1.5 hours from Surabaya: Our 2D1N Escape to Baobab Safari Resort and Prigen Safari Park in the chilly highlands where animals roam free

Check-into a magical animal kingdom!

At Baobab Safari Resort, you’re in a prime location to spot African wildlife! The resort lobby itself expands to the outdoor area where you’ll find the pool and the animal park – it is quite a spectacle; our eyes were glistening like real kids as we walked through what would be our ultimate “African Safari Lodge”.

While there are various room categories (all of them with unique safari feels) at the resort, you sure want to opt for their Premium Safari room to wake up overlooking the most exciting members of the animal kingdom! I thoroughly enjoyed seeing animals roaming around freely as compared to what I have seen before in many countries in Asia (where the poor creatures are caged).

Get your binoculars ready for an animal experience of a lifetime – from petting elongated beauties at your breakfast table to lounging poolside with striped species, feeding Simba’s best friends and more!

*Note: Free private parking is available.

Lounge poolside with zebras!

Panoramic ocean views, endless lush jungle vistas are nice and all but when can you get to dip in a pool overlooking a park with wild animals roaming freely? That’s one special and impressive hotel feature I must say!

The pool here is an excellent playground to enjoy the view of safari herbivores grazing in the park. We absolutely loved spotting zebras, giraffes and ostriches. But these aren’t all – head there to find out 😉!

Needless to say, kids will be at their utmost paradise at this ideal base as they get both water and animal fun!

Photo Via Art.seto_

Meet and feed Timon and his meerkat friends!

Now you can meet the real Timon from The Lion King. What is life, my friends?

This has to be the cutest gang we’ve seen out of all members of the animal kingdom! They’ve got their own dedicated “cave” to hang out at and could peek out of their home once in a while to see what’s going on in the neighbourhood; you know, just for the fun of it!

We were comfortably sitting in the lobby when I saw little heads peeking out of a gigantic rock (which I thought was merely a decoration), and it turned out to be a whole extended meerkat family residing in there! These adorable creatures are extremely fast and cheeky and they might well only come at you to find food! They have a chill life and enjoy sunbathing too!

*Note: Wear clothes you don’t mind getting scratched as they love to dig. Digging is an innate instinctive action they use to create burrows, get food or create dust clouds to distract predators.

Photo Via Jejes3008, TripCanvas

Photo Via Lifeofchyra

Dine with a view of the African savanna at Kilimanjaro Restaurant

Although we wished we could have shared a table with the fellow animal tribe at dinnertime, the feast at Kilimanjaro Restaurant did not disappoint either. Since we were here during the Ramadan season, we were lucky to join and celebrate around an extensive buffet.

There was a large selection of local delicacies but I have to say that my favourites were the desserts – they were so tasty and colourful, and turned our table into a stunning rainbow! They also had an array of sambal selections which were as delicious as spicy!

On usual nights, the restaurant operates on an a-la-carte menu with Asian and Western dishes on offer. We’ve also heard that they occasionally have live bands at the restaurant and you can also book a romantic dinner by the pool.

What I like about the restaurant is that it isn’t confined to four walls – it’s a semi-open area overlooking the pool and animal park from afar. Personally, I found it quite kid-friendly too as they are free to run around.

Though nothing special and outstanding about the venue, I think it fits the purpose of dining in rather than having to go out to look for a restaurant. Mind you, there aren’t many comfortable options in the surroundings other than some basic local warungs.

Go on an exotic night safari walk (with snakes and spiders)!

If you’ve been to the Night Safari in Singapore before, you sure must have hated the long queue but rest assured, the night safari walk at Baobab Safari Resort is much more intimate than the ones at popular attractions.

And we know you might be thinking it will be too dark to see anything, but you’re absolutely wrong as the animals will be visible with the help of torchlights (just don’t flash right into their eyes!).

What’s different at nighttime is that you’ll get to see all kinds of nocturnal animals coming out to hunt for their food – snakes, spiders, bats are only a few of them. So no, it won’t be the same old animals that you’ve seen during the day! Plus, I personally think that walking in the dark knowing you’re surrounded by animals is quite an adrenaline-inducing experience! Isn’t it?!

Alternatively, if you’re bringing the little ones along, you can join the storytelling time. It is pretty interactive but the only inconvenience is that it is only conducted in Bahasa Indonesia. Nevertheless, kids will enjoy joining in as the staff entertains them.

Go on a breakfast date with the giraffes!

Besides waking up with close views of the surrounding wildlife, this morning, you’re welcome to share your breakfast table with Zahara, Zahari and Kamil – the three celebrity giraffes at Baobab Safari Resort!

