- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Sponsored Result
You Might Also Consider
Napa Valley Bike Tours
- 12 reviews
- Location:
- Yountville, CA
"Do the self-guided tour! I had such a great time :) Big brownie points for: they drop off a (good) picnic lunch and pick up any wine…" read more »
81 reviews for Safari West
I went here not too long ago with a couple friends.
This place is amazing. Lemurs, cheetahs, amusing ostriches, giraffes, and more!
If you want to go somewhere special with a bunch of wildlife without leaving the country, this place is as close as you get to a safari. It's educational and fun - the guide is helpful, everyone is friendly, and you can even have the option of staying overnight - perhaps longer.
We didn't choose to stay overnight - though tempting.
However the early morning guide is a really good time to go - a few of the animals are nocturnal, so you probably won't have the chance to see them out and about if you go at a later time.
Early in the morning you can see an adorable fennec fox eating its dinner right before heading off to sleep and lemurs soaking up the sun as long as possible before hiding in the trees.
Beautiful macaws come in in the morning from where they happened to be - it was surprising when I arrived because I didn't see them on the tree branches until we set off on an African safari vehicle.
Ours happened to have its top chewed off by a giraffe before - interesting~ But we climbed on the back where the roof was gaping open.
What made this trip completely memorable was when one of the ostriches (named Edward) followed us for most of the trip - even going so far as to approach us up to the vehicle, and started pecking at the back where we sat. :D
It's a wonderful and fun time - great for group outings.
If you want, you should stay overnight for a completely surreal experience (from what I have observed from the other guests who stayed).
If you've been to the Oakland, SF, & Sacramento Zoo and want to see more animals, maybe you might want to come to Santa Rosa.
A. booked tickets online, it's Only by reservations. You can book online or by phone. Website here:
http://www.safariwest....
From Fremont it's at least 1.5hrs, but we got on the 9am tour. If you're doing a 1p or 4p tour best to plan for 2-2.5hr so you aren't late. Sun 9/20/09 there was no traffic and we got there by 8:30am. Get there EARLY because they start before 9am!! They say get there 15min early and lucky we did because he started at 8:45AM!! That's kinda Evil!
Go to the bathroom before the tour. 2 flushed unisex bathrooms by the meeting area, also more behind the food area.
Then there's a walking portion where you see the lemurs, ducks, birds, monkeys, & cheetahs. Almost 1hr.
After the walking, USE the Bathrooms! Otherwise it's 2hrs of sitting in a Jeep that's on dirt road & pretty bumpy, though if you're desperate you can pee by a tree while everyone waits for you.
Tour on the Jeep: 2hrs slow going. Driving, then stopping to look at animals in the 400 acre preserve. You won't see everything they have. Things we saw: cattle, cape buffalo, ibis, rhinos, wildebeest, zebras, giraffes, ostriches, flamingo.
NEW: Dama Gazelle; Bontebok Antelope; Male Reticulated Giraffe; DeBrazza's Guenon Monkey
Only 4 people allowed on the top of jeep, though everyone needs to rotate if everyone wants to be on top. Find out when the guide is seeing the giraffes. If first, try to be on the top of jeep first. If last, try for the last to be on the top of jeep. We lucked out & saw the giraffes last & got to be on top last. Good for pics up there. Only 3 seatbelts on top for 4ppl, none inside the jeep for the public.
They have food to buy. Premade sandwiches for $8.18, veggie or fruit plate $3.5; salads $6.07; cold drink $2.10; water $1; ice cream, chips, animal crackers $1-2. BBQ food is possibly available for $19 - for ppl w/ reservations, though you can ask if available.
Gift shop called Trading Post - worth a visit to see & take pics.
Adults $68
Children 3-12 $30
Infants 1-2 $10
Mar 8th - Nov 2nd
Tours 9,1,4 daily
NO PETS
You can also stay at some tent cabins, not sure the cost. Guide Danny recommended #18.
Tip: If you can go M-Th & have AAA then you can get a discount over the phone I found out, we couldn't get our discount since it was Sun. Not sure the amount of discount - just ask.
Safari West might be worth it at least once.
Leaping Lemurs is this place amazing! We went yesterday for the 9AM tour. Our guide, Robert, was phenomenal. His knowledge was infinite, he was friendly, engaging and a lot of FUN.
I really love what the owners have done with the land. It would have been so easy to turn the property into another *yawn* vineyard/winery. I wish the cheetahs had real space to move around (it's so small for such a large and gorgeous animal) and there's a Serval with a ceiling in it's enclosure that can't be more than 7 feet high. This is really tragic because they can jump up to 15 feet. As if that isn't sad enough, the total square footage couldn't have been any bigger than a restaurant bathroom with two or three stalls tops. That is horrible, inhumane and just plain wrong.
On the plus side, the animals are, for the most part, well cared for and fed. Meaning they don't look too thin and their coats are healthy and shiny.
A note about the staff in the reception office is okay (not great, not "happy friendly" but not rude so that's a plus I guess). The website really sucks. I can't understand why a place that has clearly invested lot of time, money and thought in putting this together completely missed the mark when they hired someone to build their website. REALLY AWFUL! So awful they would be a gold or silver medal winner if there was an award for the worst website pretending to be user friendly.
