Um, so, I went on a Safari?! :D @SafariWest 🐒🦓🐃🐗🦒🦏🦩🐊🐾
Yesterday, I was surprised with an exciting adventure to Safari West!!!! It exceeded all of my expectations (which were VERY HIGH) and it was just the most magical experience.
Several years ago, Safari West was impacted by the Tubb's fire, which was the first time I had ever heard of it. I know they were hit hard, but came back swinging. I've been dying to go, and always trying to find a balance between staying home and sheltering in place and wanting to put money back into the economy.
Click to viewOur tour was at 9am, so everyone was still waking up and frisky (the animals, although I guess us, too, haha). It was also an incredibly loooooong trek--about 2.5-3 hours! The pricing is 100000000% reasonable and fitting for the amount of time you spend out on the terrain and how much you learn while you're out there. I wasn't expecting 400 acres worth of coverage.
Here's a little preview video:
Anyway, here we gooooooo!!!
Our Journey begins at 7am, with the whole world looking like this:
Preemptively masking up in the car.
Dressed for the occasion.
omg, does this mean we are really here???
THIS DOES!
One of the nicest bathrooms I have ever been in, honestly. I've been in ones in five star hotels that weren't nearly as lovely or well-kept as this one.
Obligatory mention:
They have the sanitation standards down; I'd even say they've gone above and beyond. They are truly committed to the safety of their guests. They have it down to a science (womp womp), and they truly know what they're doing. If you're nervous in any way about going because of the virus, I can safely say I felt like they were responsible, and so was I. Nothing about it was stressful at all, except towards the end when kid wouldn't wear his mask. >:(
SOOOOOO I am DUMB and did not get pictures of the jeep before getting into it, but obviously you can look at the videos above, hahahaha!
We truly lucked out, because our tour guide, Zach, is a big cat scientist and conservationist. He was so knowledgeable and just an over all fascinating person who really knew his stuff! What a joy!
Okay, here are the animal pictures I am sure you've been waiting for! hahahaha!:
(Also, most of these photos did not employ the use of zooming in because the animals got that close!
A striped hyena who thought he was getting a snack and was not. :(
I can haz snack?
Um, excuse me, that is a real Nile Crocodile.
At no point are you allowed out of the jeep or to touch any of the animals, even though the giraffe's LOOOOOVE being up in your business.
HAD I been allowed out of the jeep, I would have run over to the rhinos and hugged them (and promptly died, probably).
My sister,... Instagramming.
Being cheeky and saying hi.
There is an African language that is based on the noises this creature makes, and is so fascinatingly complex.
Cape water buffalo.
This one kept staring at my sister because she was wearing a stupid cape with zebra stripes, hahahahahaha
JUDGEMENT
NO TRIP UP NORTH is complete without A&W:
Safari West is absolutely wonderful. All of the animals are happy, content, well-loved and well looked after. My sister and I are looking into going back maybe for our niece's 4th birthday in December. There is also an option to spend the night. Would 25/10 recommend going, and, when Covid is over, I want to take everyone who comes to visit here.
Mommy and baby zebra.