The current economic climate has certainly had a dramatic impact on the spending habits of most, and vacation travels are sure to take a hit this summer, with those who might otherwise travel far and wide, staying closer to home and finding family vacations not just closer to home, but those which will have less impact on their budgets. With that in mind, if you had shelved any ideals of traveling to Africa, you and the kids need not feel that all is lost and there is a slice of the Serengeti right here in Northern California. Even more unlikely, it can be found outside of San Francisco in the wine country region, where instead of wine country tours, there are tours of the animals – both driving, and walking - in their natural settings.
The Safari West Wildlife Preserve is a four hundred acre facility teaming with exotic animals and run by the former curator of the San Francisco Zoo, who promotes an environment of authenticity and one that immerses you amongst the animals with a healthy respect for them along the way. On the preserve are white rhinos, gazelles, wildebeests, buffalo, antelope, oryx, any dozens of other exotic species which one would only otherwise see in Africa.
And this is no day-trippers’ sanctuary. Just as the natural rolling hills and the sights and sounds of the exotic animals will transport you to the plains of Africa, that experience is further available in the accommodations within the facility’s African Tent Camp. Don’t let the name fool you; these are no pitched tents. These are fixed tents which have full bathrooms and hot water. Meals are also provided with a full breakfast served in the lodge and dinner outdoors before sunset so that you can enjoy the company of others, enjoy the vistas and animals, and continually remind yourself that you’re out of Africa, and only minutes from the wine country tours of Sonoma and Napa.
