It may not be possible to take your whole family for a safari in Africa, but if you are visiting Florida you can go on an authentic wildlife tour of “Africa” by visiting the Safari Country Park near West Palm Beach.

Lion Country Safari is a drive-through wildlife preserve that has been entertaining visitors since 1967. The preserve is divided into seven sections, representing the wildlife in seven different parts of the world, including the Pampas of South America, the Gir Forest of India, Ruaha National Park of Africa, Kalahari Bushveldt of Southwest Africa, The Gorongosa of Mozambique, Serengeti Plains of East Africa, and the Hwange National Park of Zimbabwe.

The park contains the characteristic wildlife of these renowned locations and you can view the animals on a drive-through safari. You can also walk through Safari World amusement park which contains rides, games, animal exhibits, four interactive feeding exhibits, a water play area, an animal theater, picnic area, restaurant, gift shops and more.

The safari drive covers a course of four miles and you can see up to 800 animals. The best time to see the animals is when it is raining as the animals prefer the cooler weather. The second best time to see the animals is in the early morning when it is cooler and when the animals are more active.

The star animal attractions at Lion Country Safari are lions, giraffes, zebras, rhinos and chimpanzees but you can also see the Brazilian Tapir, the largest land tortoise in the world (Aldabra Tortoise), the Florida Brown Pelican, Impala, various varieties of antelope, Asiatic water buffalo, ostriches, wildebeest, and many others. The lions are kept in a special area, as many of the other animals are the natural prey of the lions.

To enjoy the safari drive-through and the walk-in park you should allot around five hours. Allow one and a half hours to drive through the four-mile preserve and at least three and a half hours in the walk-through area.

The park has a restaurant and a picnic area. In addition there is a popular KOA camping area adjacent to the park.

If you do not have your car with you or if your car does not have air conditioning, then the park offers rental vans. They are rented on a first come, first served basis. The rate is $10.00 or $18.00 per hour and a half, which is usually enough time to get through the drive-through. If you come fairly early (the gates open at 9:30am), you should be able to get a van without a wait.

Currently the general admission charge is $25, $22.50 for seniors, $18.00 for children (ages 3-9) and toddlers are free of charge. It costs $6 to park your vehicle, while visiting the walk-through amusement park.

Safari Country is located approximately 20 miles west of downtown West Palm Beach, approximately 59 miles north of downtown Ft. Lauderdale and approximately 78 miles north of Miami. Their exact address is 2003 Lion Country Safari Road, Loxahatchee, Florida 33470 (561) 793-1084

Author Bio: Janice McSherry writes frequently about Orlando tourism. She is the proprietor of www.floridavacationsvillas.com . Visit her website for great deals on Florida Vacation Villas

Category: Travel
Keywords: everglades, alligators, animal attractions in Florida, Florida