Name: Vision Quest Safari Bed And Breakfast
Address: 400 River Road Salinas,River Road, Monterey Wine Country, Monterey Wine Country, Monterey Wine Country, 93908, United States of America
Rating: 9

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Monterey Zoo

Monterey Regional Airport

Watsonville Municipal Airport

Vision Quest Safari Bed And Breakfast

Monterey Wine Country

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My family spent the night this past weekend at Vision Quest Ranch and visited the Zoo on Saturday.  It was a great experience, and my children really enjoyed the Zoo and staying overnight at the Bungalow.

We arrived on Saturday and toured the Zoo.  It was pleasantly not crowded, and so we were able to spend time at the exhibits without feeling rushed to move on.  Yes, some of the animals seem a bit crowded, but the Zoo is very clean, as are the exhibits.  90% of the animals were out and easily viewed which may the experience more enjoyable.  I find it frustrating when attending zoos, and the animals are either inside, or hidden away behind obstacles.

We were able to check into our Tent Bungalow in the early afternoon which was nice.  No waiting until 4pm...  Our Bungalow (which was the Big Cats one closest to of course the Big Cats) was spacious and enough room for 4.  It was clean and with a large bathroom.  A refrig with water and orange was a nice touch.  You can definitely hear the Male Lions throughout the early night and early in the morning, so be aware.  We did not mind, and it literally felt as if the Lions were right outside our place.  The Bungalow also has a view of a large exhibit that currently has Rhinos, Zebras, Water Buffalo, and Wildebeast.

In the late afternoon we choose the duo activity of feeding the Tigers and then putting the Rhino's to bed.  This was the highlight of the trip, and well worth the extra expense.  Being that close to the animals was very exciting for the kids and us.  Also before this activity, we did have animals taken to the front of our bungalow which included a Lemur and Skunk.

There is a small breakfast provided the next day which was nice.  Overall the staff were friendly and engaging, and for us, well worth the experience.  A definite hidden gem located in the western foothills of Salinas.

Hidden Gem in the Salinas Foothills

We loved this place! The bungalow was awesome and well equipped. Surprisingly we stayed warm with the space heater and heated mattress pads. Incredible to hear the lions at night and look across at the zebras and water buffalo from our deck. On our arrival day, the staff walked a few animals by the bungalows and spent a few minutes talking to us about them. We did a private tour and it was so enjoyable with the staff being friendly and engaging and the zoo was immaculate! Breakfast was a generous box filled with various pastries, fruit, and yogurt. I was very impressed!  We enjoyed our stay so much and highly recommend Vision Quest! 

Great place!

It was wonderful. Peacefully yet exciting.  Watching the zebras and the rhino playing together while sitting on the deck of our tent was amazing.  We toured the zoo and felt so relaxed. Yes we signed up for crunch time.  We fed the tigers. They were beautiful.  The entire staff went above and beyond to make our stay great. The breakfast was amazing. The staff brought animals to our tent every afternoon.  Romantic 

The best trip ever.

Super comfortable glamping experience. Turn the heater on before it gets super cold and you'll be fine. We did the zoo the day we arrived. In the afternoon, they walk one or two animals over to visit you. We got to see a baby black leopard and my daughter was over the moon. Our breakfast meet and greet was with a camel. The beds were comfortable and the breakfast was big and delicious. You could definitely hear the big cats super well from Monkey Manor (tent #2).

Great glamping!

This was a fantastic experience!  I stayed at the Monkey Manor and couldn't believe how clean it was.  The beds are extremely comfortable, heated mattress pad and white bedding.  We were close enough to hear the tigers roar, this was really exciting!  The shower was hot and the heater worked so well we actually had to turn it down during the night.  The view from the deck was amazing and relaxing. The bungalows are spread out so you can really enjoy the view and privacy.   We brought in our dinner so that we could enjoy every minute at this place.  The zoo is the cleanest zoo that I've ever been to and the animals seem extremely happy.  I recommend paying the extra money for Crunch Time, you get the feed the tigers!  I have already booked a second trip with my parents for two bungalows.  I highly recommend this place, relaxing glamping by the zoo.

Fantastic experience!!!

Our stay was March 2-4th.  so 2 nights. 

