An old safari truck will be turned into the latest luxury accommodation on offer at popular Port Lympne Hotel and Reserve.

The animal park near Hythe hosts thousands of visitors each year and is already home to several different types of overnight experiences, including treehouses, cottages and lodges.

A converted safari truck will now be added to the growing list of available accommodation, and will be known as the Explorer.

The truck will feature a lounge area, which will include a minibar, TV and sink. Guests will travel around on it for their private tour of the park’s safari.

Later, the truck will be hooked up to a stationary trailer, which will include the bedrooms and bathroom.

Together, they will form the overnight accommodation.

Bosses at the animal park, run by The Aspinall Foundation, submitted plans for the project to Folkestone and Hythe District Council (FHDC) earlier this year.

It was approved last week.

It is set to be housed on an existing storage area near Leopard Creek, which is home to a selection of cabins and wigwams.

The site is secluded due to a large amount of planting around the perimeter.

The submission came as bosses revealed a need for even more accommodation after welcoming 80,000 overnight guests last year.

On approving the plans, FHDC officers noted the scheme would encourage more visitors to support the long-established tourist facility.

The report added: “The proposed tourist accommodation would, in a broad sense, encourage a connection between people and nature due to its location within the safari park and in a location that affords expansive views of the countryside.

“It would also contribute to the visitor and tourist facilities at Port Lympne, encouraging tourists and visitors to the area.

“Due to the position of the site within the wider safari park the proposed truck/accommodation would not be prominent or harmful in any public views, and due to its scale and design, the truck would sit comfortably within the context of the site.

“The converted truck would provide a suitable standard of amenity for short-term holiday use, and it would therefore be appropriate to condition it as such.”

Bosses previously added that the Explorer would be the only one of its kind in the country.

In the planning application, it was said: “The Explorer would add an additional unique experience to the reserve, being the only one in the UK.

“This would support the continued success of the business and its attractiveness in the market, as well as attracting more tourists to the reserve and the district as a whole.”

No comments for or against the proposal were lodged on FHDC’s planning portal.

In recent years, Port Lympne has become a celebrity hotspot.

Former footballer Rio Ferdinand, actor Ashley Walters, and TV stars Alison Hammond and Kelly Brook all enjoyed stays at the site last year.

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Previously, it was revealed that the overnight accommodation occupancy is at 81% during low season and 96% during the high season.

Port Lympne have been contacted for comment.