Safari West - What it is and what it isn't

A few weeks back my wife and I booked an overnight stay at Safari West. Safari West is an animal preserve located in the hills of Santa Rosa, California. A visit to their website explains exactly what they are and what they do.

For some reason people read past the description “Not a zoo, not a drive-through park, it's a wildlife preserve” and expect to see lions taking down zebras as they drive through the park.

Safari West is a wildlife preserve located on 400 acres. They house many different types of African animals and birds. Their two main purposes are to breed and preserve exotic and endangered species and to educate the public about endangered animals.

There are several ways the public can engage the activities of Safari West. They offer behind the scenes tours, a 3 hour safari ride, overnight stays in African style canvas cabins and other choices. We stayed in the overnight canvas cabins. They are very rustic but comfortable. Each has its own full bathroom including hot and cold water, flush toilets, and hot showers. The cabin décor is African themed. Just imagine a comfortable hotel room with wooden floor and canvas sides and roof. You have visual privacy but very little audio privacy.

Our cabin had an excellent view of the giraffes. During the evening it was a lot quieter than I had expected. Every now and then the flamingos would chatter noisely.

The only way to actually roam the back acres is to take their safari tour ride in one of their beat up old Dodge converted power wagons. It’s about a three hour tour but well worth the cost.

For meals, they offer a snack bar or buffet style B-B-Q. Continental breakfast is included with the overnight stay. Due to dietary concerns we did not participate in the B-B-Q but the food looked delicious.

I would recommend the overnight stay with the safari tour. The prices are not low but everything about Safari West is eco-friendly and as such you can expect to pay a little more.

Think of Safari West as a working African ranch where endangered and exotic animals are bred and visitors are welcomed. Check out their website. http://www.safariwest.com/