This place is fantastic! I honestly was expecting some sort of cheesy zoo, but it blew my mind. It was as close to being on a safari in Kenya as one could be without actually going there. So many diverse animals that wander directly up to your vehicle, so much to see and learn. And the guides, many of whom actually worked in Africa before, are very knowledgeable about the wildlife. Highly recommended--though stay in one of the safari tents or cabins to maximize your experience. I regret not having done that.
This place is AMAZING!! The exhibits are so cool that you'll enjoy every second of it. The only thing that could be better is if they had a lion exhibit and an elephant exhibit. However, i understand that lions and elephants are dangerous animals and therefore would need a lot of $ to maintain such an exhibit. When you go on the jeep tour you should take the upper deck sitting because they are the best seats in the house. You get to see EVERYTHING!! Have you seen a live zebra so close to you that you could touch its butt?? Well if you haven't, this is the perfect place to experience such close approximations to wild animals. Don't miss the bird exhibit because you'll get to see some crazy wild birds! The giraffes are also a favorite of mine.
The staff personals are wonderful people! My bf and I came late due to traffic and the staff personals were so helpful about letting us see the different exhibits we missed in the beginning.
This is definitely a wonderful secret in northern california that not many people know about. I suggest you check it out! .
YES, YES, and YES.
As soon as you get over the initial confusion as to what a safari is doing in the Bay Area, and how come you've never heard of it, you need to make a reservation to check this place out.
It's dam* amazing.
******
400 acres of land? Check.
Plenty of animals from both the African savanna and other parts of the world? Check.
Awesome animals that come pretty darn close to you? Check.
Very knowledgeable tour guides that will teach you all kinds of interesting things about animals that you've never seen before? Check.
******
YES, because... where else in Northern California are you going to be able to see a Blue Macaw, Masai giraffe, Red Ibis, and four cheetahs, all within a two hour chunk of time?
******
Tips:
- The "behind the scenes" tour is pretty neat. Especially if you'd like to feed giraffes, blue dikers, and exotic birds.
- Their "cabins" are a decent if you are thinking of an early morning special tour
- We did not eat on site. There is no reason to do so - Calistoga is 15 minutes away. Yountville and Napa are also nearby.
- Go during a reasonable time of year. It is the middle of nowhere in Santa Rosa = hot in the summer and cold in the winter. Plan accordingly.
Very nice get away, but pretty far away from south bay area. The drive was uneventful - thanks to holiday season not much traffic these days. The property itself is pretty well maintained (think safari, not city roads).
Could see giraffes, ostrich, rhinos, cheetahs, variety of antelope, zebra, etc. Since it was a winter afternoon there was very little crowd - could enjoy everything peacefully.
Definitely recommend this one if you need a 1-day event somewhere near the Sonoma county.
OMG - what a way to spend a birthday! This place is AWESOME!! No lions, tigers, or bears... but plenty of antelope (different varieties), wildebeasts, zebras, giraffes, monkeys, cheetahs, and even ostrich.
Thanks to our fabulous guide, Richard, we had a blast! Three hour tour (always sounds funny to say that) included a partial walking tour to some "cages" for the monkeys and various birds. Saw a bird that had just hatched hopping around. A mini-antelope came right up to me! I think he was full grown at 12 lbs! He's about the size of my cat! So cute.
Jeep tour took us through the reserve. We had a lazy ostrich block our path - so we used the jeep to nudge him out of the way. So funny. Also had various antelope crossings as well.
Everyone had a chance to sit up top, but we were in the last group - lucky for us, that's when we drove into the area with the giraffes - and one guy was curious enough to come right to us. Sniffed the foot of the guy next to us. HA! I totally wanted to reach out and pet him.
It was an amazing experience. I highly recommend this tour.
Went here for a 'special surprise date day' with my husband. We both enjoyed it very much. It is a unique experience to have so close to home. Yes, it's a little expensive but you'll find nothing like it. All the employees we dealt with were very nice. They also serve dinner here but you need a reservation. I wasn't sure if we were going to like it so I didn't make dinner resv. But they were setting out dinner just as our tour was over and it smelled and looked great. Will do it next time.
Our driver was great - very nice and accomodating - knew his stuff.
This place is absolutely AMAZING. The bf took me here just this past weekend for my birthday and I loved every minute of it!
Our tour guide, Sandy, was funny, interactive, resourceful and just a blast! Our tour was about 3 hours long, and started with the 'walking' portion of it. She took us through an aviary where they had beautiful birds and this tiny little antelope! It was only 12 lbs! My meow meow is bigger than that! The other part of the tour consisted of hopping onto this 1954 truck where it sat about 3 people to a row and a few on top of the truck.
Man oh man! We went through about 400 acres of the property, saw plenty of zebras, giraffes, cows, antelopes, rhinos... things of that sort. I thouroughly enjoyed myself but the bf was expecting more different types of animals. We went through this one enclosure where we came thisclose to a giraffe. Had I stuck my arm out of the truck, I would have been able to touch the giraffe.
Onto our stay... the tent was super cute! I was impressed by how clean and comfortable they were... however I do wish that they put screen doors on the doors so we could leave them open for more airflow. At first, I was wondering how we were going to sleep that night (cause it was unbearably hot) but it cooled down for the night.
