Taking a trip to Northern California’s Sonoma County? If so, I’ve got an absolute must-do for you.
Enter the chat: Safari West, a wildlife reservation in Santa Rosa.
The name says it all. That’s right, in good ol’ Santa Rosa, CA, you can actually experience a slice of Africa without the steep safari tour prices or a plane ticket! In my opinion–after experiencing it for myself–this is the best-kept secret of Sonoma County.
For my sister’s birthday, we booked tickets for the safari tour. Honestly, I couldn’t believe that it took me 20+ years of living in Northern California to realize this place existed.
The takeaway? It was an absolute blast and I would do it again in a heartbeat!
Below, I’ll describe my safari experience in full so you’ll know exactly what to expect should you choose to embark on your own little African adventure in California.
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Table of Contents
WHAT IS SAFARI WEST?
Although Sonoma County may best be known for its wine country culture, it’s also home to Safari West, a 400-acre wildlife reservation. This AZA-accredited safari, located just an hour from San Francisco, has been nicknamed the “Sonoma Serengeti.”
And because they are AZA-accredited, you can rest assured that the animals here are loved, cared for, and allowed to roam freely. The property is home to over 900 exotic animals and offers year-round tours and even overnight stays.
Safari West is located on the outskirts of Santa Rosa, CA, about 20 minutes outside of the city center. For the uninitiated, Santa Rosa is just about an hour from San Francisco, which makes it a perfect weekend destination from the Bay Area.
WAYS TO EXPERIENCE SAFARI WEST
Most people who visit Safari West will opt for either a classic day tour or an overnight stay.
Most people opt for the classic day tour, as did we!
On the 3-hour wildlife day tour, your adventure will consist of a 2-hour guided safari ride and a 1-hour guided walk. During these 3 hours, you can expect to see copious amounts of African animals such as cheetahs, rhinos, hyenas, oryx, gazelle, wildebeest, zebras, giraffes, and tons more.
If you’d like to experience more, Safari West also offers a variety of deeper encounters as well as behind-the-scenes walking tours that take visitors around the preserve and get patrons up close and personal to some of the animals.
For an even MORE immersive experience, you can opt for the nighttime safari to encounter all the nocturnal animals.
Lastly, there are luxury canvas tents available for rent on the property. This allows the more adventurous to “glamp” near the nearby animals overnight.
SAFARI WEST REVIEW: WHAT TO EXPECT
I had been yearning to go to Safari West for years and was finally able to find an excuse to visit this year!
My family and I booked a safari tour to celebrate my sister’s 27th birthday. It turns out, a lot of other patrons had the same idea–in our tour group of 12 people, there were 2 other people celebrating their birthdays as well. I totally get it, what an epic and fun way to celebrate your day!
Since we were visiting in early September, we had decided to book the second tour of the day (a 10 am start time) to avoid the stifling heat that Santa Rosa is known for. While making our reservations online, we had also made lunch reservations at the on-site restaurant, Savannah Cafe, for 1 pm. That way, as soon as our tour was over, we’d be able to go eat.
Upon arriving on the day of our tour, we were greeted with a large parking lot near the front of the property. Once parked, we headed to the registration office to check in and pick up our tour wristbands. We were directed to hang out in the main waiting area by the tour cars, where there were guest restrooms and a cafe with snacks and coffee for purchase.
Already, we were hearing the vibrant sounds of birds, crossing paths with families of guineafowl, and even caught a glimpse of a few lemurs roaming freely and uncaged in their little environment!
We only stood around for a few minutes before the role call check-ins began. During the second check-in done by the tour guides themselves, we noticed that there were a lot of people. You’ll probably experience the same thing. But don’t worry, there won’t be 30-60 people in your tour group! Our safari vehicle had no more than 12 people on board.
Do note that there are a few different tours happening at the same time as yours so seeing other groups on separate vehicles is common. The Safari West team does a good job of taking different routes as to not step on each other’s toes or get in the way of each other.
Some tours will start with the jeep tour and end with the walking tour while others start with the walking portion first and end with the jeep tour. At no point did we feel like the park was overcrowded, which is a huge plus!
Once we all did introductions and learned the ropes of the safari vehicle, we all hopped in and were off on our ride!
