LION COUNTRY SAFARI
- Corri Hunt
- Feb 12, 2023
- 3 min read
This magical place is located in Loxahatchee, Florida which is about 2.5 hours south of Orlando. We stayed in West Palm Beach the night before our safari adventure, and this allowed for a short 30 minute drive to the park so we could be there right as it opened at 9:30am. I recommend doing this as there was no traffic behind us in the drive through line so we were able to spend as long as we wanted at each animal area and we were not rushed in any way.
Drive-Through Safari
We have done a few drive thru safaris but this one was the best for having the most exotic animals and the largest park (600 acres) we had ever driven through. The other major plus of this park? The animals are not enclosed and walk freely around your vehicle! It was so fun and exciting and I definitely recommend you add this place to your list of must-sees.
The park has its own radio station that guides you through each animal area and it is interesting and informative. The only issue is if you spend extra time in an area, it gets out of sync with where you are (which happened to us). Before you start they give you the rules that must be followed strictly, which include keeping your windows up and stopping when any of the animals are near you or in the roadway. They warn you that if the animals feel threatened, they will charge your vehicle, so when a huge group of rhinos started walking directly towards our van, we started to get very nervous! Fortunately, they passed RIGHT next to our van and we got some very up close and personal views of them. It was a very thrilling experience.
For a short video of the safari drive through in action check out:
In the safari they have rhinos, zebras, giraffes, ostriches, lions (these were enclosed!), elephants (also separated from the vehicles), chimps, etc.
Walk-Through Park/Playground/Water Park
A huge bonus to this park is after we did the safari tour we parked and entered the amusement area. We brought swimsuits and a change of clothes with us to enjoy the waterpark and we used their changing rooms onsite. Unfortunately, it was a bit too cold and the water was very cold so we did not stay in this area long. It ended up not being an issues because there was still so much to see and do in the walk through park. They have rides, more animal exhibits, and a petting zoo area that our boys loved.
In this walk through portion you are able to purchase food to feed some of the animals, but this is the only area you may do this. The petting area with the goats was probably one of the biggest hits with our family, one of the goats kept snuggling me and was so sweet and another let our two year old hug it. Just be careful because after you purchase the food to feed them, they will swarm you! It is fun though.
PROS: Huge park, lots to see and do, something for everyone to enjoy, animals are walking right up to your vehicle! There is nothing quite like having a 3 ton rhino walk directly at you and pass mere inches from your face, or seeing a zebra up close an personal.
CONS: You are not permitted to interact or feed any of the animals in the drive through safari. We have done ones where you can feed them, but this is not one of them. The waterpark water is very cold and was even too cold when we visited at the end of May. The audio does not really sync up to allow extra time at certain areas or less time at areas you would like to move a bit faster through.
Bucket List of To-Dos:
o Watch an impala run at full out speeds in the safari drive through
o Dress in fun animal print clothing
o Pet the goats in the petting zoo
o Feed the giraffes
o Ride the little train with your kiddos
o Check out the waterpark
5/5 stars for this place!
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