Took the tour at 1PM. The cats are kept inhumanely in my opinion. Very very tight cages with little room on concrete pads. Some cats just pace back and forth. The elephants have some space so that's why I gave them 2 stars. If the elephants were kept in tight quarters, I would have given them 1 star. They really need to keep the cats in better living conditions. Much much better experience at Safari West in Santa Rosa, CA. Have been to Safari West 5 times. Won't return to Vision Quest. read more

We had an excellent experience, we checked in at 3pm and were given a map with directions as well as restaurants in the area. We made our way to our bungalow, Giraffe Manor. The room was well equipped and very clean - the only negative was the futon was very hard for older adults if you were staying more than a night. We live North of Salinas, we know it gets very chilly at night. We heeded the advice we were given about being prepared for the cold in the evening. The beds have heated mattress pads and portable heaters but we also brought along our own blankets and were glad for the extra warmth. The bungalow was handicapped accessible with a wide ramp. Our bungalow overlooked the Elephants play area - it was wonderful. The fridge was stocked with juices, waters, and creamers. There was also a coffee/tea maker with along with coffee(regular and decaf), different types of tea, and hot chocolate. At 3:30pm we were greeted by 2 knowledgeable keepers with a Binturong, followed by another 2 keepers with an Opossum and Skunk. We purchased the combo package Crunch time & Butch's Bedtime - highly recommended. We met the keeper at 4:30 who gave us an excellent tour and lots of interesting information about the tigers and elephants while we got to help with feeding. After the tours we headed to Salinas for dinner, approx a 15 minute drive. There are plenty of dining and shopping choices. Another option is Monterey approx 30 minutes away. We drove back to our bungalow where we could hear the lions roaring during the evening. Next morning breakfast was delivered accompanied by 2 of the elephants. We were given the opportunity to feed them some carrots and apples. One of the keepers took photographs and a short video for us. Breakfast for each person consisted of bagel, pastries, yogurt, bananas, apples, jelly & cream cheese - wow! We checked out at 12:30pm then proceeded on with the included zoo tour - again very informative. It is nice to know that the remainder of the animals will be transitioning to larger enclosures now that the zoo is expanding. I highly recommend spending a night here and definitely add the evening packages, they are worth it, you will learn a lot of interesting facts about the animals. The friendly staff work very hard, I think the important thing to remember when staying at a place like this is that the animals come first, and the zoo is a work in progress, you may not see everything you expect. We would definitely visit again. read more

This is not a sanctuary. How can people support something that does not have the animals best interest at heart, yet fills the human's bank account. From their site "Upon being awarded a job, animals are prepped to perform the required action, transported to the set where filming is accomplished. Animal rental prices are dependent upon the animal , the action, and the location." The facilities aren't even well suited for the size of the animals, and do not allow them to roam free. read more

Horrible customer service, booked a vip tour, showed up and they told us oops not happening, they were doing their annual fund raiser that day and we were out of luck. I paid 550 bucks drove an hour each way, picked up my grandson for a birthday surprise, and talk about rude and dismissive, I know this place will not survive, because customer service is everything in that type of business. It was totally their fault, they offered me nothing but a refund, (thanks) and see ya later. Wow, haven't been treated like that for forever. Oh yes they did say a manager would be giving me a call, LOL, 6 days later and guess what? No call. Not surprised after reading all the other yelp reviews. I am surprised they are still in business. read more

I took my kids there and it was pretty cool. We got to see some amazing animals pretty up close. I have a toddler who is 3 and although amused by the animals, he got bored with having to listen to each description given by the tour guide. Feeding the elephants was our favorite part. The lack of stars doesn't come from presentation but from the employees. When I first got there, I took a wrong turn and ended up on a part of the property that apparently I wasn't supposed to be on. The man who questioned me (an employee of the place) was totally rude and sarcastic with me and pretty much implied with his tone that I was an idiot for having made that mistake. Our tour guide, I think her name was Mary, was not pleasant AT ALL. She was crass and impatient. Some kids were asking her questions and she just seemed like she didn't want to be bothered and some of the times she answered them in a tone that reflected frustration and sarcasm. One of the rules is that the group must stay together. There were some stragglers who repeatedly stayed a bit longer at each station to take pictures and each time, Mary would impatiently yell at them to stay with the group. She didn't do it in a professional manner and was not afraid to show her frustration each time. Then, behind their back she critically spoke of them to other guests, saying "some people amaze me, people just don't get it," etc. To me, it showed an extreme lack of professionalism. So, that was really the only bad taste that was left in my mouth. It was cool but I don't know that we will be making a second trip. read more

