Walking with alpacas in the Hamsphire countryside…

Who knew you could do such a thing as walk with alpacas in England? When I opened up a gold shiny envelope from my brother and his girlfriend on Christmas Day I didn't know such a thing existed! So on a typically overcast for Britain type of day in April, Matt and I set off in search of Hensting Alpacas in Otterbourne. Found in a gorgeous spot in Hampshire by the chalk streams of the River Itchen the alpacas have 12 acres to roam freely on. We had tickets for a two hour morning walk and couldn't wait to try out this very different adventure!

Hensting are a family run business with 40 alpacas, one llama, a New Forest Pony and some sheep. The morning began with an interesting talk all about the alpacas. I loved hearing about their quirky habits and learnt some facts that I didn't know. We were also given instructions on how to safely walk with the alpacas.

Next it was time to meet them, there must have been about 15 alpacas all together on our walk. The first alpaca Matt and I got to walk was Walter, white and fluffy he was a picture perfect alpaca. Strolling along the riverbank with him was a very relaxing experience. He was best buddies with the alpaca in front of him so spent a lot of time keeping close to his back legs! There is apparently always one or two alpacas who are happy to go in front of the others and lead the way while the rest feel more comfortable following on behind. Half way through we all switched up and had the opportunity to walk with another alpaca. Our next noble steed was Whiskey Joe. He wasn't particularly photogenic, bless him, but he was a very friendly chap. Further into the stroll we discovered if one poos then they all tend to poo, which turned into an amusingly lengthy poo stop! Alpacas do this in the wild so their eating and toilet areas are kept separate and explains why they all go at the same time.

If you like being outdoors and are looking for something completely different or a unique gift for someone then this is it. Morning walks start at 10am, plan to be there at 9.30am to park, you don't want to be late as the walk takes places a long way across the meadow from the parking area. I'd recommend walking boots or wellies if the weather isn't so great. Anyone from the age of 8 and above can participate making it the perfect thing to do for a family day out. If like Matt and I you want an escape from the kids it's good for that too! It was the perfect opportunity to take a quiet few minutes away from our hectic lifestyle!

I wonder if I can plan a walk with an alpaca on my next trip to Peru?!