We didn't get the dinner service, however the food did look amazing. Around 8:30, the chef takes the left over meat from the dinner and throws it in the lake where catfish live, and it's amazing to see those suckers go after the meat! There's a free breakfast in the morning (bagels, english muffins, oatmeal, yogurt and fruit) which was a great way to refuel for the day. Also on the property, there were some monkeys, cheetahs, macaws... flamingos (you can smell them)... a cute fox and a lemur compound.
I would love to go again when it's cooler, bring a flash light if you stay the night, but it is a pricey tour and weekend stay. At $68 per person for the tour and the over night stay in the tent, the weekend came out to just under $500.
All in all, it was an amazing experience and I'd do it all over again.
I felt like I was in a surreal dream the whole time we were at Safari West.
Our safari truck was chased by a feisty ostrich.
We sat on top of the truck, feeling the sun beat down around us, as we watched gigantic rhinos argue with one another.
We watched giraffes size each other up, their long necks touching each other - ready to spat.
We watched stunning zebras run across our path, their vivid black and white stripes streaking against the green foliage.
We watched a cheetah pace in her pen.
We watched elegant flamingos balance on their legs, surrounded by a plethora of unique brightly colored birds.
We saw antelope, we saw lemurs, we saw buffalo, we saw wildebeests.
I've always been somewhat apprehensive about things like zoos. It can be hard to see animals in big cages - just being gawked at. But Safari West is different. Many of the animals seem to have an extensive amount of room to explore and seem to be genuinely content.
Our tour guide was great as well, with a nice touch of wit and sarcasm to make the tour interesting, engaging, and funny. It's obvious that the staff really love the grounds and the animals and enjoy talking about them to people.
Safari West is one of those places that seems close to impossible to properly articulate your experience there. This review does not do it justice.
To really understand what Safari West is about - you just need to go.
A safari an hour and a half away from SF?? Wild, but true! It's hard to believe that this place even exists in the Bay Area. There are about 86 different species to see here, and some you can get super up close and personal with -- just don't touch!
At this incredible African wildlife preserve, we encountered giraffes, ostriches, rhinos, antelope, zebras, cheetahs, lemurs and more during our 2 hour private tour. We rode around in this rickety truck that had no parking break through unpaved trails and it was awesome! Our guide, Justin, was very informative and answered ALL of our questions, and made our experience that much more fun.
While driving through, we also passed by these cute tent cabins, which you can stay in. They liken them more with bed-and-breakfasts than a campground. They have hardwood floors, plush beds and full bathrooms. On full moons, there's a discounted rate for those of you who are into all those wild things that come out at night. They also have a nice picnic area with a BBQ pit, so you can dine on the grounds as well.
If you really want to do it right, come dressed in khakis or animal prints (like we did, of course http://www.flickr.com/...) with your binoculars and SLR in hand. Take a seat on top of the truck for the most exhilarating ride you'll ever go on in the Bay Area.
It was my birthday, and my boyfriend was excited beyond belief about his surprise to celebrate! We arrived and I had no idea that this place even existed! I've been to Disney's Animal Kingdom in Florida, and the Wild Animal Park in SD, but these place kicks their tails.. haha. The atmosphere is so serene, it'd have to be on 400 acres! After checking in (we stayed overnight) and turning the corner, the view is STUNNING. At least 6 giraffes grazing right in front of you, and colorful parrots yelling HI!
We were driven in a jeep to our luxury tent, and the bellhop? helped us with our bags. Our "tent" had a view of the Savannah, and there were large birds and some sort of deer outside our tent flap!
The luxury tent was sweet! Hardwood floors and an AMAZINGLY soft king bed. The decor was "safari chic". It was 30 degrees that night, so the guide showed us how to work the electric blanket on the bed and the floor heater. We find out later how necessary these are!! We are also equipped with a flashlight and bottles of water. Roughing it?
We lounged until our tour, and then went down to meet our guide. Saw lots of toddlers and got worried, but then they seperated us, and put all the tots on one tour and all the non-parents on another. Whew.
They let us choose whether to walk first or ride first, and we chose walking. Good choice! We saw lots of birds, and cheetahs, and primates (not monkeys, I learned hehe).
After about an hour we boarded our safari trucks, we got to sit on top the whole time because no one else wanted to! It was a bit scary up there, especially when going down hills, and COLD!!! The sun was up, but man we got cold! I suggest hats, scarfs, and jackets.
The wild life, AMAZING. The tour was cool because it was really long and we learned alot, because the guide would stop to talk about each animal. The giraffes were especially friendly
After the tour, the complimentary hot chocolate was a welcome warmth! At night, they have a dinner and cat fish feeding, which was interesting (we ate dinner elsewhere)
Once we got back after dinner it was COLD! We ran the 1/4 mile to our tent and jumped under the electric blankets!
They only have a space heater in the main room, NOT the bathroom, so the toilet usage was as quick as possible! I would save showering til you get home too!
After a toasty sleep, we were awakened by animal noises- pretty cool. Giraffes were grazing over the fence so we had a personal encounter. All in all an amazing trip and would recommend it to all animal lovers!
