Finally, we got to Safari West. I had been waiting for years for W to be 4+ so I could take him and we made it!! Weekdays are bit cheaper than weekends for both the rooms and safari ride. They give a little discount if you book the room and stay overnight. We did a Friday night trip. I think one night is sufficient in Safari West. We booked many months in advance as they sell out pretty quick in summers and even after for weekends. We booked the Antelope Alley room to be next to the animals. They have several rooms which give a camping kind of experience. Glamping - they call it. Their website is pretty self sufficient to book everything. Tip to book - reserve the room through website and then everything else (lunch, dinner and safari ride etc) via phone to avoid the high online booking fee. They are very user friendly. Below was the view from our room.
The animals get quite loud at night, especially the flamingoes. Not everyone can sleep in that kind of noise but we managed. The noises were all throughout the night and pretty loud but we enjoyed it:) The patio in the dark was awesome with the starry night sky. It was a beautiful experience.
We did not reserve the BBQ dinner for the night but I heard it is quite good. Breakfast is included in room price which was great. We did reserve the lunch for next day and it was good too. Glad we did that as there is really no eating place close by.
Next morning, we walked around the safari west. Not a lot to see while walking except for giraffes and monkeys. We were booked for a safari ride at 10am. The sooner in the morning, the better it is. The ride and rooms along with breakfast/lunch place are all pretty close - easy walking distance of 2-3 minutes. The safari ride is right in front of the eating place. I had been reading everywhere that safari ride is not recommended for pregnant women. There is no restriction by safari west as such but people avoid it. The tour guide encouraged me to go for it and I did by paying there and then. They wouldn't have allowed booking right there as they were all full but they had one seat! Glad I went. It is a bit bumpy plus there are no restrooms on the way. It gets pretty hot on the ride. So, sooner the better. Another tip: If you are pregnant, then avoid sitting on the top of the safari, else it could be hard. We got the upper level which has 3 seats as our son wanted the upper level. He loved it! They give turns to sit up if there are more than one families wanting to sit up in the jeep. We had close encounters with Ostrich, saw zebras, antelopes and giraffes along with other animals. They do not have elephants though. The safari lasts for more than an hour. Totally worth it!