Went for my nieces birthday party. The lady giving the tour looked like she hated her job and the animals there. Cant remember what animal she was demonstrating with (some sort of weasel or ferret)but at one point she picked it up and swang it around! Her response was oh he doesnt mind. Really? Got worse as the day went on. The tour of the facility proved how little they care. Cages barely big enough for the animals to walk around in. The guy "cleaning" the cages just sprayed his hose around the lions. the animals looked miserable. Everyone in the group including all the 3-5 year olds kept saying the animals looked so sad. I even saw people walking the lions and tigers, like they were dogs!! Their exercise for the entire day is walking 10 minutes then get shoved back in their concrete cages. The elephants had little space to roam around in. We got to feed them carrots. One of the elephants stepped forward to try and get some food from one of the kids and the woman almost leapt forward with a bull hook! It clearly wasn't do anything except trying to get some food. Why do they even have these? And why were the employees so eager to hook the elephant? Way too fishy. I saw no enclosures with grass, trees, rocks or anything else that wasn't manmade. I have no idea how this place is even classified as "sanctuary/rescue" or how this is even legal. Hopefully one day this place will be shut down so the animals can get sent somewhere where they're actually going to be taken care of. Do NOT support this place. read more

I wasn't able to take a shower because the hot water ran out after I brushed my teeth, had to leave the place unshowered. Also, the breakfast of bagel and bananas left me and my boyfriend very hungry, we would have liked to have a better breakfast. read more

I don't recommend. I did not have a very good experience here. Additionally it can get very very expensive.

Our visit to Vision Quest Ranch was awesome up until we had an issue and had to deal with an ASSHOLE OF AN OWNER. Staff is great, owner needs to learn from them. SAFARIWEST would be a better option. In advance, sorry for the profanity. I will start with the positives. We arrived right on time for check in which was at 3pm. We were given a key to our bungalow since we were staying for the bed and breakfast. You are given a code to the gate where all the bungalows are located at. We stayed at Giraffe Manor. The elephant playard is located right in front. You can see the elephants and other animals on your deck and a nearby deck. We kept the heaters on all day and made sure the hot water switch was on. Around 3:30-4:00 trainers will walk by with animals. We weren't going to add on any other activites but since there was a discount for staying a night we took advantage. We did crunch time and butch's bedtime. What an awesome experience! We were so close to the tigers while we fed them. I was in aww. Afterwards, we fed the elephants. There isn't much around the area. You have to drive to get food or if it is something small then there is a convenience store down the way. The heated pads was a savior. Bathroom was cold but leaving a space heater in there helped. The next morning between 9 & 10am the 2 elephants and trainers drop off your breakfast. It was so cool to see them up close. My 5 yr old son enjoyed feeding them. The trainers will take photos for you. Now onto the negatives! Check out clearly says 12:30. So we figured we go get some breakfast and return back to enjoy the rest of the bungalow. We get back around 11:40 and there is a vision quest ranch van outside. Our first thought was that someone better not be cleaning. Our assumption was correct. They already took out the food we had in the fridge and the breakfast that was delivered by the elephants this morning. We were shocked. There reason for cleaning was they thought we checked out. We brought our belongings w us because on the paper it said to keep it with you. If we left ONE bag they would've assumed we were coming back. I guess the head person for housekeeping Christy came to us so we can voice our concern. She was already having an attitude and said once belongings are gone they will start cleaning. We end up going to the front office to talk to the owner. I honestly thought he would approach us in a better way but he was already ready to argue. First thing he says is CA law says... uh ok. Nice to meet you also! Instead of pulling us aside to talk about our concerns we end up dealing with it in the gift shop around other customers. So unprofessional! He needs to work on his people skills. He kept saying what do you want me to do? Do you want $ or something? Wow...really? We just funded your establishment. We just want to sort this out and have you listen so it doesn't happen again. He starts saying I own different hotels and never had anyone physically check out but yet says this is not a hotel. Get your story straight buddy. We ended up not taking the free hr tour after our stay because he pretty much ruined what was supposed to be a perfect getaway for our family. If you never have to deal w the owner then of course this review will get 4+ stars. From our experience here we will NEVER EVER COME BACK AGAIN. It is a shame because everything was great up to that problem which could've been resolved without getting into an arguement. Even the customer that overheard us said that the owner was rude. He is from the area and will never return to that place. read more