Who would've thought there's an African wildlife reserve in Santa Rosa. After reading Jessica T's review, we got super excited and booked a tour for the very next afternoon.
Let's just say the word 'safari' can be quite deceiving.
I pictured miles and miles of dry desert land, with wild animals roaming and chasing each other under the scorching sun. Instead, the land was lush and green with hills and mountains. The animals were calm and still, relaxing in the cool weather. My Animal Planet dream was crushed. I wanted to see some thrashing and killing!! Rawrrr rawrrr!! Oh wells, it'll be bad for business anyway.
After putting the 'safari' mentality aside, it was a fun experience! We tour the grounds on safari trucks. Up and down and around the mountains we went. There were so many animals to see. Giraffes, ostriches, cheetahs, buffalos, flamingos, antelopes and many more. Our guide was informative and knowledgable, with a killer sense of humor. The 3 hour tour flew by.
To end our day, we stayed for their safari style dinner. The food was delicious! Endless portions of caesar salad, macaroni&cheese, roasted potatoes, sauteed vegetables, grilled chicken, barbeque brisket and fruit salad. (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) The chicken was moist with crunchy grilled skin. The brisket was tender and fell apart at the touch of the fork. Mmm. Then we were served with an ice cream chocolate chip cookie dessert. (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) Unlimited supply of hot tea, coffee and cocoa. Smiles all around. =)
Fantastic. We had a great guide (Leslie) for the tour. I enjoyed this place much more than zoos. Most of the animals are roaming in large (many, many acres) enclosures, so you do feel like you are on safari.
The tents are great. I was impressed by how clean everything was, and how tastefully decorated. Even the public bathrooms were spotless.
The dinner was good, but over priced. The only alternative is to drive into Santa Rosa, which wasn't worth it in our minds. So we had an expensive dinner, but it tasted good. Breakfast is quite good, though standard hotel fare.
The animals are superb. You must see them.
This place was absolutely amazing. As great as the Jeep tours are, I highly recommend staying overnight. Waking up and having coffee by the scampering lemurs after a restful night in "tents" that have beds with electric blankets and fully plumbed bathrooms is hardly anyone's definition of roughing it. It is even decently handicapped friendly, so bring along those that would normally stay behind for mobility reasons.
My kids loved the access to animals that did not run from them. At one point, the giraffes walked right next to the fence so my kids were within arms reach of them. At dusk while enjoying a glass of Chardonnay, we were able to enjoy the antics of the wild cat called a serval. The dinner was pricey, but when you think about the slow roasted ribs and chicken, cooked over an open fire all day, and the vegetarian lasagna for veggies like myself, all set to a backdrop of golden hills and ambling giraffes sharing the ambiance with you, it is absolutely worthwhile. After dinner is the catfish feeding (the kids get to feed dinner leftovers to a lake just boiling with giant catfish) followed by a marshmallow roast over the open fire.
Tip: Order a bottle of wine with dinner rather than a glass. If you ask, they'll chill it for you while you feed the catfish, and you can enjoy another glass or two while the kids are stuffing themselves with marshmallows.
Taking the Behind the Scenes tour the next morning is a must, although it is quite early (7am). Going into the enclosures and hand feeding these incredible exotic creatures (including giraffes) was an epic experience for all of us.
Amazing place, knowledgeable people, and a refreshing respect for animals lacking in zoos. This is the kind of animal experience all children should have: laid back, respectful, and highly enjoyable.
Safari West is amazing! You would never guess that there is a huge African wildlife preserve in the middle of wine country in Northern California. It's a bit random but they have beautiful grounds and tons of animals.
When you walk into Safari West, the first thing you see is a bunch of lemurs just hanging out. No fence, they are confined on an island by a moat. Walk a little further and there's a huge field with a low fence and tons of giraffes! The giraffes were my favorite, and if you're lucky, one will come right up to the fence and give you a kiss.
The safari ride was fun and our driver was knowledgeable. He answered all of our questions and also told us lots of random facts and stories about the animals.
Definitely ride on top of the jeep, and volunteer to do so before the ride starts. The first part is usually through the giraffe field, so you may find yourself face to face with a giraffe like we did. Where else will you ever get to look into a giraffe's eye?
We went on a Jeep tour two weeks ago. I had never been, so I was a little scared that they were going to drive us near some lions and tigers. Although I'm happy that I didn't get scared out of my mind, I was a little disappointed not to see what one normally would at a zoo. They have a great aviary that you walk through and the cute and unique birds walk right up to you! Watch out for the ostrichs on the tour!!
+
Very close to animals
Very knowledgable/friendly staff
Cool atmosphere
-
Very pricey
I'd recommend going once, to at least have the experience of going. A good place for kids.
Did the package stayed the weekend and did the tour along with a massage. Breakdown of trip as follows:
Tour:
Great time on tour and even though price is high per person it is lots of fun being out on a jeep touring around the place and getting up close to the animal. Loved (Robert) the guide and recommend him. Funny guy but really nice.
Lodging:
Lots of fun being in a tent / cabin part of nature. It did get cold but heaters work great and the noise did make it hard to sleep well, not somewhere to stay more then a night I think. As for cabins go I think it was really nice and the staff was ready to drive or pick you up as needed.
