You might think you’ve arrived at a faraway land when you climb aboard the safari vehicles at Safari Wilderness Ranch. But you’re actually in Central Florida.
Safari Wilderness, located between Orlando and Tampa, allows families to see and interact with animals you don’t get to see at your average zoo.
Safari Vehicle Tour
There are a few different experiences through the 260-acre Safari Ranch. The most popular is the Safari Vehicle Tour. The experienced guides will tour you through fields in an open-air, covered safari vehicle as you encounter large herd animals along the way. The animals, many of which have been born at the ranch, will wander right over to the vehicle to say hello and maybe “ask” for some food too. When the guides permit, guests can feed designated animals the appropriate feed that is provided (otherwise, feeding the animals is prohibited). Families will see water buffalo, deer, cattle, zebra, ostrich and much more along the way. This tour takes about two hours.
Camel Expeditions
Camel Expeditions are another way to see the wild game animals. This 90-minute tour has visitors touring the ranch while riding a camel. Children under 3 cannot participate in the Camel Tour and children between 3 and 5 years old must be accompanied by an adult.
Kayak Safari
Kayak Safari has visitors paddling around the ranch’s wetlands to witness the animals. More water fowl and lemurs will be seen on this tour. This 90-minute tour also allows visitors to hand-feed the lemurs. Children under 5 cannot participate in the Kayak Tour and children between 5 and 8 years old must be accompanied by an adult.
Lemur Feeding
For an added experience or if you don’t have time for a full tour, families can experience the Lemur Feeding. Families will learn all about lemurs before entering the ring-tailed lemur habitat with your guide. The bright-eyed, eager lemurs will be waiting (not so patiently) for you to hand-feed them once inside the habitat. Most of the lemurs will politely welcome their visitors, line up to be fed and politely accept their treats. While visitors cannot touch the lemurs, the lemurs will indeed touch you as they are fed. This exclusive experience in limited to only a few guests per day so make sure to book in advance. The lemur experience is less than an hour long.
Hours
Safari tour times run at 9 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. daily
Things to Know/Bring
Reservations are required. No walk-ins. Tours run rain or shine.
Dining
No outside food or drink is permitted on the ranch. There’s a souvenir shop that sells beverages and snacks.