Everything everyone says below about how great of an experience this was is not lying, it truly is. We stayed overnight and it is worth every penny. It really wasn't that expensive and for what you get, it's a steal!! To have an elephant come right up to you and turn it's head so that he can look at you with one of his eyes was like a higher intelligence was looking into our soul. When he walked away, he turned around and looked at us. It was UNBELIEVEABLE. To have this great of a place right here in our area is a treasure. These people obviously LOVE these animals. The staff truly love their jobs and it shows. read more

I have seen this place advertised a few times, and became interested in possibly going. First, I needed to know whether this place actually is a not-for-profit sanctuary that properly cares for its animal residents. I very thoroughly researched this place. Pored over hundreds of reviews, and dozens of pictures, via several different online sources... THIS PLACE IS NOT A SANCTUARY. It is a for-profit zoo. The animals are mistreated and kept in horrible conditions. This business uses very confusing, contradicting terminology on its website to intentionally mislead people into believing they are a rescue sanctuary that saves animals and gives them a beautiful open outdoor space home. This is not true! I viewed dozens of photos showing elephants and tigers in small, concrete cages. The conditions are deplorable. The animals in every photo I have seen look poorly cared for and so very sad... If you love animals, please PLEASE DO NOT VISIT Vision Quest Ranch/Big Cat Rescue. It is a disgusting SCAM to make money off of suckers who believe they are helping the animals. Please, do your own research, and you will discover what I am saying. These animals are suffering, and abused, and they deserve better. If you visit this place, and give the owners your money, you become just as bad as they are, by contributing to the suffering of these animals. PLEASE DO NOT GO HERE. Please only support *true* wildlife and marine life sanctuaries wherever you can. read more

My wife and I just returned from our 50th Anniversary and we loved this experience. It is as close to Africa as you can be. You know those trips where you say: "It was great except for"? There was no "except for". Angie set us up with a bungalo overlooking the elephant and water buffalo paddock. The bungalo was all animal themed and really cute. The bungaloes are at least 100 yards apart and very private. We fed the elephants and put them to bed and Richard gave us a tour of the Big Cats that was over the top. Thor the Bengal Tiger was beautiful as were the white Bengal Tiger and the Lions. The animals live in very animal friendly environments and the staff treat them like they own them, with love and respect. This is no smelly Zoo, but a quality home for the animals. Kids would love this place. It is only 30 minutes to fine dining in Monterey and Carmel. It will recharge your romance and is an easier drive for your kids than Disneyland. read more

For about $200, you can get a room at a hotel in Monterey or Carmel with a nice view and a typical hotel experience. OR you could wake up to the sound of lions and look out your window at the elephants & zebras. I think the latter is a far better use of money. It seems we were there at pretty much the coldest day of the year. And it is apparently pretty much always windy but the night we were there was particularly blustery. So it was cold in our "tent." But other than that, it worked out great. We took the daily tour at 1pm. Then we checked into our tent (wooden frame on cement & wooden platform, with heavy canvas walls) and looked out over the elephants, zebra, ostriches and water buffalo grazing in the field. The staff brought by a baboon and another small primate and told us when to be ready for our optional "putting the elephants to bed" activity. We watched as they put the elephants into their pens and then we got to feed them. Interesting/fun experience. The staff helped us take pictures & video with our equipment while we helped the large animals get their snacks. We woke around 6:30am to the sound of lions roaring. Butch, a 7+ ton elephant, was brought around to help deliver our breakfast (pastries, etc) and we in turn gave him a snack in reward. All in all a great little vacation. Oh, watch carefully for the entrance to this place. It's easy to miss. And eat at nearby Elements restaurant while you're there. read more

I am so disappointed with our visit. The manager was rude and our tour guide was not friendly at all. They kept us in a tight group and had us line up at cage after cage. This was frustrating to the kids since there were so many people and so little room. We tried to move off to the side so we could see and were instructed to stay behind the line. We tried to stay behind to catch a quick photo and were hollered at to "stay with the group." There was no consideration for allowing the smaller ones to be up front and there was no time allowed to take an individual photo. The tour guide had a lot of useful information about each animal but if you didn't fight your way to the front you couldn't hear what she was saying. I purchased a Central Coast Deal coupon for a visit to Wild Things. The coupon said it never expires so I was not concerned at the time of purchase. I tried to use it and was told it was for a Christmas special only and it expired. I showed the manager the print where it says it never expires and I was told to speak with Central Coast Deals, and not them since it was their "thing." I was treated as though I was "trying to get away with something" and not as a valued customer. She seemed extremely irritated that I even had the coupon. We opted out of the meet and greet with the elephants since it is more than half the cost of the tour. They separated us at the end of the tour and those of us that did not fork out the extra $5.00 per person were escorted off the grounds! One family politely asked if they could stay to watch their friends and they were given a strict, "NO" and were provided with a ridiculous explanation of why. We were not even allowed to stand there and watch! I felt this was extremely rude and left my kids and me feeling like the outcasts as we were escorted out. I am sure if they waited until that moment to ask if anyone wanted to feed the elephants for a donation, they would make a significant amount of money and would leave their customers with a smile on their face instead of a bad taste in their mouths. read more