Massage:
Got the massage package for morning looking out towards the Giraffes and stuff. A bit late on the massage and I think one of the massage staff did not show up as the quality of the massage was poor. Not worth it at all and this was the worst part of the stay. So drop the rating a bit and just recommend NOT getting a massage while here, go somewhere else and save your money.
So overall great time and fun place to visit. Good place for kids on the tour and would go again later when my children are older.
I have to be honest, I was disappointed. I was so excited to visit this reserve and get up close to animals like giraffes, rhinos and zebras which were cool to watch while riding the jeep but....after that it's just antelope after antelope...maybe a few cows. It was boring and for $68.00/person I expected to see more animals...at least more exotic ones.
If you do go, however, make sure you chose the seat on top of the jeep!
Despite the fact that I could have paid less than half and viewed more animals at the S.F. zoo, it's good to support these types of animal reserves since like others have said, the animals do look pretty happy with all of that land to roam around on and the team at the reserve are indeed doing valuable work.
I went last season to Safari West and had a great time. I had recently gone on the photo caravan at the San Diego Wild Animal Park and was concerned that Safari West wouldn't measure up. I was wrong.
First of all... (for those of you who are complaining about the price) it was quite a bit cheaper than the wild animal park. Our tour guide was very knowledgable and somehow even made some of the boring animals exciting.
I am a huge fan of elephants, giraffes and zebras... and even though I was disappointed to see no elephants, I fell in LOVE with the baby zebras and giraffes. I had a wonderful time as did my daughter who is really "not into that kinda stuff."
The Lemur in the front were quite entertaining, playing in their open area where they could easily leave if they didn't like... but they are still there so I guess they know a good thing when they see it.
The only part I didn't like was the area that they had the cheetahs. They were pacing like caged animals... oh wait... that's cuz they were. I felt a bit sorry for them but it is my understanding that they have another area for them while not on display. (I'm hoping it is more roomy and enticing for them.)
Safari West is well worth the trip. Tons of fun (even without the elephants!)
My expectations were set up way too high before coming here. I imagined this to be a place practically identical to the safaris in Africa so I had a look of disappointment at every gate my eyes set upon. It doesn't look like the recession is deterring people from enjoying animals because there were tons of people on the 1pm tour. I think they let as many people sign up because they group you off into groups of 10-13 and have a bunch of tour guides working anyway. They recommend that you arrive 15 minutes before your tour time but I didn't end up getting there til 1:05pm. The guy at the front said it was not a problem at all and that the guides weren't going to leave without us. I even had some extra time to go to the bathroom so we weren't as rushed as I thought we'd be.
First they take you on a walking tour to the aviary and the cheetah pins. After 30 minutes of that, they take you up on the jeep to see the rest of the animals. It's not guaranteed that you will see certain animals because there are 400 acres of land and they could be roaming about anywhere. It's really unpredictable but luckily we went on a cloudy day so the animals were more likely to be roaming about. We saw bufffalo, elands, antelope, giraffes, zebras, rhinoceros, wildebeasts, and more from the family Bovidae. Our tour guide, Robert, was the BEST!! He really knew his stuff and gave off a very warm and inviting vibe. You are allowed to sit on top of the jeep but you'll have to rotate with whoever else wants to. I didn't realize how COLD it is up there nor did I realize the dangers of a tree branch smacking you in the head.
I was relieved that there were no kids in our group but that feeling quickly dissipated as we were stuck with a PDA-intense and oddly matched couple (passive white guy with aggressive fobby Asian girl--oh believe me, this is not the first time I've seen this combo) instead. At times, they were more entertaining than the animals.
I was hoping there would be more dangerous animals that would really put our lives at stake (hippopotamus, lions, elephants, crocodiles, and the like) but I'll just have to go to a SF Zoo for those. I do think that every Norcalian should visit this place at least once. It's so unique!!!
My best friend & I both love animals, so her birthday gift to me this past March, a trip to Safari West, couldn't have been a better gift. And I have to say, Safari West WAY more than met my expectations. Neither of us could believe how COMFORTABLE and serene the cabin was that we stayed in. The cabin felt so "nestled in nature", & the beds were definitely on par with a superior bed & bfast.
Even though my friend and I are not a couple, we decided that we wanted to take advantage of Safari West's in-room massage, so we bought the "Romantic Special" (http://safariwest.com/...). And the massage (by Hazel) was superb. The only negative was that there was only one massage therapist: I do wish that both my friend and I could have gotten massages at the same time. Even so, we each took a snooze while the other got their massage. It was incredibly relaxing. As part of that package, we also received a bottle of wine & chocolate in our room. So classy :)
The other thing that impressed us was dinner! I'm a vegetarian, so even though dinner was served family style, the chef made me a special main course of raviolis, and it was dElicious. Everyone else gave "nods of yumminess" to their meals as well. The chef came out and talked to us, & it was very apparent that he took pride in his job. He was super friendly. Afterwards, a fire pit was lit and we were left marshmallows to roast... perfect for a cold(er) day in March. And on top of this, hot tea, coffee, and hot chocolate was made available 24hrs in the rec room. It was a beautiful night eating roasted marshmallows & drinking hot chocolate after dinner.
