San Diego Zoo Safari Park a must see adventure

A handsome, healthy lion is a favorite resident of travel writers Bruce Keller and Christene "Cookie" Meyers, below, who enjoy the San Diego Zoo Safari Park each year. Thousands of animal lovers from all over the world spend a day or two learning and admiring the animals who are carefully tended at the world famous park.

CHRISTENE MEYERS

PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER

"The Carpe Diem Kids"

Keller and Cookie enjoying a day at world renowned San Diego Zoo Safari Park

THE SAN DIEGO Zoo Safari Park is an international treasure, visited by thousands each year and home to a carefully supervised grouping of 3,000 animals sharing 1,800 beautifully landscaped yet "wild looking" acres.

For us, it's an annual "must see." For many others, it's a once-in-a-lifetime exposure to rare animals from around the world.

A female kangaroo wakes from an afternoon nap.

The highly acclaimed park has some of the world's most successful breeding programs, particularly the rhino, who has been brought back from near extinction thanks to parks such as San Diego's. The city's rare white rhinos (the same color as grey) are the only two left on the planet. That makes seeing these wondrous creatures even more special. 

WE SPENT a full, happy day at San Diego Zoo Safari Park, an enchanting place for families and kids of all ages, like the two of us. We hopped aboard the Africa Tram to get a bird's eye view of the park's  beautifully arranged habitat.  

A view of the safari park grounds from a lookout near the elevator.

We had a terrific guide who stopped so we could get close-up views of giraffes, rhinos, antelope and gazelles. We also saw mule deer, "freeloaders," who visit the park as unofficial guests, enjoying the grounds and a nibble.

San Diego Zoo Safari Park Pointers

THE CRITTERS we saw are free to roam happily on the savannah grounds within artfully designed areas to separate but not "fence." We recommend strolling the grounds and taking the tram ride to enjoy artfully landscaped terrain, resembling the foliage the animals know, ample shelter and wide open spaces the animals enjoy in their carefully designed habitats. The dozens of critters we admired appear happy with the arrangement.

Besides beautifully tended grounds, the zoo boasts a fascinating botanical garden with over a million plants, carefully marked.

San Diego Zoo Safari Park has two platypuses. The semiaquatic, egg-laying mammal is endemic to eastern Australia. We were thrilled to catch a glimpse of this guy.

OUR TERRIFIC 20-minute tram ride gave us an idea of what we'd like to see more of and return to.  We knew that would include the Australia walkabout since we have many times visited that continent and observed its unique critters. Speaking of walking, prepare to get your exercise.  It's a large expanse and we logged over 4 miles on our recent visit. Motorized carts are available for rental and a variety of tours can be organized for those who don't want total independence.  Over 1.6 million visitors joined in the park's exploration and learning experience last year.

Among the pleasures is watching a tiger nap -- feet and legs in the air, almost comically relaxed.  

Christene "Cookie" Meyers watches a sleeping tiger close-up.

Besides observing napping critters, you'll see lots of lively ones including a variety of monkeys. We watched lesser spot-nosed monkeys, a lively troop of capuchin monkeys, colobus monkeys and northern black-crested mangabeys sharing a habitat. Spot-nosed monkeys are about too, and and wolf's monkeys hang around with their pygmy hippo pals. If you time it right, you'll see them swing through the trees.

Our favorite interlude was watching a lion chow down on a beef shank, as nearby vultures await the scraps. Then watch them peck on the bones.

Special tours are available as additions to the regular ticket.  You can join a small group like this one to get up close and personal.

As part of the ticket which begins at $76, you can access the cheetah run to witness the lightning speed of these big, beautiful cats. You can feed the lovely lorikeets by hand as they swoop down, and various upgrades are available for more money. You can book a wildlife safari, for instance, to travel in the back of a covered open-air safari truck -- like  those we've used

on African safari. The truck travels through the park's expansive savanna habitats with an expert guide providing detailed information on each species. 

The entrance hall at San Diego Zoo Safari Park welcomed over 1.6 million visitors last year.

ANOTHER terrific aspect of a visit is learning. It's wonderful to see groups of school kids taking photos, soaking it all up.  And the knowledgeable volunteers who are always within easy reach enrich the experience, answering questions, giving pointers on best viewing spots. 

We found the docents helpful in tracking down the platypus exhibit. We had to adjust our eyes as we entered the dark world of this shy creature to catch a glimpse of the female swimming around, resting on a log and generally enjoying the attention (or so it seemed to us delighted tourists.)  

More tips to enhance your a safari park visit

With various upgrades, you can pend a bit more than the ticket.

There are money-saving ticket packages including one that combines the Safari Park entrance with the Zoo and SeaWorld.  Various coupons and discounts can also be found with a little shopping around on the internet. You'll also pay a parking fee of $20.

Highlights, add-ons, options

Explore wildlife up close with the Africa Tram, Cheetah Run, free-flight aviary, and more.

A cheetah strikes a classic pose at San Diego Safari Park. Visitors can watch him spring.

• Hop aboard the Africa Tram, your window to the wild, letting you marvel at giraffes, rhinos, and gazelles without any barriers.

• Ever seen a cheetah sprint? Access to the Cheetah Run, a pulsating spectacle, lets you witness the lightning speed of these big cats.

• Enter the free-flight aviary that recreates natural habitats for 140+ birds of 40 species, an immersive experience in their environment.

• Upgrade to the 2-visit pass for the flexibility to explore both the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park or enjoy two visits to your favorite!

• Tip: The Park's observation deck offers panoramic views, making it an excellent photo op. Visitors can take a fun selfie with a giraffe background!

• This experience is wheelchair accessible.

The park's blue Africa safari trams carry tourists along a dirt road through San Diego's dry rocky hills, with a hot air balloon floating overhead. The park is unique to the west coast and is visited by animal lovers worldwide.

• Explore wildlife up close: the Africa Tram, Cheetah Run, free-flight aviary and more.

• Hop aboard the Africa Tram to see giraffes, rhinos, and gazelles without barriers.

• Ever seen a cheetah sprint? Access to the Cheetah Run, a pulsating spectacle, lets you witness the lightning speed of these big cats.

• Enter the free-flight aviary that recreates natural habitats for 140+ birds of 40 species, offering an immersive experience in their environment.

• Upgrade to a 2-visit pass for the flexibility to explore both the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park or enjoy two visits to your favorite!

  THE WEATHER is nearly perfect in San Diego any time of year -- in fact, it averages 72 degrees 12 months a year. So enjoy this special place and support wildlife. 

sdzsafaripark.org

zoo.sandiegozoo.org

The water below the Aiguablava vies for attention with the parador's artful touches

UPCOMING FUN: We're exploring the Costa Brava and find a fabulous parador, stunning coastal views and the art of Salvador Dali. Then a Fort Lauderdale visit, and a look at highlights of New York City.

Remember to explore, learn and live and catch us weekly for a fresh spin on  travel, nature, performance, family and more: www.whereiscookie.com