Excitement, Fear, Learning Something New and Making Memories That Last A Life Time
There are four things that make an adventure epic: excitement, fear, learning something new and making memories that last a lifetime.
Every year my son and I each choose somewhere to go for our birthdays to celebrate. A few years ago, my son chose San Diego as his birthday bash adventure. One of the things that made this trip so amazing was the memories we made by doing the "Roar and Snore" Safari at the San Diego Safari Park in Escondido, California. I was beyond excited to experience this adventure!
Our adventure began in the Butterfly Jungle where were each given a little flower shaped vile to offer nectar to the butterflies for an immersive interaction. The butterflies were friendly and not afraid to land on us - it was pure joy! We learned about the role of butterflies as pollinators and their importance in nature. It gave me a deeper appreciation for butterflies.
Next we were taken to an area where we put on our harnesses for the zipline. When I got to the platform to start the zipline, I experienced the absolute fear that helped make this experience so epic! I was staring at one of the world longest continuous ziplines, which was 160 feet above the ground. The line goes over a savannah that is filled with rhinos, giraffes, and countless other exotic animals. The employees asked us to remain silent as we did the zipline so we wouldn't disturb the animals. I am afraid of heights, so I had to stifle my screams!
After a delicious dinner, we explored the Safari Park after dark on a guided night hike. We came back to a roaring campfire and enjoyed s’mores while rhinos came to drink from a watering hole where we could watch them from the firepit.
We chose the upgraded Supreme Roar & Snore Safari package, which I would recommend doing, for a whole new level of adventure! We got to take a Night Vision Safari to view wildlife of Africa and Asia at night. It was amazing to have an up-close view of an amazing variety of wildlife. The animals are more active at night so this is the best time to watch them. It was especially amazing to watch the Arabian Oryx sparing with their beautiful long horns in the dark! I was glad we took jackets because we were in the back of an open-air safari truck and it did cool off quite a bit that night. I was exhausted from the excitement of the day and I was happy when we were escorted to our canvas-style tent, which was just a few feet from the elephant enclosure. There were chairs available to sit and watch as these graceful animals as they interacted with each other.
There are three classes of tents you can choose from: the Classic tent is $165 per person. It is just a canvas tent with sleeping pads. You have to bring your own bedding and a maximum of five people can sleep in this tent option. The next level up is the Vista tent. It costs $205 per person. Cots are provided and a maximum of six people can sleep in these tents. You also have to bring your own bedding with this option. Since we flew from Utah, and I am not much of a camper, I booked the Premium tent which is the most luxurious glamping option. It has a rug on the floor, a queen sized bed, two cots and all the pillows and linens are provided. A maximum of four people can sleep in these tents and the cost is $245 per person but it is so worth it! The bed was very comfortable and I was warm in the cool night.
I had a hard time sleeping from the excitement of listening to the elephants trumpeting and doing their low-frequency vocalizations called rumbles. We also were lucky to wake up hearing the lions roaring and growling. Our guides took us to the lion enclosure and they were extra active and vocal. Especially, Bo, the only male lion. It was absolutely amazing!
After an exciting night trying to sleep, we were fed a delicious breakfast and then given another private tour in the back of an open air truck. I learned so much and will never forgot the amazing animals we were so lucky to meet up close and personally. I would highly recommend doing the Roar and Snore Safari! Not only did I experience the four things of an ultimate adventure: excitement, fear, learning new things and made memories that will last a life time, I gained an appreciation of the conservation efforts the caretakers at the Safari Park to preserve many endangered species to protect them from becoming extinct. It truly was a life changing experience for me to face my fear of heights and feel pure joy watching beautiful animals in a natural setting.
Every adventure tells a story - thanks for being part of mine.
Always exploring,