So I like to try and give a good honest review from start to finish so I hope this helps someone else.. 

Intro:

When we called to make reservations (you can do it online very easy) we had some questions since we knew there were restrictions due to covid. The lady we talked with to get information was not even close to nice..  She made us feel like we were bothering her.  However, we are glad we called because we were going to pick the VIP tour which is super expensive, but many of the interactions were not allowed due to covid..  

We almost did not make reservations because of the person we asked questions to.   I am glad we did not let her uncaring attitude sway us. 

So here is what we did and I will separate each activity to help you make decisions..

We stayed in the big cat house for two nights, did the pachyderm package, the Crunch Time and  bedtime with Butch.  

BIG CAT HOUSE TENT:  

Ok so the big cat house is in the best location if you like hearing the lions all night and you get a great view of the Elephant corral.  We watched the elephant play with his zebra buddy every day.  You can also watch them feed him, wash him, and anything else he wants to do..  

Good parts:  

You are right next to the back of the zoo.  You can see the Bengal tigers climb on their perch.  You are right next to the meeting gate for any tour you may take.  

Every morning you get to go down and feed Butch the Elephant at 9:30.  The workers that helped with this were absolutely awesome!    We only had one worker on our last day who for some reason kept rushing everybody (4 of us) when the other staff members said take your time.  

Every night at 3 pm they bring two animals over to your cabin/tent (lest just call them tents from now on).  That was pretty cool and the Lynx they brought over wanted a ground hog that kept peeking its head out 4 feet away from him.  

You get breakfast ( bagels, bear claw, and some fruit with yogurt) each morning at 8am.  They were usually early and came around 7:45.  There is orange juice already in the fridge when you check in. 

The views and animal activities you get from the tent is worth it. 

BAD PART:

 The tent ( they are really a framed tent like a yurt) is that you can not cook in them or have any open flames what so ever.  A portable propane fire pit would be cool, however, I totally understand the importance of not starting a fire near the zoo, so we did not mind this rule.  But you really need something to be able to cook or eat.  There are no restaurants near by, they are in Salina. 

There is absolutely zero insulation.  The heater they have does not work well at all and does not warm the tent. They provide a separate portable electric heater which helps a little but not much.  There are electric blankets, but they do not work great ( they did get us warm after a long while, but the preheat option just did not do its job).   So be prepared to be cold.  bring a sleeping bag or good blanket.  

The shower was not great. It is like an RV shower and the shower head sprayed water in every direction except for the direction of where you stand LOL.  The hot water was good though and we had not issues. 

Also be very careful of the glass table it will fall off if you put the breakfast on the end. 

PACHYDERM PACKAGE:  

Ok this was pretty cool. I really did not care about brushing Butch, I wanted to touch him and hang out with him.. He is an absolute awesome elephant.  The trainer and staff that was working on 3-3-21 for this tour were great!  I wish I had their names to give them Kudo's. I sure it helped that my wife and I were the only ones doing the tour. 

You basically go to a back area near Butches barn where there is a large cleaning area.  You learn things about Butch like his history, how old he is, and what he likes to eat.  Once you get done washing one side  you get to go in an area closer to Butch (but blocked of for safety)so you can feed him and get some photo ops.  

It was worth the money!

CRUNCH TIME:

Ok so this was really cool!   you went to the back area where the tigers go to sleep at night.  Here you learn about the tigers and where they come from.  The guide/worker was very knowledgeable and  like to educate you regarding the animals. While we were feeding the tiger the lions started talking to each other. There are 4 lions total 2 males and 2 females and they are in different pens.  They talk to each other all the time. 

The tigers are way bigger than I expected them to be and being up close and personal was cool.  

BEDTIME WITH BUTCH:

So by now we have seen Butch twice already.  You would think we had enough but we did not!  We went in and learned more about Butch and met a trainer that has been with him for 20 years!  This trainer is absolutely in love with Butch and I commend her for how she has taken care of him.  Here you go in his large covered pen.  You get to feed him again and put him. (not sure it counts as petting on an elephant lol, his skin is over an inch thick.  

Employees:  

All of the employees were awesome except for the initial person we called, and the on older worker that was there for breakfast on 3-4.  She just made us feel rushed and seemed bothered by us.  