We celebrated our 35th wedding annivesary by spending the night at Vision Quest Ranch Bed and Breakfast. Our room wasa delux, authentic from Africa, spotless and well apointed. There was a heated mattress pad and space heater, both of which we turned off at bedtime. The bath room was just like a hotel and there was coffee or tea and a refridgerator avaialble. The best part was our deck and bistro set that over looked the elephant preserve. We sat and played cards, drank our wine and watched as the elephants were bathed and fed. We put them to bed and gave them a midnight snack. At night we heard them and the lions call goodnight and awoke in the morning to hear the same. We had breakfast delivered by Butch, who weighs in at a sleek 10,000 pounds. We fed him as well. The tour was comprehensive, the staff engaging and well informed. What a treat and- as I said in the guest journal, they will certainly see us again! Also, check out the great resturant they recommened, Element! read more

If you are an animal lover, this is where you need to be at. The directions were not right so we ended up at the other location but eventually found it. You need to pay in the giftshop and then they alert the large group when it will begin. You first go into a room to watch a video about the vision quest ranch, aka wild things. Then you start on your adventure. Plenty of exotic animals. You are A LOT closer than at your average zoo because the animals are so close to the trainers they walk right up to the side. During our tour, the lion even got up and peed, the pee shot out and got sprayed on some poor guys. But when can you ever say the King of the Jungle peed on you?! Overall it was a very nice and long tour and you seriously get to learn about each animals story about how they got there and what they can and cannot do. Which I think is an amazing way to teach kids. They briefly went over the zebras and elephants at the end but it was still nice to see how large of a space they get. At the end they mentioned the overnight options which I actually considered but we'll see. This tour is great for all ages and remember to bring your cameras for moments like when your buddy gets pee sprayed on him by a lion! read more

BUCKET LIST --- CHECK!!!! This was totally AMAZING!!!!! I can't say ANYTHING negative about the experience and it truly was an experience!!!!! My husband bought a GROUPON for an overnight stay, for my xmas gift. We also bought the Pachyderm Package, which is a TOTAL must if you are an ELEPHANT LOVER like I am!! And we bought the Crunch Time and Butch's Bedtime. Crunch Time was awesome, to see the big cats react to feeding time was heart pounding! And putting the elephants to bed was a treat!! The bungalow was VERY spacious, clean and comfortable. We stayed in the Big Cat House. The heated bed pad made it very comfortable between the sheets. It felt like we were on a safari, hearing the elephants trumpet in the middle of the night, the lions roar and hyenas make their sounds, was the COOLEST!!!!! And to wake up to the sight of all the elephants, water buffalo, zebra and ostrich was breath taking for me!! My husband said I looked like a kid in a candy store during the Pachyderm time. It was incredible for me to be able to touch, wash and take pictures with these incredible creatures!!!!! The visits after checking in from a cat and then a monkey was really cool! The monkey was a crack up! Breakfast in the morning was ALOT, a little bit of everything, more than enough! The WHOLE experience was PRICELESS!!!!!! I would do it again in a heartbeat!!!! And recommend it to everyone!! The staff was awesome! And the job they do is TERRIFIC!!!! read more

