Off the E18, 10km east of Kristiansand, Dyrepark is probably the favourite holiday destination for Norwegian kids. The former zoo is several parks rolled into one. There's a fun fair that includes rides such as the pirate-ship cruise, Captain Sabretooth's Treasure Trove and enchanted houses. Cardamom Town (Kardamomme By) is a fantasy village based on the children's stories of Thorbjørn Egner. There's a water park with heated pools and water slides. The biggest attraction, though, is still the zoo itself.
It houses a large number of species, including red pandas, a crocodile house, lions and tigers and an African savannah filled with giraffes, zebras and others. For non-Norwegians, the highlight is the Northern Wilderness (Nordisk Vilmark), where visitors are transported through the habitat of moose, wolves, lynx and wolverines on elevated boardwalks.