoise entrusted by customs, and have a brushing session with a philosophical tapir. For giraffes, a “tamer” — a corridor equipped with cushions imported from the USA — allows them to receive care without anesthesia, a device supported by veterinarian Cyril Hue and still rare in France.
The animals’ cuisine
In the workshop, we prepare nearly 160 bowls for the day: carrots, avocados, endives… Some come from unsold items at supermarkets. We chop, weigh, chat with caregivers who tell stories about the park, and leave with a small diploma souvenir. It’s practical, instructive, and fiercely addictive.
Tips for a successful interlude
To enjoy the giraffes, settle down at the lookout before 9 p.m.; they return by 8 a.m.. The site is vast: allow time to explore and don’t miss the educational activities from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. (hippopotamuses’ snack time, exchanges with a keeper, meetings with red pandas…). And if the call of the great outdoors lingers, draw inspiration from ideas for African safari adventures, dream of wild Zambia, head towards the Ennedi massif in the Sahara, pedal through the heart of Rwanda by bike, or dive underground with these surprising troglodyte destinations as astonishing as they are disorienting.
Prices and useful information
A night in a giraffe lodge (up to 6 people) starts at €710 for two adults in July (price varies depending on the date). Included are: access to the park for two days, “adventurous menu” dinner (excluding options), continental breakfast, and in the morning, a one-hour guided tour with a caretaker. Address: Zoo de La Flèche, Le Tertre Rouge, 72200 La Flèche. Tel.: 02 43 48 19 14.