Everywhere we went, the people working at Safari West asked how we were doing and chatted with us cheerfully.
As for the safari itself... the grounds & animals of Safari West are nothing short of gorgeous. Our guide was superb with educating and communicating facts, & the jeep made us feel so close to the animals. It's truly a wonderful place.
I recommend Safari West, especially for Bay Area folks, as a great local getaway. It's incredibly relaxing and fun.
Here are some pics! http://bit.ly/3VZRa
Our eight-year-old nephew came for the weekend and we took him to Safari West for the tour and lunch. We signed up for the first tour, which was 10AM. The staff was well organized and friendly. They did a great job of explaining to us what to expect on the three and a half hour safari; so we knew to load up on water, use the restroom, and some put on sun block.
The tour is 45 minutes by foot, and the rest is by four wheeling jeep. We saw so many animals I don't remember them all, but highlights for me were the varieties of lemurs, cheetahs, giraffes, white rhinos and a beautiful African bird called the Scarlet Ibis. (They had at least 75 varieties of birds, mostly all beautiful, but the Ibis stood out). You do get quite up close to the animals, so you will smell them and share their flies. One of the giraffes was friendly and obsessively tried to chew the seat belts off the laps of two passengers.
Safari West has a strict rule that animals (except cheetahs) may touch the customers, but customers may not touch back. (Sorta like lap dancers). I suppose this is why the giraffe felt emboldened and became prankish. Anyhow, we felt lucky, since the whole reason you go on safari is to encounter wild life.
Don't get me wrong, not all of the animals have such access to you. For example, the white rhinos do roam freely on their heavenly little patch of the 400 acres, but there is a low cement wall between you and them. Some of the horned African Buffalo are also unpredictable, so the jeep doesn't get close enough to provoke the males.
The lunch was served family style but in a civilized way with cloth napkins and actual plates and silverware. No fast food is to be found, and we enjoyed our barbecue chicken, pasta and cheese sauce, Caesar salad, potato salad, grilled asparagus, fresh baked bread and rice pilaf. Our nephew is vegetarian, so we called ahead and they prepared him some tofu as well.
This was a great way to spend time with our nephew and I am sure we will all three remember it for a long time to come. This is truly an outing an entire family can enjoy.
http://www.flickr.com/...
Loved it. I suggest not sneaking a peek at the animal pictures before going but trust me they're as cool as it gets for seeing African animals in northern California. My favorite was actually the giraffe though; it's awesome that you can get so close :)
And I want to own one of those crazy cars that we got to ride on (try to sit on the top for a little at least... our tour guide went over this big bump it was friggin awesome). Interesting fact: they are made by Dodge. Support your fellow American cars. I drive a Toyota Camry but don't judge me.
I don't want to give too much detail although some people already did since that's part of the fun, but I would just say that it's a great hidden gem and definitely worth a visit.
In looking for something different to do for the visiting relatives that come often I found Safari West. I was looking for something that all levels of activeness could do. Since this is a jeep ride it was perfect.
We started the day with a stroll around the park with a guide who talked about animals that were in the area close to the jeep boarding area. If walking isn't your thing you can skip this part but it isn't a ton of walking so give it a try. If you get bored you can always bag it and wait for everyone else to finish.
The park was enormous, reminding me of Jurassic park as they had to get out and open different gates to let us into different areas to keep the animals in. The most dangerous animal was the water buffalo who we were told not to look him in the eyes or he might charge at the jeep. He looked more like a friendly cow but I took his word for it. That day was an excellent day, we saw every animal the park had to offer. Some days different animals are in hiding or roaming the massive park so you may not catch them all but we did. There are about 600 animals that inhabit this park, including zebra's, gazelles and giraffes. If you sit on the top of the jeep you can possibly get close up and personal with a giraffe.
The only thing I wouldn't recommend doing is staying the night or partaking in their lunch safari. I didn't try either but when in Napa county why wouldn't I eat lunch elsewhere and with all the animals I would assume they all rise early and their fore so would you.
If you haven't gone yourself or taken your kids you must do so. It's hard to imagine that this place is located so close. How I love CA, we have it all
Fun adventure for a team building offsite or for a large group of friends and children. My department had this safari booked as a possible activity, and my friend and I signed up not knowing what to expect. We had a great time! We rode on top of the safari tram throughout the green acres, seeing lots of animals everywhere - zebras, wildebeests, buffalo, antelope, giraffes, ostriches, etc. The animals would come up to the cars sometimes! The trams themselves were adorable old trucks that shuddered along the windy, bumpy roads.
Our tour also came with a lunch, which was fairly simple - sandwiches, potato, macaroni, and fruit salads on the side. Not bad, not great. Our tour guide was great, she was very cheery and made us laugh.
I'm a city girl, always enjoying and exploring places I never knew existed, especially in California!
We stayed for the weekend in those nice luxory tents! (Yes, it's a little pricey.) But it's definitely an experience! When we arrived at Safari West, it was dirt road, small cottage and a little check in station where they have a little restaurant.
We walked towards our tent, which was right across from the Giraffes! We walked up the wooden stairs and found a little patio area with tables and chairs. When we walked in, we had a king size bed, bathroom, electricity outlets. We found everything to be clean! The bathroom had a little opening for air and also had warm showers!