We loved this place! Stayed in the Monkey Manor. Next time I would stay on the other side of the property as we could hear the traffic from the side street. Also, no view of the elephant habitat from the Monkey Manor, but it was all that was open when we booked. We did Crunch Time and Bedtime; highly recommend both activities. If you have to pick one because of budget, do the Bedtime with Butch. The tent cabins are amazing! So comfortable with heated bed pads, space heater, luxury towels, all comforts of a luxury cabin. The next day we did the Elephant tour where we got a private tour by Christy (awesome guide!!) and gave Butch a bath. This is SOOO worth the $100 per person. Our 9 year LOVED it beyond belief, and so did we! Breakfast was delivered by one of the African elephants - got more pictures and they even brought some snacks we could feed the elephant. They think of everything!! Yes, the cages seem small for some of the big animals. But they are trying to raise money and are continuing to build bigger habitats. Many animals are rescued, some are raised from infants/babies for entertainment. This is a very unique experience and I felt our money went to better the lives of animals that were considered "surplus" in many cases. Certainly the retired circus elephants have hit the lottery finding their lifelong homes here. You can tell the folks here really prioritize the animals, so be open minded to that. You'll find the front door to the gift shop locked with a sign saying to use a phone that doesn't exist. But there is a call box and it was answered promptly. Breakfast comes closer to 10am rather than 9am. But they provide coffee, juice and water in your room so just chill with a cup of coffee till the magnificent elephant comes up with your breakfast. It's worth waiting for! Breakfast was a very nice assortment of bagels, cream cheese, apples, bananas, yogurt and pastries. We had some granola on hand to mix into the yogurt and had some snacks to tied us over till 10am when breakfast arrived, so we were good. Plan ahead and bring something to munch on (there's mini fridge in the room). The room price they charge is very reasonable considering you get a parade of animals in the evening (we missed it; as we arrived later than 3:30 check in), breakfast and an elephant encounter in the morning. On top of that, you get to join the daily tour free, but our elephant package came with a private tour by Christy, which is the way to go!! Only 5 of us on the tour. We got so much information and interaction with the animals! This was a splurge that was well worth the money and a life long memory. My son wants to go back for his 10th birthday and be a zoo keeper for a day. One drawback, they also kennel dogs on the property and they started barking about 8am. It did take away a little from the safari feel, but we also got to hear the lion roar and the baboons play, so it was fine. Here's a tip, if you continue on the path toward the white dome structure, you will find a little sitting area that overlooks the lion cage from a top of the hill. My son thought that was very special. Have fun! You'll make some great memories. read more

We had the best time. We were not dIsappointed at all. From check-in to the tour to stay the night in the bungalow, to giving the elephant their nighttime snacks it was great. THEN, when we did not think it could get better, in the morning after a great night sleep, the staff brings US breakfast (which I have to say for a continental breakfast was great, apples, danishes, yogurt, bagels all fresh and in a cute box with all the plates and utensils) with a Elephant in tow for us to feed from our bungalow porch. WHAT?! I will go back again. It was awesome. I booked this vacation with a groupon but I had been waiting to go for a while. Perfect timing. So for those us on a budget that is the way to go. Thank you to the staff who made this a great vacation ;) read more

I heard about this place several months ago and booked a room for valentine's weekend- just got back and it was everything I had hoped for!! There were tons of cool exotic animals, and I loved being able to feed the elephants. Our bungalow was nicely furnished with all of the modern amenities you would normally get in a hotel. It was a bit hard to sleep because you could hear the animals all night ( lions roaring, monkeys screaming, etc.) but I thought that added to the authentic safari feel. My favorite part was getting a continental breakfast delivered to us in the morning by one of the elephants. We got to feed the elephant breakfast and the handler was nice enough to take a bunch of pictures of us with the elephant. The only thing I really didn't like about this place was how small the cages are for many of the animals. Our tour guides stressed that they have plans to build large enclosures for each of the animals so that they can run freely- but I wonder how long it will actually take before that happens. I could tell that the animal handlers truly loved working with the animals, but I hope that soon they do get a bigger space to roam around in. I am happy to have been able to contribute to funds going towards these animals that have in some cases been abandoned by owners or kicked out of a circus, etc. I would definitely recommend checking this place out - it's such an experience! read more

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Love love love love love love love LOVE this place!!!! Seriously. It's fantastic. We did the 1:00 tour of the facility the day we checked in. Awesome! The animals are happy and well taken care of. Our tour guide was fantastic! Loved seeing the animals up so close. We stayed at the Bed and Breakfast in Josef's Cabin, #6. GORGEOUS! It's an actual tent made in Tanzania with all the amenities of home and decorated wonderfully. While our deck view wasn't of the elephant pen, it was of the lovely valley. It was storming when we visited in February, so we missed the 3:30 walk by of animals. We were bummed, but understood that it wasn't safe for the animals or handlers to be out in the horrible weather. The next morning a darling elephant brought us our breakfast - bagels, croissants, scones, yogurt, fresh fruit, water and OJ. Awesome breakfast! And one of the handlers took pictures of us feeding the elephant with our camera (for free, yay!!). An awesome experience that I hope we can relive soon. Gorgeous property with great amenities. read more

What a wonderful mini-safari/zoo experience! Overnight in a luxurious bungalow, helping feed the animals and helping bed down the elephants. Waking up to breakfast delivery by the elephants and after an information-packed tour of the zoo, to top it off, the opportunity to bathe the elephants!! (Thank you, Paula, for being so patient with me. I hope I got all the soap off from behind your ears.) The zoo is ever-expanding and the three new enclosures are amazing!!! And what a great staff who were always there to make the whole experience really memorable. Not to be missed!!!! read more

