Safari West: Africa in Your Backyard

Most of us dream of far away places and of excursions to foreign continents where we can witness things that will stay with us for a lifetime. Unfortunately many of us simply can’t find the time and with the rising cost of everything -particularly airline tickets due to rising gas prices- can’t find the money for such a trip either. Santa Rosa and neighboring residents however are in luck. Instead of needing to find the time or money for a once in a life time trip, you can have a piece of Africa here at home and go on your own African Safari.

Safari West is conveniently located on this continent in northern Santa Rosa in California at 3115 Porter Creek Road. Safari West offers traditional African safaris along with traditional African lodging and food. Safari West is considered a wild life preserve and is owned by Peter and Nancy Lang who open up Safari West -which both consider to be their home- up to the public. Safari West is home to over 500 individual animals from 80 different species, some of these even close to extinction. Although some of these animals are the offspring of animals already at Safari West, the original animals as well as some newer animals come straight from Kenya, Africa.

To visit these animals and have your own African safari will costs 65 dollars for adults and teenagers and 30 dollars for children ages 12 and under. November 3rd to March 9th are considered winter months at Safari West and prices drop 8 dollars lower than the regular prices listed previously. If you want to stay over night at Safari West, luxury tents are available for between 230 and 255 a night and the luxury tents include a hardwood floor, futon beds, electric lighting, toilets, linens, towels and all the hotel essentials only in a more traditional African Safari style. If sleeping in a tent still does not appeal to you cottages and cabins are also for rent for 350 a night. The cottages include kitchenettes, outside patios and a continental breakfast.

Aside from enjoying Safari West, safari West also offers lots of opportunities to gives back to your community and the wildlife. They often hold fund raisers where the prices for Safaris, food and lodging is more expensive than it would be normally but where the majority of the money goes in to some type of local or wildlife charity. You can also browse through catalog of their animals and do what is known as sponsoring an animal. This usually means that you give an amount of money every month to Safari West an din return they keep you updated about the animal that you have chosen to sponsor through reports and pictures. You also usually get added benefits depending on your monthly contributions which can include a plushie of the animal, discounted tickets, discounted passes or even tickets to a special Safari West brunch that is held twice a year for animal sponsors which include food, socializing and a safari tour.All contributions are tax deductible.

All this and you didn’t even have to leave the country.