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A "little piece" of Africa is available to the general public in Sonoma County, about 1 hour north of San Francisco.

SAFARI WEST, CA

Dave
2004-02-21 17:54:35

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A "little piece" of Africa is available to the general public in Sonoma County, about 1 hour north of San Francisco. Safari West is a gem of a nature preserve located only about 20 minutes from Santa Rosa off of Mark West Springs Road at the corner of Franz Valley Road (3115 Porter Creek Road). Safari West is not a zoo - it is a deluxe African tent camp within a safari park. All tours are by appointment only. The general tour takes about 2.5 hour tours. A 90-minute walking tour, a Sunset Safari tour and Holiday tours are also offered.

Soon after pulling into the entrance of Safari West we hopped into a waiting 1952 Dodge Power Wagon Jeep and we were greeted by a young fellow in the driver's seat named Billy. Billy was born and raised in South Africa. His father was a bush pilot and Billy grew up around wild animals all of his life. He would be our driver and guide for the 2.5-hour tour. His background and insights into the animals and their behaviors was invaluable.

The Jeeps we rode in were open to the air. Two rows of comfortable cushions lined the back - upper seats were available above the drivers' head and two seats were available next to the driver.

To begin the tour, we slowly drove down a dusty jeep road past a few of the 32 authentic canvas African safari tents available for lodging to the public (28 are currently open - 4 more will be open by the end of this year). These tent cabins were made in South Africa and are authentic to the African Bush. They stand on wood poles situated high enough above the ground for optimum game viewing. When one thinks of tent cabins, one does not often associate the word amenities with this type of lodging. However, these particular tent cabins are complete with hardwood floors, luxurious beds, custom furniture, a bathroom with a shower, and a veranda, which overlooks the rolling hills of the preserve.

The preserve is accessible ...