Vision Quest Ranch

Nice place; we stayed in the zebra themed room. The walls are made of tarp, and since it was a really windy day and night, the room made a lot of noise, but we got used to the noise and slept well. The room was a unique experience and since they are secluded, I sang songs to my GF in the middle of the night without any neighbors yelling at me to shut up.
Breakfast was nice and big but fairly unhealthy and carb-​heavy hahaha as we tossed the danishes but ate the yogurts and fruits.
Minus one star for (as many others have noted) my favorite animal — the bears — being in such tiny cages. The daily animal walking things at 3:30 pm was a little boring, as they just bring some obscure animals like the bearcat. The time spent with the elephants during breakfast was nice but too short (felt rushed). Tours also felt kind of short and we, in general, left the next day happy but feeling like we wished there was more.
So, four stars! Had fun but with a few minor improvements it would have been better!

Everything was perfect Yes it is a little cold at nights but I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it I loved it

Hi Monterey Zoo/​Vision Quest Ranch (WHATEVER YOU CALL YOURSELF)
By the way, In Defense of animals calls you #8 worst ZOO in the country of 2015:
I visited your zoo last year as a birthday gift for my mother. You claimed to be an animal sanctuary on your website and when we got there
1) the animals were in TINY enclosures
2) the tigers looked overweight and the bears lonely
3) the cages were TOO small and the animals looked depressed
4) as a visitor it made me depressed
5) the elephants were lovely but your trainers used bullhooks. BULLHOOKS. That is UNACCEPTABLE
6) we washed the elephants and it was lovely but they didn’t look excited until we fed them
7) in what way are you a sanctuary
8) you said you were building a BIGGER zoo but you still have yet to get anywhere
9) as an animal activist I’m disappointed at myself for not only spending money, but supporting your sham
10) I want to help save animals and get my parents up close and personal with the elephants but not in the way that you do it.
GET BIGGER CAGES for your animals. I am so disappointed in you. I work in the tech community in San Francisco and will warn everyone of this.
Become a real sanctuary. Invest money in bigger cages.
FORWARD this to your owner.
No wonder IDA, In Defense of Animals, named you #8 of the worst ZOOs of 2015.
I was sad when I saw that. And now all I can think about are those poor animals and that they deserve a better life.
Your owner was an animal entertainment trainer.
STOP thinking about profits. START thinking about the animals.
But to protect animals and to really express my disappointment I want to let people know what a sham you are. I hope some of that $ 600 we spent went to the elephants and bigger cages fro your animals.
DISGUSTING.

This was a great experience! It was a Christmas present from my parents for my sister and I. We got there at 11am and did an hour tour of the zoo and then got a whole other hour to scrub the elephant. The trainer took photos the entire time we bathed her and fed her carrots, so don’t worry about coming out with a lack of photos. It was a Tuesday afternoon so it was just us 2 on the extra tour, but the trainer did say it is usually a lot busier and almost all weekend tours are full, so make sure to schedule ahead of time! We stayed in the Pachyderm Palace, which comfortably fit 3 of us. It was June 7^th so I didn’t expect it to get as cool as it did. If you’re someone who gets cold easily, be sure to bring an extra blanket (even though 2 comforters, a heater and heated mattress are available). The 3:30 visits from the animals were really cool and the trainers were very knowledgeable.
The best part was the elephants who brought breakfast. They brought tons of food and we left full and happy! Make sure to visit the Ostrich as he does his interesting dance!
The whole experience was wonderful!

We stayed this past Friday in the «Big Cat House» bungalow and LOVED it. I got this for my boyfriend for his birthday and it exceeded our expectations. Booking and check in were very easy. The zoo tour was a lot of fun. It is great to see them expanding. For such a small facility they have some really great animals and a group of very knowledgeable staff.
The Big Cat House bungalow overlooks the elephant paddock and watching Butch, Buffy, Christy, and Paula do their thing was so relaxing. We got to hear some trumpeting, some deep rumbles, and watched them hang out with their water buffalo, ostrich, and zeebra roomies. The room is nicely decorated, very clean, and has great views. The heated mattress pad really helped out (we went in late May, but due to the proximity to the Pacific Ocean, things cool down quite a bit at night). We felt like we had been transported to Africa the entire time. Once night fell we were surrounded by the strange and wonderful sounds of the nocturnal zoo inhabitants. To note, the hyena and lion were sounding off from dusk until about 4am when the lion finally gave up. I slept like a baby, but my boyfriend didn’t sleep a wink. Despite his lack of sleep he thought the experience was worth it and loved every second of being there. They brought some animals on walks by our bungalow and Paula and Christy (elephants) brought us our breakfast! It was incomparable. If you are not one who is capable of experiencing the wonder around you and keeping yourself occupied with anything other than a screen, there is a tv in the room, as well as electricity (outlets to plug in your various devices).
In addition to the great experiences at our bungalow, we participated in the Pachyderm Package (where we got to give an elephant a bath and feed them some snacks), Crunch Time (we fed the tigers and a linx!), and Butch’s Bedtime (we helped put the elephants to bed).
I would recommend this experience to anyone! If you are a light sleeper, bring earplugs or headphones. My one complaint is that the water in the bungalow had a strong sulpher smell, but the experience was so amazing that I didn’t mind it.

