We visited San Diego Zoo Safari Park at the encouragement of others. It was originally a breeding park for endangered species, and it retains some of that mission today. The open-air park is an interesting experience, combining walkable paths and motor-driven excursions deeper into the park.
Our favorite experience by far was the caravan safari, which cost us $125 each but was worth it. This is a two-hour crawl through the middle of the park's African Plains and Asian Savanna areas, which are otherwise inaccessible. This vast space, about half the park's total acreage, contain herds of different animal species native to those continents.
Ordinarily, the caravan trucks hold 12-14 people in their expansive, bench-sided beds. We lucked into a Saturday afternoon trip of just four, and what a delight that was. The animals were friendly this day, and we had an amazing experience hand-feeding giraffes and rhinos. Being that close to these unusual creatures was a thrill of a lifetime.
Immediately after our excursion, we moved right over to the Cheetah Run, which is a stunning spectacle. The park has a 100-meter track, and at 3:30 pm each day, a cheetah chases a mechanical rabbit down this track, reaching astonishing speeds. You have to see this.
The park is hilly but a comfortable walk with plenty of shops and food/drink options. The whole experience ain't cheap, but it's a great cause and very entertaining.