We did a photo shoot at Parkton Animal Oasis, and it ended up being one of those experiences that…read morejust makes you smile the entire time. The photo shoot was with a kangaroo and a fennec fox, and somehow they managed to be even cuter in person. The kangaroo was barely a month old, tiny, calm, and ridiculously adorable. The fennec fox was just as cute, all ears and personality, and the staff made sure the experience felt safe and respectful for the animals the entire time. After the photo session, we took a full tour of the facility and saw a wide variety of animals. We were able to feed most of them, which made the experience feel interactive without feeling rushed or forced. The staff clearly knows the animals well and takes the time to explain things, answer questions, and make sure everyone is comfortable. We didn't get to directly interact with the foxes during the tour due to regulations that prohibit visitor interaction with them, which was explained clearly and made complete sense. Even without that, the experience was still fantastic. The staff were friendly, knowledgeable, and genuinely passionate about what they do, and you can tell the animals are well cared for. Everything felt organized, ethical, and thoughtfully run. Overall, we loved it. Great experience, great people, and now the only real problem is figuring out where I can get a fennec fox of my own.

We had a fantastic time as a family of 7. My kids are 14 to 21 and loved getting to learn about the…read moreanimals, feed them and play. Great adventure. Amy did a fantastic job and is extremely knowledgeable.

This is such a cool safari park... its a hidden gem TBH. They have farm animals which you can pet…read moreand larger animals you can observe and get relatively close too. Of course their big attraction is the drive thru animal park which you take your own car along a dirt trail and can feed (if you choose) various animals. The price for this place will not break the bank. A couple of observations to improve: 1) It needs to be maintained more... some of the exhibits just feel like add-ons on top of add-ons and it feels dated. 2) A refresh and modernization to the walking trails would be good. 3) A proper cafe or even drink stations with covered seating would be nice. Something more than just random popup trailers. 4) A more permanent (possibly lit) sign off highway 87 would be nice (if possible) Again this place is awesome, would come back!

My Husband and I came here on my Birthday, and it was the most fun and entertaining experience!!…read more First, we did the drive through, and I was not ready for how hard we would laugh and how aggressive an ostrich can be. They come and dart their heads in to get food. Also, the llamas and alpacas will follow your car if they want more food. Hilarious. We repeated to ourselves several times not to feed the donkey and the zebras, as they can bite! We actually drove through the whole thing twice, and I'm really glad we did. More and more animals came to our car the second time around. There are camels that are feet taller than our car. We were able to feed and interact with some more huge gentle giants and also learned to roll the windows up if an ostrich was running towards us! The walk-through portion is fun as well, we fed some barnyard animals and even pet a kangaroo! The big, exciting part for me though was when we got to feed carrots to the giraffes. They are so huge but so docile and they take the carrots with their tongues. This was really a fun experience, with us even putting the carrots in our mouths for them to give us "kisses". All the staff members are friendly and helpful, the areas are well kept and the animals seem to be well cared for. The price is $15 to enter, and that includes the drive through and walk through, you get a wrist band so you can go to each as many times in your visit that you want to. The cups of feed are $3 each the first time, and then an additional dollar for refills. The giftshop was cute with lots of fun stuff to purchase. There is also a food vendor there on site with some yummy foods, and an area with picnic tables to enjoy a nice lunch. This was a great time, and I will recommend to anyone in Fayetteville or surrounding areas!

A must see! So, so fun! The farm animals are very sweet, and the ice cream is delicious…read more Highly recommend!

It was amazing my 5 year old loved it everyone was so sweet she loved the enter action with the…read moreanimals and the animals are very dossal it was a nice place to go and let the baby have fun!

It was an amazing experience. The grounds were so well maintained and all the animals were so well…read morecared for with love. Debby was so informative and I learned so much . I fell in love with the sloth. I highly recommend going to this unique experience especially if you love all kinds of animals!

From the owner: Emberwood Farm offers animal adventure tours and booking for birthday parties. read more

Will definitely come back! For all the different events and just for the farm…read more Great for all ages. 10/10 Staff extremely friendly and very helpful. Animals are kept in clean enclosures and look great. Everything is well maintained on the grounds. Kids loved the Dinosaur meet and greet. Along with the dinosaurs trail. Food and drinks were good, not overpriced. Even the gift shop has fair prices. Which is rare for zoos/petting zoo. Definitely worth buying tickets online.

This place was cool, they have a bunch of options for activities to do here. We did the go karts,…read morethe was they explain the rules you would think you get to get some real speed going but your actually in the woods doing about 8-12 miles an hour. It was ok. I got a four person go kart, if we make the trip again definitely getting the single bikes, that might be more interesting.