I would highly recommend this place for 2 nights.  Each night they will bring animals to your tent at 3pm.  

So relax the first night you get there and bring something for dinner unless you want to drive to Salinas.  

On the second day we did everything above and used our entry to the zoo this day.  We got in early and all the animals were very lively.  It was a great day.  Staying the second night allows you to go back to your tent to meet the back gate for your evening tours.  

3rd day you wake up feed Butch again, say good bye and head out lol. 

Hope this helps and enjoy your visit.

An honest review for the B&B as well as extra attractions

A late review.
We highly recommend coming here for a little getaway.  Especially when you cant travel during the pandemic.

We stayed in Joseph's jungle / the lion room.
It was a quiet couple retreat with a king bed and an outdoor "cereal bowl" looking bathtub which was perfect for stargazing. Just a head up, dont expect hot water in the bathtub.

It did get a little chilly at night even in September but there were heated elements built in to the bed. The bathroom was clean and well heated. 
Your stay does include admission to the zoo, it is small but well run. The animal enclosures were clean and the animals appeared well-fed.

Guests breakfast are delivered each morning , including juice,  pastry and fruits. 
You also get to feed the elephants in the morning, which was a highlight of our trip!
Please arrive before 3pm, as they do bring zoo animals to visit the guests around that time. We were visited by an adorable little lynx during our stay!

Regarding covid19 measures, the staff wore masks and do keep their distance. Hand sanitizers were readily available. Guests must wear masks at all time inside zoo premise per the signs.
However, we did spot guests without one as soon as they are out of sight from zoo staff. 

Wonderful birthday experience 

This was an outstanding stay! So fun being so close to the animals.  Feeding the elephant in the morning was great. You can hear the lions roaring at night.  Also a nearby dog and chicken which wasn't ideal but can't be helped.    It was super cold at night when we were there but the heated mattresses kept us warm.  The breakfast was generous amount of fresh bakery items and really delicious fruit.  So much that it fed us for lunch also!  Such a great story behind this zoo / facility.  They have rescued so many animals and given them good environments and lives.

Please support this business / Wonderful getaway / will be coming back again

It was an overnight surprise stay for our two 11 and 7 kids. They loved to be sorrounded by wild animals and feel the safari noises just one hour from san francisco. It was very nice the breakfast with elephants.

Great family overnight

I wish this review was what I anticipated to write based upon the other 3 or 4 amazing times we have stayed at Vision Quest, however this just wasn’t the case this time. 

 
With all that is going on in the world with COVID-19 and what our own family has been faced with; we were immensely looking forward to a much needed little get away as a family with our 4-year-old son. He was so excited to stay in a bungalow, feed the big cats and elephants and go on the pachyderm tour.
 
Shortly after bringing EVERYTHING in (remember we have a toddler) and unpacking all our belongings in our bungalow, we noticed quite a few ants that quickly continued to fester. Even after someone came into spray, we ended up having ants on our food, in our drinks and even found some crawling on us.
 
There were also quite a few yellow jackets outside in our patio so we couldn’t enjoy the view of the animals while eating our lunch, let alone enjoy eating inside with all the ants. Furthermore, a chair was broke outside so we could not sit outside as a family anyways.  Mind you a price per night for the bungalow we stayed in is $439.
 
One of the employees provided exceptional customer service planning our trip, upon our arrival and attempted to accommodate us for all that we encountered. However, when the owner Charlie got involved it all went south from there. He came out to talk to me already confrontational and while talking removed his mask.  The owner only had his best interest at heart and lacked any sort of customer service. He was rude, self-centered and lacked any sort empathy or remorse. We were only provided the price difference for the less expensive room that was available to stay in. However, he was not willing to provide any other accommodations or discounts for the inconvenience that we faced. The owner has no regard for the customers who help keep him in business!
 
Instead of a nice relaxing day spent away from all the craziness, we spent a good portion of our visit contending with the ants and yellow jackets, unloading, loading and unloading again moving into a much smaller bungalow that didn’t even accommodate our family. We contemplated just leaving but the owner wouldn’t refund our stay.
 