I enjoyed a one night stay Friday through Saturday. While at first glance the pricing for the lodging may seem a bit on the higher price tag, I do think it was nice that it includes the tour and the elephant visit in the morning. There is a refrigerator in the room which is a bonus for if you want to store yogurt or anything of the sort. An amenity I personally enjoyed very much was that the bungalow we stayed in was designed for couples so the coffee maker can make two cups at a time (which I used to make tea). However, I will say that I was a bit more disappointed on the breakfast - not on the quantity but the quality in the department of variety (not on the shortage of the variety of pastry/bread - but I guess the problem is that it was mostly all bread). I did make a request when I put in my reservation to have them let me know what the breakfast items were going to be, which they did not get back to me on. So it's a good thing we brought an ample amount of healthy snacks to eat. Overall, I would say that if you have never stayed here before the experience is worth it as I did enjoy the uniqueness of it. read more

I have never written a Yelp review but after our visit to Vision Quest Ranch today I felt compelled to do so. It was my daughter's birthday and we received tickets as a surprise birthday gift from friends. From start to finish we had a fantastic time. Our tour guide was knowledgeable, friendly, and took time to answer everyone's questions. The animals all knew her and seems enthusiastic when she approached their enclosures. The enclosures were extremely clean and the animals all looked very happy and healthy. At the end of the tour we got to feed Butch the elephant which was an incredible experience. My daughter was over the moon about the whole thing and we plan to come back for an overnight visit very soon. read more

We went there with our 3 year old and we were told by the "staff" that we could not stay there because our daughter did not meet the age requirement of being 4 years old. This was made all the more laughable because the front desk "staff" consisted of two girls one of whom appeared be no more than 13 years old and the so called "manager' was a young teenager who was no more than 18 years at best. The young teenager like woman was rude, unprofessional and unfortunately, had to assert her control and authority at our expense. read more

Really enjoyed our visit - they currently (June/July/August) have 1 pm and 3 pm tours that you don't need a reservation for - $10 per person and worth it. I believe that they will show you the animals that are currently available so it could be different depending on the day. We also paid a bit extra to feed the elephant at the end and that was fun too. We're looking forward to perhaps visiting and staying over at one of the on site tent cabins and doing another, more 1-on-1 tour. Yes, the animals are in cages (except the elephant area) and the cages are a bit small but with the exception of the truly wild bear they have, they all get taken out and walked and trained. The areas are very well cleaned and none of the animals seemed any worse for wear. The tour guide mentioned that they are working toward making it more 'zoo like' with natural habitats, etc. But the fact that these animals are rescued from bad situation or possible death, makes their situation seem less constricting and more life lengthening! read more

My wife surprised me and took me to this awesome place! it was a great experience and can't believe that I can stay at a place that I can touch and feed elephants! I've paid the same if not more at hotels where I didn't get to experience any of this. I understand it takes time and money to expand and give animals more space, I can't wait for that! I hate the fact on the tour of the small zoo people ask the stupid questions over and over! Save your criticism for someone who cares! I would also like to enjoy my trip! They are doing the best they can giving us an experience to remember! the safari bungalow tents are awesome for being canvas tents, can't believe they could be so nice! The trainers and staff were very knowledgeable and helpful when we needed them. Thanks for everyone there making our trip a great experience!! Can't wait to see the animals again. The breakfast was great compared to other continental breakfasts I've received from other hotels. Thanks!! read more

If you love animals especially elephants, then this is the place for you. I planned our trip as a birthday surprise and let me tell you this it does not get any better. The staff here is the best. They truly have a passion and a love for what they do. It is a quick drive to Monterey for dinner; however, you want to spend as much time as you can watching these animals. This is a once in a life time adventure of interacting with either the lions/tigers or the elephants. We did an overnight stay and the "Pachyderm Package". The tent is like a cabin but canvas tent. It is much more luxury than a tent though. You have your own bathroom with shower, comfortable bed, television, and sitting area. They cabins have a good size deck with table/chairs to sit outside and enjoy the views and the animals. Watching the elephants interact and just the beautiful sunshine is wonderful. With the pachyderm package you get to bathe the elephants and put them to bed with peanuts. When I say you bathe the elephants, this is not one minute and done, you are working with the elephants for a while scrubbing them which they love and right up close to them. That interaction gives such an inspiration for these magnificent animals. We did the tour of the other animals too which was very interesting. At night you can hear the animals come to life just like you were out in the wild. The breakfast is delivered by the elephants and get to spend some more one-on-one time with them. Bagels, pastries, orange juice, and coffee. Many of the staff are long-time volunteers who do this out of a passion for these animals. Salinas temperatures are very mild so the sleeping is wonderful and cool. If you want to surprise someone, this is the way to do it. read more