The safari vehicles have three rows of seats in the lower part of the vehicle and one row on the top of the jeep. Each row can fit 3-4 passengers. While only one group was allowed to ride up top at a time, over the course of the tour, our guide did a great job of switching people in and out for the best seats of the house! Every 20-30 minutes, he pulled over and allowed people to reshuffle themselves so that each party would have the chance to ride up top. Seatbelts are required for the top row only.
It certainly wasn’t long before we saw our first large animal sighting! We started off at the giraffe preserve, where we admired these elegant creatures while our guide proceeded to tell us everything he knew about giraffes.
We saw two different types of giraffes side by side, the Masai and the Reticulated subspecies. Being able to compare them while they were right next to each other was not only educational but also really fascinating.
It’s important to note that while the animals can touch you, you can’t touch or pet any of them. Being able to see them so up-close was fun nonetheless!
After what seemed like 20 minutes of staring at the baby giraffes in awe, after our guide answered all our giraffe-related questions, we finally moved on.
We stopped to observe and learn about all the animals we passed by, including the rhinos, wildebeests, buffalo, eland, antelope, gazelle, and even the critically endangered addax.
We learned all about why certain antelopes were colored differently, how buffalo typically behave in the wild in Africa, and why some had gigantic horns that were seemingly too large for their heads!
One of the last animals we saw on our 2-hour safari ride was the zebras. They started off pretty docile, then became extremely playful over time and began chasing each other!
I had never in my life seen zebras running freely, and YESSSS they were actually running around and down hills! It was an amazing and unforgettable sight and our vehicle was really lucky to witness it.
After the first 2 hours were complete, we made it back to the starting point of the circuit. We hopped out, took a bathroom break, and embarked on the walking portion of the tour.
On our wildlife walk, we saw cheetahs, tortoises, monkeys, lemurs, and even an aviary filled with dozens of bird species coexisting with each other. As with the driving portion of the tour, the guide will share a ton of facts about each of the animals you pass by. You’re also allowed to ask them whatever you want about the animals–they’re so, so knowledgable!
Overall my favorite sights across the entire tour were those of the giraffes, fennec foxes, monkeys, hyenas, lemurs, and the lounging cheetah!
Once the tour had come to an end, we headed for Savannah Cafe, the on-site African safari-inspired restaurant. In addition to carrying a wonderful aroma of barbecued meats, the restaurant area was so adorably decorated and I really did feel like I had been transported right to Africa!
And surprisingly, the food was really good. Each person had the choice of ordering an assortment of foods including salad, barbecued chicken, pulled pork, fresh fruits, potato salad, mac and cheese, a dinner roll, assorted veggies, and baked beans. You can choose to get it all or omit any you don’t want.
We got it all and it was so worth it. Everything was so flavorful and most importantly, the meats were moist and tender!
IS SAFARI WEST WORTH THE MONEY?
In my opinion, Safari West is worth every penny paid! Not only will you get to experience a slice of Africa without having to fly overseas, but you’ll also learn SO much about all the different animals from experienced tour guides.
I didn’t get the chance to stay overnight at Safari West, but having stayed in a bungalow for a few days in the Amazon rainforest while in Peru, I know firsthand how epic it is sleeping among animals in the wild.
Sure, it can be loud at times, but when else would you get the chance to be one with nature and fauna?
Lastly, I did want to mention that because Safari West is privately owned, their only source of income is from guests. When you pay for safaris, overnight stays, and other services at Safari West, you are helping to feed and care for the hundreds of animals you see at the preserve.
With that said, Safari West is 100% worth it.
ESSENTIAL TIPS FOR SAFARI WEST
- Be sure to make your safari reservation at least a few weeks in advance in order to get the best tour times. During the summers especially, the later it is in the day, the hotter it will be.
- You’ll need to show up 15 minutes before your scheduled tour departure time so the Safari West team can do a role call and assign you your tour guide.
- Dress appropriately depending on the time of your tour. Though we went on a hot summer day with temperatures expected around 85 degrees F, we found that we still had to wear jackets during our 10am safari ride.
- If you are cold, they do provide freshly laundered blankets during the safari tour.
- Be sure to order lunch with your package to top off your safari experience. The food was actually pretty darn delicious (not like that low-quality food you can expect at amusement parks at all)!
- Don’t forget to tip your tour guid, restaurant servers, and housekeepers!
- If you’re staying overnight and are a light sleeper, you should pack some earplugs just in case. If you forget them, simply ask the main office if they have any when you check-in.