On Sunday when we went to feed the elephants, a couple was running late because they forgot their masks. I don’t believe the owner knew I overheard his conversation telling one of his employees that this can’t happen again (mind you we were talking about 10 minutes) and that people should know what they should be doing due to COVID-19. Sadly, there was no grace. We are all in this together and are all still learning what we should and shouldn’t do, can and can’t do with the never-ending changes.
 
Ironically the night before, an employee was about 10 minutes late meeting us at the gate for feeding the big cats and Butch’s bedtime. Also, on Sunday, there were several occasions when Charlie was not wearing his mask handling merchandise and a delivery. He also walked out and back into the check in/shop area without wearing his mask. Employees and guests are held to a higher standard that I guess he doesn’t need to adhere to. Such a double standard!  I also could be mistaken but I thought Governor Newson closed zoos last week.
 
Lastly I will add that our entire stay was over $1k so this was not an inexpensive visit, especially during COVID-19. I will say this, our family will never stay at Vision Quest again, nor support the zoo.
It is also my understanding that the owner is just as rude to his employees, micromanages them and tells them not to be so nice.
 
Sadly, I would not recommend the Monterey Zoo or Vision Quest. Drive the extra distance to Santa Rosa to Safari West; a 400 acre private wildlife preserve.
 
 I wish this review was what I anticipated to write based upon the other 3 or 4 amazing times we have stayed at Vision Quest, however this just wasn’t the case this time. 

 
With all that is going on in the world with COVID-19 and what our own family has been faced with; we were immensely looking forward to a much needed little get away as a family with our 4-year-old son. He was so excited to stay in a bungalow, feed the big cats and elephants and go on the pachyderm tour.
 
Shortly after bringing EVERYTHING in (remember we have a toddler) and unpacking all our belongings in our bungalow, we noticed quite a few ants that quickly continued to fester. Even after someone came into spray, we ended up having ants on our food, in our drinks and even found some crawling on us.
 
There were also quite a few yellow jackets outside in our patio so we couldn’t enjoy the view of the animals while eating our lunch, let alone enjoy eating inside with all the ants. Furthermore, a chair was broke outside so we could not sit outside as a family anyways.  Mind you a price per night for the bungalow we stayed in is $439.
 
One of the employees provided exceptional customer service planning our trip, upon our arrival and attempted to accommodate us for all that we encountered. However, when the owner Charlie got involved it all went south from there. He came out to talk to me already confrontational and while talking removed his mask.  The owner only had his best interest at heart and lacked any sort of customer service. He was rude, self-centered and lacked any sort empathy or remorse. We were only provided the price difference for the less expensive room that was available to stay in. However, he was not willing to provide any other accommodations or discounts for the inconvenience that we faced. The owner has no regard for the customers who help keep him in business!
 
Instead of a nice relaxing day spent away from all the craziness, we spent a good portion of our visit contending with the ants and yellow jackets, unloading, loading and unloading again moving into a much smaller bungalow that didn’t even accommodate our family. We contemplated just leaving but the owner wouldn’t refund our stay.
 
On Sunday when we went to feed the elephants, a couple was running late because they forgot their masks. I don’t believe the owner knew I overheard his conversation telling one of his employees that this can’t happen again (mind you we were talking about 10 minutes) and that people should know what they should be doing due to COVID-19. Sadly, there was no grace. We are all in this together and are all still learning what we should and shouldn’t do, can and can’t do with the never-ending changes.
 
Ironically the night before, an employee was about 10 minutes late meeting us at the gate for feeding the big cats and Butch’s bedtime. Also, on Sunday, there were several occasions when Charlie was not wearing his mask handling merchandise and a delivery. He also walked out and back into the check in/shop area without wearing his mask. Employees and guests are held to a higher standard that I guess he doesn’t need to adhere to. Such a double standard!  I also could be mistaken but I thought Governor Newson closed zoos last week.
 
Lastly I will add that our entire stay was over $1k so this was not an inexpensive visit, especially during COVID-19. I will say this, our family will never stay at Vision Quest again, nor support the zoo.
It is also my understanding that the owner is just as rude to his employees, micromanages them and tells them not to be so nice.
 
Sadly, I would not recommend the Monterey Zoo or Vision Quest. Drive the extra distance to Santa Rosa to Safari West; a 400 acre private wildlife preserve.

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