My experience at the Dubai Safari Park !! Review…
Dubai Safari Park , all about the place!
An eco-friendly Safari Park located on Al Warqa 5, Hatta Road is a huge green patch with extensive flora and fauna. This park is a treat to visit for both adults and children. This large ecosystem is divided into three sections mainly which has Explorers Village, Asian Village, and African Village….for kids there is a kids area too…which is more like a petting zoo. Every area has its own charm, do check out my review for each section;
Explorer Village
It is a must-visit, the Safari Park is not that much fun if you miss out on the Explorer Village. This is an important attraction. This village has an African safari which is very much like a National Park visit. I have been fortunate to have seen an actual African National Park in South Africa and this Safari is an experience very close to that. They take you on a bus ride and very close to the wild animals. Most of the sections have different species of animals together, however, there are some sections cordoned off with either man-made hilly structure or hot wire to avoid and fights between animals in terms of territory. These buses are super comfortable and Yes! there is social distancing in buses. Every bus would have a tour guide who surely is multilingual.
To visit Explorer Village, one would need to buy a combo-ticket that costs less than 100 AED each. For the tour, it’s a great deal!
African Village
A large section of the Safari Park has animal enclosures like in a zoo, a huge Aviary, a reptiles section (A must visit). They have made certain areas for kids which would surely keep them busy. This covers almost all animals found in Africa and if you are lucky you may spot a Hyena too since they are always sleeping during the day and are hidden in their enclosures. Nicely marked pathways with friendly and well- trained staff that are always there to assist. Mist fans all through the path were a relief too.
Asian Village
A disappointment for me though, this village did not do much justice. They have an Arabian Safari which had very few animals, although I loved the train ride. The main attraction here is the theatre but be prepared to wait in a long line for a while. The theatre begins at 1500 hrs and the queue starts at 1430. My advice…be there are 1400 hours since they may refuse you a seat even if you have the ticket. The props and the setup at the Asian village is quite an attraction and a great place for pictures.
IMP:
There are a few restaurants/food trucks along the way but not very great. Eating joints around African village are average but are the only options per se. You would either find Gelato or a food truck offering snacking munchies.
Attire- A headgear is a must, food or drinks from outside are not permitted hence, huge bags would be a task to carry around. Most of the sections don’t allow strollers inside but there are strollers parking spots all around and in each village. Comfortable walking shoes are important, though there are buses and trains to take to from one village to another…but the fun is in walking through the Wadi!