San Diego is at the Southernmost part of the Golden State and it features many touristic attractions that are both unique and world renowned such as the culturally enriching Balboa park, the charming Coronado Island, and the controversial Sea World. Amongst these popular touristic loactions is the San Diego Zoo which is one of the most famous zoo’s in the world.
The San Diego Zoo is home to over 4,000 animals from more than 800 different species. A notable feature of the San Diego Zoo is that they participate in the preservation of species and breed many animals at risk of extinction such as Rhinos. These endangered species are released into their natural habitats in the wild if suitable for the animal.
The San Diego Safari Park is a lesser known park that is owned by the San Diego Zoo. At the safari park you are able to experience the wildlife in a different manner than at any zoo. The safari park has attractions that the zoo does not offer. These attractions include a zipline ride across several of the animal exhibits, a hot air ballon lift that provides a bird’s eye-view of the entire park, and a caravan that takes you into the African savanna animal exhibit’s that contains Rhinos, Giraffes, and Buffalos. The Wildlife Safari caravan is our personal favorite. You get to ride in the back of an open-air safari truck and feel as though you have been transported to Africa. The ride is 1-hour long and is equally relaxing as it is exciting. While the zookeepers are careful to promise anything, on every occasion that we have done the caravan we have been able to both feed both Rhinos and Giraffes and have even been able to pet the Rhinos.
The Wildlife Safari caravan has always been the most memorable part of our visits to the safari park. If you are only able to do one attraction while visiting the park, we highly recommend choosing this one. Other fun and interactive exhibits include the Wallaby and Lemur exhibits. In the Wallaby exhibit you are able to walk down a winding path lined with various types of Wallaby’s and Kangaroos. Currently, the animals can only be observed and not pet, but hopefully soon they will allow the petting of these furry cuties again. In the Lemur exhibit, you are able to walk around their home which contains various trees for them to relax on. While the Lemur’s are not available for petting, it is exciting to be so close to these intriguing animals.
The San Diego Safari Park has attractions and exhibits for everyone. Each animal exhibit transports you to the jungles of the Amazon, savannas in Africa, and the unique island of Madagascar. If you are in the Escondido area and are in the mood for a bit of world exploration without the travel restrictions consider supporting this preservation mission by visiting the San Diego Safari Park your travel senses and the animals will thank you.
“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”
~Aesop
Kat + Alex’s Tips:
- Wear comfortable shoes-you will definitely get your 10,000 steps in here!
- If visiting in hot summer months, consider bringing an umbrella or hat as it is all outdoors.
- Their ice cream cookie sandwich is actually delicious if you’re in the mood for a sweet snack!
- Get to the Safari Park early and during the week if you can in order to beat the heat and the crowds
Stay wild!
Kat + Alex ~
LoCALs 