The window was a screen, where you can have a view of the Giraffes! This was great!
We had dinner at the restaurant which was decent and had a tour the next day - rode on the top of the jeep, which was ok... there were not too many animals.
We would probably come here once every 5 years to see if there are any changes. Definitely recommend if you want to experience something new for the family and have a little gettaway!
We stayed one night in a tent cabin with a bathroom (a must) and it was nicer the Camp Curry tent cabins, but a LOT more expensive. We had interrupted sleep with saurus cranes making a lot of noise! Next time, we'll stay elsewhere and take the tour or watch the cheetahs play soccer.
It was a busy weekend for them, and luggage logistics were more difficult than they should have been.
Savannah Cafe was so-so, nothing special.
Very rainy and cold, though its not the fault of the tour operator. No refunds once you book, you can reschedule due to weather though.
We got to sit in jeeps and our group chose to sit on top of the Jeep regardless of the cold. They do provide umbrellas and plastic bags to keep yourselves nice and dry though. It was not raining the first half of our trip, so we got to go off roading in mud and puddles, which is actually very fun. About half an hour to an hour of the tour is walking, to see the more dangerous animals that they don't let roam in the open. There is the tiny little antelopes which I just wanted to grab and take home with me. Sand foxes and other exotic African animals were also there, and our tour guide was extremely enthusiastic and cheerful while going through the whole process.
The vehicle portion of the tour consisted of rolling around the area's enclosures in the beginning and the open plains at the end. Lots of antelope, deer, gazelle, etc. and you can get a full species list on their website. By the time all is said and done, its 3 hours long. I would say the tail end is more boring since the animals you see become less and less exotic. You also tend to see all the predators in the beginning in their cages and all the herbivores at the end. This may vary because of the multiple groups there are. Some start with the vehicle tour and some start with the walking tour. Its great to go once to experience it, but would not go back another time.
We also saw a lot of v-day action on the grounds haha.
Wintertime rates = $58
Summertime rates = $68
Holiday = +$10
Leapin' lemurs! Safari West has them & many other fun-to-see critters. Now, not all of the animals are from Africa, but it was a great day trip just as well & hey, we definitely were not in Africa any way.
I agree with all the take lots of water & sunscreen comments. Also, the address may be listed as Santa Rosa, but it is off Mark West Road & it is a trek from the city, so be prepared for an adventure all the way around.
Who knew this place existed?!
I was taken here for a surprise birthday trip a couple years ago and I never knew a place like this was in California. My bf (at the time) and I had always talked about doing more outdoors-y things... and so when I took off my blind fold and saw where we were I was so excited!
I've never been so close to all of the animals... I mean, a giraffe was licking our jeep while I was on the top of the jeep! Awesome!
Definitely a different experience. Takes you away from the hustle and bustle of the bay. They even have a private jeep ride with wine for you and your friends... but the couple trip was perfect for me!
5 Stars for the tour guide and amazing animal facilities, only 2 stars though for the food and food service staff (that part was pretty bad).
The "love it" breakdown:
-loved all the amazing animals and how informative & entertaining our tour guide was
-liked being able to go right up to the animals and see them in close proximaty
-liked all the animal set-ups (cages etc for them). & overall layout of the place
-the "cabin" was really cool and I'd like to see the insides of the tent cabins
*****what was not-so-good: (The reason I would give them 2 stars, maybe)
Let me preface this by saying I was here with a large group of 50-60 to celebrate a birthday party. The sign on the door said we had the room from 6 p.m. to 9:30 (however I felt like the staff didn't read that sign at all).
Food was out and served buffet stye around 6:45. The food itself was great and the staff was very friendly serving the food.
Around 7:20-7:25 the staff began putting away the food and collecting peoples plates. I barely had a chance to finish my food before my plate was swiped away and I heard several other people comment that they felt they were being rushed.
My boyfriend was one of the last to enjoy the buffet and when a woman came to take away his plate he asked if he would still be able to get food and she said the clean plates and food would be available at the buffet. Then 5 minutes later they begin cleaning up the buffet (not all the food was finished) and taking away more peoples plates and even passing out dessert before everyone had finished!!! (we didn't get to sing happy birthday with the dessert, I thought it was highly inconsiderate).
My boyfriend inquired if he would still be able to get more food like the first woman had said and the second woman who helped us (I believe she was incharge--she should not work in a service industry) told us "well it's not like it's all-you-can-eat." I was FLOORED! If it's not all you can eat why would you start taking away the food before it has been completely finished?
Our dessert plates/silverware were also quickly swiped away.
THE WORST PART--everyone was saying good-bye and getting ready to go (around 8:30-8:40) and even though we were supposed to have the room for much longer the staff began folding chairs putting them away and sweeping and mopping AROUND US! As if we didn't get the message that they wanted us to get our butts out of their earlier they couldn't even wait until the official "end" of our party to start their serious cleaning duties.
All in all, I would go back to see the animals but NEVER EVER for any sort of special occasion banquet. I don't think I would return to eat just a regular meal.
My recommendation is to go enjoy a long jeep tour through the safari and find a better place in Santa Rosa to spend the night that has some quality service.
