Kate Ferdinand’s safari holiday with Rio and the kids as they feed giraffes and get close to tigers without leaving UK

KATE and Rio Ferdinand gave their son Cree a fourth birthday to remember with a luxurious safari staycation.

The celeb couple travelled to Port Lympne Hotel and Reserve to get up close to incredible wildlife.

Sitting safely in a cosy wooden cabin with Champagne on ice, the family watched tigers prowling their reserve through a large window.

The curious cats came right up to the glass, which delighted the children who got to see them from just inches away.

They also fed giraffes, with Kate beaming as one reached for a leaf with its tongue.

Sharing a selection of snaps and clips on Instagram, Kate wrote: "A very special birthday morning for our Cree Cree."

Staff from the park commented: "Happy Birthday Cree! We are delighted you chose to celebrate your special day at Port Lympne. Come back soon."

One fan said: "Oh wow - how special."

Another posted: "How wonderful! What an experience."

Kate and Rio, who married in 2019, are parents to Cree and daughter Shae, who was born last year.

Kate is also stepmum to Rio's three children Lorenz, Tate, and Tia from his previous marriage to Rebecca Ellison, who tragically passed away in 2015.

The Ferdinands have enjoyed luxury trips further afield this year too, visiting the Algarve and Maldives.

However, the latter getaway ended on a sour note when Cree broke his collar bone and needed hospital treatment.

Kate said at the time: "We ended a fabulous trip with a broken collar bone. My boy just always gets injured!

"It's been sleepless nights, cuddles, TV and chocolate since."

Meanwhile, last month, Kate opened up about the birth of her daughter, Shae, and how she struggled to form an immediate bond with her.

Shae was born by C-section and the procedure was full of panic for Kate, which affected her first moments as a new mum.

She said: "I couldn’t pick her up and I didn’t feel like I connected when she was first given to me because I felt a bit panicked, and now she’s in this incubator and I just can’t pick her up.

“I don’t know if this is a good or a bad thing, but I just didn’t really wanna be there. 

“I just felt like it was harder being next to her and not being able to be with her, just stare at her not looking well, then being away from her.

“Then I felt terrible guilt about not wanting to be there then as well. We talk about mum guilt and it hit me from the very minute she was born basically.”