Tuesday, July 10, 2012

On Safari

I never tire of California; you can do just about anything here including go on a Safari.  My family and I took a mini vacation to Safari West located in Santa Rosa, CA.  It's not a zoo but a wild life preserve that covers 400 acres of land with more that 400 exotic animals.  Below are a few pictures from our adventures.

Pictured above is the jeep we rode in for our tour.  We even got to sit on the top bench  part of the time.

I was about seven feet away from this giraffe when I took the photo.  There were no fences between us.  We were sitting on the top bench so I was practically eye level with him.  The giraffes were one of my favorite parts of the tour.  They have the sweetest eyes.


 
That bar on the right hand side of the picture is part of the jeep.  That's how close we were to these zebras during the tour. 

Another animal we saw on the tour. At the moment, the species name escapes me.  Any zoologists out there who want to help me out?   Update - Above is a picture of a Bongo from the antelope species.  Thanks Corvus!

The African tent we stayed in. The walls are canvas but as you can see there are wood floors.  There's also a standard bathroom with plumbing (thank goodness).  I kind of felt like I was staying overnight at the zoo in this tent. It was even noisy like a zoo at night which is part of the fun.  Some of the tents overlooked the giraffes. 

Here's the inside of our tent.  That's my husband sitting on the bed reading.  I thought the tents were very charming with all the nature details.

Speaking of details, here's a picture of the bathroom vanity.  I'm told that the owner (Peter Lang) of Safari West makes a lot of the wood furniture for the tents. 

I wish I could share all my photos with you but I suspect I've already gone a little overboard. 

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12 comments:

  1. AnonymousJuly 11, 2012 at 2:39 AM

    That's a Bongo! Largest living antelope species. I've always thought they were gorgeous.

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  2. SuzanneJuly 11, 2012 at 5:06 AM

    Totally neat opportunity! I think my family would really enjoy sleeping amid the sounds of the preserve.

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  3. DeannaJuly 11, 2012 at 6:49 AM

    Oh that's so cool! We have a drive through preserve with some exotic animals that come right up to the car and you throw food at them out your window, but nothing as cool as a tent to stay in.

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  4. zakkalifeJuly 11, 2012 at 7:04 AM

    Corvustristis,

    Thank you! I will update the post now.

    I agree, they're absolutely gorgeous. I especially like the contrasting stripes on their back.

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  5. Lisa EJuly 11, 2012 at 12:18 PM

    My family has stayed overnight at Safari West. We LOVED it. You're right about it being noisy at night though.

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  6. JoyJuly 11, 2012 at 3:04 PM

    I'm so jealous! Looks like your family had a blast! Will have to add this to my list of family vacation destinations!

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  7. jojoebi-designsJuly 11, 2012 at 3:13 PM

    looks great and that tent is a lot posher than the one we will be using this weekend!

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  8. jessicaJuly 11, 2012 at 6:12 PM

    what an awesome trip.

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  9. AnonymousJuly 13, 2012 at 2:12 PM

    Looks like a fun place to visit. How many other people are with you on the tour?
    Kris

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  10. CacaJuly 15, 2012 at 8:02 PM

    California indeed a beautiful state, with lot of things to do.

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  11. KJ@letsgoflyakiteJuly 17, 2012 at 3:56 AM

    I took my daughter to Safari West in 2009 and stayed in one of the tents. At the time, she called it Fairy West and was especially interested in the species that looked like a unicorn! It looks like you are having a wonderful summer!

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  12. Jordan HoodDecember 4, 2012 at 12:47 PM

    An evening safari tour is certainly more exciting than a day tour because there are many animals you can see only at night. I wish you posted some pictures of your experience! But I think the flash of a camera can sometimes scare some animal at nights, so I can’t blame you for not having photos. Anyway, it is good that you were able to get a rich experience from the trip, even being able to get a taste of the culture of Shangaan in the end!

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