ESSENTIAL PACKING LIST FOR SAFARI WEST
- Reusable water bottle – food is not allowed on the tour, but water is.
- Sunscreen – absolutely necessary for sunny California destinations. Even if it’s overcast or cloudy, the UV index can be very high, so be sure to apply whenever you’re outdoors. No matter where we go, we like a coral reef-safe brand, as traditional sunscreens contain chemicals that damage our environment. For the face, we are absolutely obsessed with Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen.
- Hat
- Closed-toed shoes – for the walking portion of the tour
- Cash for tipping – You’ll want to tip the staff at Safari West, including tour guides, restaurant servers, and housekeeping.
WHERE TO STAY FOR SAFARI WEST
Onsite
If you have the budget to afford it, you could totally extend your wildlife adventure with an overnight glamping experience right on the Safari West property.
Imported from Botswana, each of their thirty luxury tents features a private viewing deck, en-suite bathroom with real flushing toilets and showers, and polished hardwood floors. You’ll also find a charging port, electric blankets, and a space heater for colder nights.
And because you’re technically camping, you’ll get to listen to all the wildlife sounds of the Sonoma Serengeti! After your slumber, wake up to breakfast at the Savannah Cafe. Breakfast is included with your glamping stay, which is really cool!
Nearby Hotels
If staying on the property is not your thing or it is out of your budget, we recommend staying in one of the following hotels:
Vinarosa Resort (Santa Rosa, CA) – 13 minutes from Safari West – The ultimate luxury! Located in Sonoma wine country, Vintners Resort is a luxury hotel located on a vineyard trail. Guests are offered a free bottle of wine upon arrival. Each room comes with a private balcony or patio and in-room massage services.
Hotel E (Santa Rosa, CA) – 20 minutes from Safari West – A modern and stylish hotel located inside a historical building, centrally located within downtown Santa Rosa.
Cambria Hotel Sonoma Wine Country, Rohnert Park – 25 minutes from Safari West – We stayed at this new hotel and were blown away by what we got for the price! Along with super clean and modern rooms, there is an onsite restaurant, pool, and wonderful gym equipped with Peloton bikes!
OTHER THINGS TO DO NEAR SAFARI WEST
If you’re looking for additional things to do before or after your safari adventure, you’re in luck! There are a tons of fun little towns in the area to explore, including Healdsburg, Santa Rosa, Calistoga, and Sonoma, CA.
While these destinations are best known for their wine culture, there are also many shops, spas, restaurants, and bars for those of you who don’t give a hoot about wine.
A quick taste of the area: Calistoga offers unique mud bath experiences, while Santa Rosa offers lots of opportunities to go thrifting and antique shopping. Guerneville and its crown jewel attraction–the Russian River–can be a whole lot of fun for the whole family!
Check out some of our favorite things to do in Sonoma County in this travel guide.
IS SAFARI WEST A ZOO?
Safari West is an African Wildlife Preserve and African Tent Camp, fully accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). However, Safari West is not the typical zoo or animal theme park, that you’d expect. They are also not a drive-through park. That means you cannot take your own vehicle through the park.
The wildlife preserve is a privately-owned facility whose primary focus is on conservation through education.
CAN YOU FEED THE ANIMALS AT SAFARI WEST?
No, Safari West does not allow guests to feed the animals while on the safari tours. The only exception is when you book one of their special animal encounters and are under the direct supervision of one of the safari guides.
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Dear Ellie,
I cannot thank you enough for the care and effort you put into this wonderful piece on Safari West . These have been a very trying couple of months and it did our entire staff good to see our beloved preserve featured on your site . You did a wonderful job showcasing all the amazing animals, staff, and scenery that make Safari West magical.
Thank you for helping to keep us in the public eye!
Sincerely,
Aphrodite Caserta
Hi Aphrodite, I am SO glad you landed on this post! The entire Safari West team deserves a huge pat on the back for being such great hosts to its visitors. Feel free to share this post with whoever you need to convince to visit you all 🙂
Thank you for this thoughtful, comprehensive, and encouraging review. It’s a helpful overview of our anticipated YMCA visit in mid-June. Having been a Peace Corps volunteer in Africa in the mid-60’s, this should be an indelible and heartfelt reminder of my cherished time on that continent.
Love Safari West! My tour guide Robert and my experience was phenomenal! He was so knowledgeable and catered to our inquisitive kids! The food was great and the the animals were incredible ! It truly is a great experience!