Safari West

A number of years ago we saw an article in the LA Times about Safari West. I thought it would be a great couples trip, but other destinations always came up. Finally an opportunity to take the adult “kids” and grandsons came up. We arrived early afternoon and checked into our tents 7/17. We wanted them a bit closer but ours, #17 had a great view of the antelopes and giraffes. The day we arrived was Very hot so everyone had to take a nap. We all arrived early for dinner, which was very good. After, the kids found other kids to run in the grass and visited the cheetahs. The next day we had the 10:00 tour with Sky who was great for the kids & adults. Being able to see most all the animals close up was great. I would highly recommend the experience, if you can, spend the night, if not. The tour & lunch or dinner, so you can walk around some.

We organized a big group thing to celebrate a birthday. We reserved a private tour for about 10 of us and got the buffet dinner afterward. In addition, two of us stayed overnight in one of the deluxe “tents.” I thought it was really great—I want to come back with some other friends in a few months. Our guide, Cindy, couldn’t have been more knowledgeable or friendly—she’s a total asset to the organization. We saw so many animals and the drive was really fun. Dinner was ok—the Mac and cheese was really good.

Took my daughter's family, including a 6 and ab 8 year old. We had reservations for the 10 AM safari and the 1 PM buffet lunch. Our tour guide, Sky, was very friendly and very knowledgeable. We all learned a lot. The buffet was much better than I had expected. I highly recommend this experience.

We had a magical time. The staff amazing. The Animals amazing. The property amazing. We spent 3 nights which gave us 2 full days. Our first day we did the 8am behind the scenes tour. This was early and cold however I think it was the best time as the animals were fresh and ready for feeding. The giraffe experience will bring tears of joy to all. The food for breakfast was advertised as continental breakfast however there were eggs. The protein was appreciated. Dinner was plentiful and tasty. You are close to Calistoga and St Helena if you want a little wine tasting. Ok the big issue in December. The bathroom is 20-30 degrees colder than the rest of the tent. The heaters are virtually useless. Not a big deal if you use the electric blanket. A bad deal for those on the cotes and a miserable way to wake up and get ready. Not sure why they don’t make a trip to Costco and great new heaters. (Picture attached). Frankly this was a big issue as we sat in the room wearing our winter coats to play games. ( we had 3 different heaters hoping for a different response). Overall we are having a blast. Wish us luck as we go to bed with the tent temperature around 40

My family and I got away for a night up to the tent cabins at Safari West. What an amazing experience! The zoo itself is spectacular with so much diversity. We thoroughly enjoyed our tent cabin which was way less "roughing it" than we expected - beautifully appointed and so much fun. We fell asleep and woke up to the sounds of all of the animals, felt like we were in Africa. The Safari tour we did was great and our tour guide Robert was knowledgeable and entertaining. In fact, everyone we met was knowledgeable, helpful and seemed to completely enjoy the work they did. We'll definitely be back!

We came for earthday which happens to be my son's birthday. The accommodations look very intriguing though we haven't tried them yet. The tours are very good. The food is outstanding as well. What a great experience for all who attend.

Safari West was on my bucket list of things to do with my kids in the summer. I thought it was a great overall experience and worth the money (to do once, in our case!). My kids are 7 and 9. We stayed for one night in a safari tent and then did the safari the next morning. If you read about the experience of spending the night on the website, it very clearly states that the animals make a lot of noise at night. So we came prepared knowing that although we wouldn't get the best night of sleep, it was the experience of feeling like you were actually out camping in the middle of Africa that mattered. The property is awesome and we had a great time wandering around from the time of check in until dinner. We skipped dinner on the property (outrageously expensive) and went to Calistoga instead. When we returned, we relaxed on the deck, enjoyed the view, did a puzzle, etc. For bedtime, bathroom was great and we all showered with hot water and then jumped into our very comfortable beds. We were plenty warm. As I stated before, we were awoken at night many times by the sound of animals, but that was part of the experience, and none of us minded - we actually got a kick out of it! It was cold in the morning, but the second we turned the heater on, the tent warmed up to a comfortable temperature. The breakfast buffet was very good - plenty of options and tasty. The safari was really cool - my kids LOVED sitting at the top of the jeep and we were able to get really close to the animals. It was wonderful to have a guide to talk us through all the different species we observed. The whole experience is expensive, but it was well worth it for my family. We had a great time! If you have AT&T, you will have full cellular service. Bring a lantern as there is not sufficient light in the bathroom during dusk/night/dawn.

We loved the safari. It was the highlight of our CA vacation. Our guide Kendra was awesome. You could really tell that she has knowledge and a heart for animals. Dinner was really good. Loved the fresh appetizers and the steak, chicken and homemade sides. I was so tired that the kids and I went straight to sleep (despite some interesting animal noises). Our tent neighbors however kept my husband up until he had to ask them at midnight to "be considerate of their neighbors". That woke me up and thus little sleep the rest of the night (even with ear plugs). Safari West cannot control whether or not others have manners but it is something to consider if you need a good nights sleep. Breakfast was great as well. I wish they would consider adding some additional tents spaced out a bit more so that you didn't have to worry about the people next to you.

Had an awesome time at Safari West. The tents exceeded my expectations. The bathrooms were really cold if you had to pee in the middle of the night, but other than that we had a great time. The dinner was also great. Tasty appetizers and which included a variety of fruit, cheese, crackers, meat balls and onion soup. The dinner was also tasty and filling. Dinner included chicken and ribs. Everything was great, but the Cesar salad had a little too much dressing. Seeing the animals was fun, you could get within a few feet of some gorgeous animals. Great experience. A little pricey, but will definitely come back.