What an awesome place! Since I have absolutely NO desire to actually travel to Africa for a safari, this place is PERFECT.
It was raining cats and dogs the weekend we went. We were totally prepared with the Gortex, so the rain was not an issue. We did see a lot of other folks looking pretty drippy while huddled under umbrellas - but everyone was smiling.
The animals are really in their element here. While on the safari, the truck just happens upon herds of all kinds of African creatures. You really think you are somewhere other than California. The giraffes, cape buffalos, wildebeests, and hornbills were the best. In the lake, a black swan was chasing away all the Canadian geese. Each time we walked by the lake, the swan was making sure his lake was goose-free-- it was hilarious. Our guide, Robert, was awesome. He was filled with all sorts of information about all the creatures we happened upon. He was very open to answering questions and engaging in conversation about Safari West and the animals.
The tents are super neat, too. They are clean and spacious for two people. The heater and electric blankets are very important for comfort on a stormy February weekend. Bathroom is clean and convenient. The bed was really cozy and hard to get out of the next morning. The food was just ok and really over priced, but we didn't go for the food.
Everyone should check out this place even if its only for a day. Its just so spectacular to see all of those magnificent creatures.
I was really looking forward to taking my young niece and nephew on this safari tour after all the good reviews on Yelp. Unfortunately, the weather didn't really cooperate on our day of choice, and we spent most of the tour freezing under the cloudy skies. I think we might have enjoyed the experience somewhat more if it had been a sunny day, but overall the tour just felt a little underwhelming. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and informative, and it was fun to sit on the top of the jeep (hold on tight!), but I had expected to see a wider variety of animals. As it was, it felt more like a tour of various types of antelope, rather than a full range of different animals.
Bottom line, the staff was great but the animals were lacking in variety.
They have rhinos, zebras, and claim to have one cheetah, but other then that all we saw were antelope after antelope, after antelope.
If you do go make sure you sit up top on the jeep, this is definitely the best place to sit and the best view.
Did not spend the night but did see one of the cabins. The cabin seemed very nice however there was no roof to the restroom, only a screen. It probably gets pretty cold in the restroom during the non summer months.
Overall I don't think I would go back even if friends from out of town requested to go.
I'll never forget that cool, almost-spring morning, when my eyes met his chocolatey brown ones across a grassy field. A loud noise began whirring in my head--was it the sound of fate, of destiny? It felt like I was seeing through to his soul, past his reputation of danger, aggressiveness, smelliness even. I was seeing the side so few rarely see, the sensitive side, the aw shucks side. He was close enough to touch and within the space of a few seconds I was tempted to reach out and make that connection...
And then I snapped back to reality, and realized the last time I reached out to a brown-eyed, cocky and aggressive male, I got my hand bit. And that was by the tame homo sapien male, not even the dangerous cape buffalo flaring his nostrils at me in an attempt to beguile and enchant (or perhaps in an attempt to tell me back the eff up--I don't think he felt quite the same connection).
Though that may have been the most tantalizing experience at Safari West, the 2.5 hr tour through the grounds in a safari truck provided several more memorable encounters. Getting a chance to see the ostriches bright red legs, the several varieties of antelope with their crazy horns, the giraffe practically flicking it's tail in your face, they were all priceless. As was hearing those crazy lemurs squawk and carry on when the male tried to get a little frisky and the lady claimed a headache.
Worth every penny, the information gleaned from the tour guide was useful. It may not be Africa, but being extremely peaceful and serene, it is one of my fave day getaways in the area.
The tour is definitely pricey but as a special treat it was great fun! A giraffe touched my feet and we saw Impala, Zebras and Rhinos! The cheetah was sunning itself directly on the otherside of a fence, not two feet from where I was standing.
I took the 9 a.m. tour, which required getting up much earlier than I'd normally consider on a weekend, however it was worth the pain. The animals were all waking up and eating as we arrived and took the three hour tour. By the time we completed the tour some of the animals, including the adorable Lemurs, were hiding away from the midday sun.
Never will you get this close to a giraffe. And I'm totally being serious here. You have the opportunity to sit on top of a truck that drives right next to them. That puts the giraffe's head right next to yours. You know, the thing is, is that they have huge nasty toungues. All wet and purple... yellow saliva that flows like a fire hydrant. quite nasty. So with all that said... don't get too close!
They also have Wildebeests, Zebras, Gazelle roaming through out the park. lots and lots to see!
The 3 hour tour is well worth the money (50 bucks) and the guides are really great... ask them anything!
let me start by saying safari's are about 100x better than zoos
ive been to a safari in africa and this is def comparable. i got to ride on top of the jeep and the tour guide was super informative. they specialize in african animals and you do get to see them pretty close. its wonderful to see animals roam about instead of caged up in a small area. they have a wonderful bird collection as well. this place is 400 acres
the ticket price was a tad bit expensive $70 but safari west is fully funded but its visitors and where else are you going to have the chance to go on a safari if you're not going to travel to africa? so it was worth it
i also got dinner and its $30/person. it was good but i would say if you have time, go elsewhere - their specials are good though
and lastly, make sure you charge your camera! and take lots of pictures!
