I'd always wanted to visit Dvůr Králové.

Not far from there is also the most beautiful reservoir in the Czech Republic, Les Království. No reason to hesitate — I set off. You can buy a ticket for the ZOO/Safari in advance and get a QR code to get through the turnstile. It's probably the most awkward turnstile for QR codes I've ever used (you stick your entire phone inside and wait to see what happens). They could take a cue from airports — though those are indoors rather than outside.

A surprise was the ticket system for the Africa Truck and Safari Bus. For the Safari Bus it's like a train station — you take the next available service, first come first served. For the Africa Truck you have to queue — a long one — and if you show up late and it's full, hard luck.

Hopefully they'll tie the electronic ticket in with the Africa Truck and Safari Bus soon. The zoo is large, focused mainly on the African continent. The most powerful experience I took away was the ride on the Africa Truck and Safari Bus. You see the animals outside a cage, see how they behave in a herd... they still have some spatial constraints, but it's far more natural than being in a cage.