This was such an awesome experience, the staff was friendly and knowledgeable. Keep in mind these…read morepeople are volunteers this establishment runs off of people like you and me visiting and donations. This is not a zoo it's a sanctuary and rescue and I highly respect what they do here. it takes a lot, more that I can probably fathom to rescue and care for all the animals they have here (they do have a lot) from a variety of turtles, tons of different birds that were beautiful, monkeys, horses, donkeys, a camel, cats, dogs, raccoons, fox, bunnies, reptiles, ant eater, bats, pigs, the list goes on. You can tell these animals are well cared for as well, just keep in mind that they are rescues and we don't know what they have been through before they arrived. the entrance fee is more than reasonable for the experience.

The 5 stars is for the overall experience. It's an animal rescue on a personal property, it is not…read morea "zoo" that being said we saw some things we have never seen in a typical zoo. You also get up close to the animals but they are still in enclosures. For $15 a person it's more than reasonable and you know your money goes to helping the animals. If you are traveling on I-95 this is 12 minutes off the Benson exit. A great break on your long drive on I-95. Walking surfaces are natural, not paved or concrete, please consider this when choosing your footwear!

Don't judge a book by its cover! When you pull up to the parking lot you may think it's unassuming…read more But wow. We had a blast this morning! Cassie our tour guide was a sweet heart. Very knowledgeable, kind, and went out of her want to introduce each person to all of the animals. Kangaroos, various reptiles, zebras, chickens you name it! Each animal has ample space, food, water and things native to their natural climate. So many animals to adore and learn about. This is not like any zoo you've been to before! Can't wait to visit again!

What an amazing place! This is not your typical zoo where you wander from caged enclosure to…read moreenclosure. Visiting is done via guided walking tours and you interact with most of the animals to include petting and feeding them. They have a variety of animals that you would never expect to find in a rural North Carolina zoo. The first experience upon entering the gate is walking around inside the kangaroo and wallaby enclosure. Rather than filling this space trying to list them all, visit their webpage. Our guide, Jennifer, was amazing! She was extremely knowledgeable and enthusiastic. She shared a wealth of information about each of the animals and answered all questions thoroughly. I highly recommend this experience to anyone and every one.

We had the pleasure of sharing time with a wonderful unicorn for my daughter's birthday party. All…read moreof her guest freaked out when the magical unicorn appeared. They worked closely with me to ensure the unicorns outfit matched the birthday theme and their entrance was as magical as I expected it. All of the guest including the parents had a blast. It was a pleasure working with them. We had no worries and if any "accidents happened" they cleaned it up quickly.

Amazing for families with young children! Went with our 1 and 3 year old and it was perfect for…read moreboth age ranges. Love that almost everything is just included in admission and didn't need to worry about extra tickets. Will definitely be back! We went in March and it was beautiful weather. There was a good bit of shade provided through either trees or tents, but I could see it be brutal in the summer heat and sun.

Love this place! We had a blast during family day feeding the animals and just strolling around the…read morefarm.

Reptile Lagoon @ South of the Border - Hamer, SC…read more (3 out of 5 stars) If you're visiting South of the Border, one of the more unusual attractions on-site is the Reptile Lagoon--it's advertised as one of the largest indoor reptile exhibits in the U.S., and it definitely has a wide variety of snakes, lizards, turtles, and of course... alligators and crocodiles. My husband, daughter, and I checked it out during our stop (we also spent over an hour in Pedro's Mexican Shop West--another quirky and fun spot here). But unfortunately, just like much of the South of the Border compound, the Reptile Lagoon desperately needs a fresh coat of paint. It's looking dingy inside and out, and that really takes away from the experience. Here's my biggest concern: While the smaller reptiles seem to be in okay enclosures for now, the alligators and crocodiles are kept in spaces that are far too small for their size and needs. It was honestly upsetting. These are large, powerful animals that deserve much more space, proper enrichment, and better conditions. I strongly believe they should be relocated to a proper sanctuary where they can thrive. The baby gators might be okay temporarily, but once they grow, they'll need a better environment too. The exhibit itself could be great if given some attention--cleaner enclosures, updated paint, better lighting, and more naturalistic habitats would go a long way. It's still worth checking out if you're already at South of the Border, but I'd love to see some major improvements before I could recommend it fully. South of the Border Overview: This place has a lot of fun, nostalgic roadside charm, dating back to 1949. But it's clear that the entire compound--from shops to attractions--needs upkeep. With the right care, it could be a truly great destination again.

Sad little place. Small pools in tiny enclosures....the whole place was like a run down dystopia…read more Maybe it was nice in its heyday but it needs some work!