One of the best trips. We had a blast I would recommend staying here. It was very frustrating to get a hold of the workers by phone and almost didn't book it because of the lack of communication and a few mix ups but so glad I didn't. When I saw all the work and dedication the staff has to the animals and guest I understood why it was difficult to communicate. The only thing bad I can say is that the gift shop had a smell of dogs because of the kennel so I would recommend that they address that. We stayed in one of the tents and we loved it. It was a nice romantic getaway with no neighbors and the noises of the animals and the quiet night was amazing. The staff answered all of our questions and were very kind and accommodating. We did the extra things like feed the tigers, wash the elephants and putting the elephants to bed. We were the only couple signed up for washing the elephants so it was amazing we had a tour guide to ourselves for the zoo and we got I feel one of the best experiences in bathing the elephants. The staff didnt rush us answered our concerns and even took pictures for us so we could enjoy the moment. The morning breakfast delivered by an elephant was a treat and the pastries were out of this world. If you get the opportunity to Vision Quest it will not disappoint. . read more

Do not stay here for the "camp out" experience! We had a group of 30, children all under the age of 10 and 8 mothers. We were looking forward to this experience and ended up stuffed in a conference room adjacent to the dog kennel! Yes the smell of urine almost killed us! Not to mention the mice or rats screaming in our room and frightening our children! The worst part was waking up to mouse dropping next to my pillow!! I will never recommend this place, ever!! Stay at your own risk!!! read more

July 14th 2014 A very disappointing experience for 6 of us who drove from Berkeley to celebrate a birthday at Wild Things. Arriving at 4:50 p. m. we waited in the parking lot/gift shop until 5:30 to commence the tour ("There will be someone down to get you" every 10 minutes at each inquiry); and we were back on the road to return home at 6:05 p. m. For the tour about 5 animals were fed during a 'bums rush' around the loop of "big cats". Staff did not enhance rapport among animals/customers--that is, they were very apathetic about visitor enjoyment of the experience... " Please stay with the group" rang out at every pause for a photo-- Fortunately, Salinas is a lovely town with great attractions including fine dining. Perhaps Wild Things is for people with young children [???] As a point of interest for those who care about animals: never again! $35.00 each!!! Hope they do better for other groups--we anticipated a unique, fun experience...this was hugely disappointing--a real let down!! Enough said. KMH read more

We just did the hour tour at 1 and the tour went by really fast. I liked having the small group feel. I must say feeding the elephants was pretty cool. read more

My husband and I made a reservation two weeks ago to spend this Friday night at the bed and breakfast. I was told that a late arrival was fine and that I would get a call about how to handle our late checkin. Since I hadn't heard, I called today to find out how we would get the key for our Friday reservation. I was told to call back the morning we were to arrive. I said that it would be difficult for me to call then and added that my experience was that it was hard to reach a live person and get calls returned quickly at the bed and breakfast. I understand that the staff is busy with the animals so I had no problem when I didn't hear back the same day--and in one case not at all--when I called during the reservation process, but the person I was talking to huffily said they always called back promptly. I didn't even get a chance to say that my job as a teacher does not allow ready phone access so I was afraid of problems at both our ends. Without further explanation, this person unilaterally canceled our reservation saying that we "were not a good fit." I begged to be able to work something out since this was to have been a birthday present for me, but I guess wanting to firm up our checkin process in advance was too much of an imposition. Too bad someone couldn't have told us that we were not a good fit--whatever that means--two weeks ago when we made our reservation. read more

I don't have a review of the facility. More or less I'm frustrated with their website. I found it to be very difficult to understand. It says open till 5 no need to call come on out. So when we left monterey and got lost. It happens. It was beautiful but still we were late and missed the 1 o'clock tour which I hear is nicely priced and a must see. But either way we missed it. We asked about other things and that is when the lady at the front said we could paid $35 to do either crunch time or lay the elephants to bed. I said not both and she said because we' weren't Bb quest only one. I said ok that sounds fun so how much for my 5,4 and 14 month old be. She said all three are $35 .. mouth dropped I mean I am wearing my baby. He wouldn't event participate. They wouldn't budge on price. Well that was a shame I almost dropped over $100 to feed tigers with a pole just to educate my children and to donate to a rescue facility. The lady was rude and reminded me that my money was better spent else where and it was. A little down the road we found a horse ranch that does trail rides and even though my kids weren't old enough she took each one on a horse ride around the arena and my kids loved it. read more