It’s an experience like no other as the three long-necked creatures gently make way to your table, scoping out your breakfast and hoping for a snack. You will be provided with leaves and vegetables to feed them.

They got really greedy when we were there and were close enough to pet, I nearly got their whole tongue in my face! I’ve always wanted to head to the Giraffe Manor in Nairobi, Kenya so this morning with the giraffes was a tad special and in fact a dream come true, as we got up close and personal with these impressive animals.

*Note: Breakfast with giraffes is available with prior booking from 7am-7.30am*

Hop onboard an ultimate Lion King safari adventure at Taman Safari Prigen!

What better way to explore a safari than by driving through the animal kingdom yourself? Giving it a thought – I believe this is what made our trip there quite a remarkable experience. You’re in the comfort of your car with only your friends and family, so it makes it very intimate and enjoyable.

The safari is divided into different zones, where you can find animals from different continents. You’ll have zebras by your window when in the African zone, and you can feed the enormous bison in the American/European zone, and admire the elephants in Asia.

They also have a “carnivore” zone featuring animals that could gobble you up in a few seconds (for this zone, you’ll be required to close all windows and doors).

I thoroughly enjoyed the drive through as we also bought a few carrots to feed the animals along the way. It’s an ultimate throwback to childhood and I truly believe that the experience is fun for any age! Mind you, the animals are extremely greedy and aren’t scared to get close and eat off from your hands. And apparently, if you dress in orange, they’ll mistake you for a carrot (the staff told us it happened to a guest previously)! 😉

I was also very surprised to see how well maintained the park was; the animals seemed to be well taken care of too, and since we visited during the Ramadan season, it wasn’t crowded so this made the experience even better!

Roar with tigers at lunchtime at the Tiger Cave Restaurant!

Sighting a tiger in a jungle is a dream for many, so when we heard we could have lunch with tigers surrounding us, I have to say that we were pretty excited! Relax, it isn’t much of a frightening experience but rather an impressive one. We were lucky enough to secure the best table that gave us unobstructed views of the tigers roaming around and roaring for food.

I was thrilled to get such up-close views of the carnivores; would we be their lunch? I hoped not. As we ordered some of the chef’s recommendations, the moment we’ve all been waiting for began — it was lunch time for the tigers too!

While none of us were food for the carnivores, we were, however, welcome to feed the tigers. It is an unusual experience to sign up for as we watched the tigers jumping in and out of their pond to catch their whole chickens!

Mind you, I was quite anxious when they got too close to the window, ferociously staring and probably thinking that we looked like an appetizing dessert! Besides, the food at the restaurant was delectable and beautifully plated! There’s plenty of options, ranging from Asian to Western dishes too.

Watch man’s best friends do their show at The Adventures of Jack & Kelsey

We did not have high expectations when sitting down for the dog show at Taman Safari Prigen but I have to say that I was very much impressed; kudos to their team and furry friends for such a memorable show!

Though the storyline behind the show constantly changes, I was happy to see that it was an educational presentation. Rather than being a mere entertainment show, there was a deeper meaning and it was intended to educate kids about conservation and how it is important to fight for nature (fauna and flora).

We watched happily as orangutans, birds, cats and dogs did their show in all harmony; it was very well coordinated so I cannot imagine the amount of hard work putting this together. You’ll have pure moments of laughter and admiration for what those animals can do!

Make friends with the penguins at Aquatic Land!

By now, you should know that Taman Safari Prigen is much more than just a safari. The compound also features an Aquatic Land with several different aquatic animals. Needless to say, the star of the show here sure is the penguin family!

The last time I got close to penguins was back in South Africa and I remember that as a kid, it was quite an exciting experience to merely just see them hopping from one rock to another, so being able to get up close to these cute creatures and what’s more, feed them, well I have to say that I might have ticked off yet another item from my bucket list!

Besides having to feed the penguins with bare hands (also means holding fish!), it’s one fun activity to take part in while at the safari. And hear me when I say that the penguins will do anything to get to their food — that also means stepping on you and even sliding into the pool. Let’s just assume that they’re quite impatient in nature, to say the least.

Throughout the activity, you’ll be also accompanied by an on-site staff who will guide you for safety reasons.

Take a trip to Australiana with kangaroos, wombats and more!

It’s almost a round-the-world trip at Taman Safari Prigen – a few hours ago, you were in Africa and now you’ve landed right in Australia! Explore Australiana – a dedicated area within the park with animals coming straight from the Oceania continent. In here, you’ll be able to pet kangaroos, wombats, wallabies, koalas, sheep, horses and more!

Photo Via Gloriannariadhy, Ratihardiansa

🏠 Back in Surabaya? Why not opt for a beautiful apartment with stunning city views? We stayed at Ciputra World and loved it!
Book yours here