In Florida you’re always greeted by smiling faces – and I’m not just talking about the locals.

Helen Wright

On my first day I made three new friends – Dolly, Tango and Gen.

Each had long slender legs and –beautiful brown eyes and we were –getting along fine…until Dolly bent down and licked my face.

No, she wasn’t my tour guide. The girls are three of the 25 giraffes that roam 360 acres at Busch Gardens adventure park in Tampa.

Busch Gardens is part of the Anheuser-Busch group, which also owns the SeaWorld and Discovery Cove theme parks in Orlando – and the three make for a perfect holiday.

As part of the Saving A Species Tour at Busch Gardens you go on safari to see black rhinos, white rhinos, zebra and giraffe.

I also got to feed lettuce leaves to Dolly and her friends under the supervision of the park ranger.

Back in the main park, I escaped the burning sun by popping into the Crown Colony Restaurant, which offered dishes such as grilled grouper and filet mignon – far from the typical theme park grub of burger and chips.

As well as being home to more than 2,000 animals, Busch Gardens has plenty of exciting thrill rides.

Top of the white-knuckle list is SheiKra. Definitely not for the faint-hearted, the park’s newest attraction hoists you 200ft in the air and hurls you straight back down a vertical drop at 70mph. You only have yourself to cling to as your heart jumps right out of your mouth.

The grand finale sees the coaster plunge through a lake, sending a surge of water on to the unsuspecting crowd.
For those who can’t get enough G-force action, the nine high-octane rides here make this park the one to visit.

Next, I fancied a more relaxing day and went off to SeaWorld, which covers 200 acres and is home to one of Florida’s super-sized residents – Shamu the killer whale.

Shamu’s show Believe is an awe-inspiring performance that will blow your flippers off. The opening sequence alone brought tears to my eyes.

Watching these amazing animals –surging out of the water accompanied by a classical musical score is an –experience unrivalled by any other attraction in Florida.

Another unmissable show is the Blue Horizons spectacular which brings together dolphins, whales, a rainbow of exotic birds and an entire cast of divers and aerialists in elaborate costumes.

But there’s much more to SeaWorld – especially if you like beer!

Before opening the theme park in 1959, Anheuser-Busch was more famous for brewing beer. Today it’s still the world’s largest brewer, producing more than 100 million barrels a year. And at SeaWorld over-21s can –experience a complimentary beer-–tasting at the Brewmaster’s Club.

But don’t forget your ID. If you can’t prove your age, you’ll end up in the air-conditioned waiting area.

The final day of my wild adventure took me to the glittering waters of Discovery Cove. In this marine wonderland guests can touch, play and swim with gentle bottlenose dolphins.

Attendance is limited to just 1,000 a day so reservations must be made.

The package also allows you to wander the white sandy beaches, swim the coral reef and feed stingrays whose barbs have been safely removed. Snorkelling gear and food and drink are included.

Romance can blossom in the tropical waters.

With the help of a friendly dolphin, one romantic fella made a splash when he had a big question to ask his girl.
Swimming up from the depths, the faithful messenger –delivered a buoy with the words: “Will you marry me?” emblazoned on the side. She said yes, of course.

And if you think this park is free from spine-tingling thrills, try racing through the water clinging to the back of a –dolphin – it really is the ride of your life.

If you could conjure up the perfect family holiday and wrap it into one tidy package, it would turn out to be the unique combination of Busch Gardens, SeaWorld and Discovery Cove.