LOVED our stay here! My daughter and I stayed in the Pacheyderm Palace - the room is VERY clean, warm and cozy with the wonderful heated mattress! It was fun to watch the elephants in the play yard, especially the connection between the zebra and Butch - it is too cute! It was wonderful hearing the lions and other animal sounds at night and in the morning. The one downside to staying in Elephant and Monkey tents was it was Strawberry picking season and I was awoken at 6:30 am to the sounds of big trucks on the road and Hispanic music playing - I felt like I was camping in Mexico instead of a Safari Bed and Breakfast. At 8am they really turned the music up then, which became rather disruputive for ourselves and our nieghbors next door in Monkey Manor - not sure how the other guest made out - perhaps the music didn't carry that far, but this is nothing against Vision Quest, for this isn't their fault, but just an FYI if you are booking a night here, you might fair better on the other side of the elephant playyard if you are a light sleeper like I am. My daughter and I arrived a little late so we missed some of the animal walk by's, but we were able to meet Stewart the 3 month old Black Bear cub - he was the last visitor and he is soooooooo incredibly cute!!!! We later went on the Crunch Time tour and Butch's Bedtime, which we both REALLY enjoyed. The Bengal Tiger is so cute when she is about ready to get feed - she gets so excited and did this cute little "happy dance". The sound of the chicken bones crunching while they eat does make a chill run down your spine though. Butch's bedtime is a lot of fun when you feed the elephants - Butch is the polite one and turns his trunk upside down so you can drop the carrot inside (we were told he does this because he is hoping for a handful of carrots instead of just one), but the girls will take the carrot stick right out of your hand and after eating their hay and pellet mixture first, you will come away with a green slimy hand - call it elephant boogers or green slobber, but either one is pretty gross, but it is still way fun! Sorry I forgot the female elephants name in the middle stall next to Butch, but we were told she will not let you pass without a carrot toll and boy was that true!!!! I had already passed out all my carrots and was trying to walk past her to get back in line next to my daughter and she would block me at each turn with her trunk held right in my face "demanding" her carrot toll - it was sooooooooooo funny!!!!!! For our dinner time, most everyone on the tour said they were going to the food locations a little down the road by the gas station, however my daughter and I decided to head into town where there was a lot more to choose from and really it was only about a 10 minute drive. The next morning we were booked for the Pacheyderm Package, but sadly one of the elephants was sick and they had to cancel, which we completely understood, so hopefully someday in the future we can go back for this. Also a lot of comments on here complain about how small the enclosures are and yes they are small, but construction is underway for a large area for these animals. We were also told that they also walk the animals several times a day as well. We really LOVED our visit here and look forward to returning (hopefully just not during harvest season or perhaps the Bear Den across the property.) read more

I decided to take my 3 grandkids since my 2 yr old grandson LOVES animals. Very disappointing. First off I bought our tickets and was advised I would also need a ticket for my 5 month old grandson who I was carrying in a pack. Really?? Anyway, I paid the additional $10. I felt the tour was way overbooked. We were separated into 3 groups but seemed to end up at the same cages frequently. It seemed very unorganized and our guide was constantly apologizing for the trucks/gators that we're going by. She explained they were in the process of relocating some of the animals. One of the guests asked why some of the animals were just pacing back and forth and she explained they seemed to be agitated with all the extra activity going on. As we stopped at the animal cages it was difficult for the kids to see because of the amount of adults in front of them. Then as we were moving to the next exhibit if the kids lagged behind (to try and see what they couldn't because of people in front of them) they were "scolded" to keep up. We didn't even see at least 6 of the animals because they were inside their "igloos". Don't waste your $$. Go to a real zoo where you can actually take your time and the kids can actually see the animals. read more

stayed here with a groupon. it was definitely worth it. i understand where people come from when they say the enclosures are too small, but they are in the process of enlarging and turning into a zoo. the new enclosures are much larger and nicer. the employees were very friendly and easy to talk to. they all know so much about the animals and call them each by their names. you can tell they really know the animals and their personalities. you can tell that they have seen all the bad comments and i must admit that it made me nervous for our stay, but they definitely proved the comments wrong. they were thorough in answering questions honestly as well. we did the crunch time with the tigers, bedtime with the elephants, breakfast with the elephants, and the daily tour. each tour was full of information and you can tell the animals are well taken care of and love the trainers. the elephants were so excited for snacks that christy was dancing! it was great to see the way the animals were excited to see the trainers and us. I had a great time and wish them all well. read more