The Hot Donut companion (aka The Girlfriend) surprised me with this gem of a place for my Birthday. We slumbered at the mighty Josef’s Jungle bungalow (# 6), it was secluded from the other bungalows but had a hidden gem… A Hot Tub/​bath tub outside. Staying there satisfied our craving for a Safari, which we will be going down the road. I will cherish the stay I had with vision quest for a long time.

This was such a great time! This is a very wheelchair accessible attraction! (All of the parts of the attraction are accessible, but there is one section of long uphill, though it meets ADA grading requirements)
The zoo is still improving, they don’t have a ton of animals, and their habitats definitely need the updates they are currently working on. I can’t wait to see what they do with everything over the next 5 years as they implement all of their updates.
The best way to do this:
— Lunch in Salinas
— Arrive at about 12:50 to go on the 1pm tour (free with a night’s stay) If you are not staying the night, do get the elephant add on. If you are staying, don’t bother.
— Go to your hut (They have an excellent ADA hut — Otherwise, aim for one of the huts that is in the inner ring like the Little Big Cat house of Giraffe Manor)
— Hang at your hut (We did a little wine and charcuterie) and wait for visitors around 3:30/4pm
— Do get the Crunch time and/​or buster’s bed time add-​ons… Yeah $ 35 each is a bit pricey, but super cool.
— Stick around for breakfast to be served and enjoy breakfast on your deck. We really ejoyed watching the animals eat too!

The extra tours (breakfast given by the elephants, Crunch Time, Butch’s Bedtime) animals and trainers were wonderful. We loved the trainers and tour staff!
Unfortunately the public tour is a bit crowded and the animals cages seem very small. Although I’m aware that they are making renovations.
The customer service from the time we got there till the time we left was horrid. Kat did not even say hello upon check in and mediately asked for money it was all about money with her and she was very rushed and rude. She forgot to give us a key and in having to go back and get it we ended up missing both crunch time and Butch’s bedtime the first day we were there. She also forgot to tell us where to meet for the tour the next day and we had to rush to get there at the last minute.
Landscaping took place for over 4 hours outside of our room and although I understand landscaping needs to be done I’m somehow sure that we could have been notified ahead of time so that we could of adjusted our plans to go out to eat rather than planned the lunch we had planned on the patio outside. I have a son with Autism and would have been happy to make other plans if the information had just been provided to me.
The manager, Heather, gat I spoke to about Kat offered a 10% discount and made a lot of excuses for her staff.
Later when I saw Heather had not taken the 10% off of my bill I asked her about it and she was confrontational, rude, lacked integrity and stated she would not be doing the discount it any longer. She stated that since I had contacted the owner she would let him worry about it and that she no longer was going to honor her offer of the discount.
I contacted the owner after I had to other things go wrong besides the check in procedure. The owner did email me back today and he did credit me the 10% that was previously offered but other than that most of his email in my opinion was already showing that he had an opinion formed and didn’t really care how I felt. He made additional comparisons and excuses regarding other properties or other life situations which truly had nothing to do with the situation since the only vacation I was currently worried about was mine and the one I felt he should be worried about was his property.
We had originally planned on going back for a larger tour and with more friends and family but unfortunately as long as the customer service is what it was while we were there this weekend we will not be returning.

We arrived from out of town. Flew into San Jose airport, rented a car and then it was a very easy drive, approximately 45 minutes, to the sanctuary. Be sure to stop at the stores on your way to pick up snacks. They do have a small refrigerator with water and juices but you will need snacks. Restaurants and stores are about 15 minutes away.
When we arrived at our Zebra bungalow we did not know what to expect. It was awesome. Perfect view of the elephant play pen. Very clean. Some people say that it was very cold but there’s plenty of heating options inside the bungalows. They are very private and somewhat secluded which is nice not having your neighbors right on top of you. Listening to the lion, hyena and others at night is a pleasant treat.
The staff was great, very professional and nice.
Having the elephants that deliver breakfast is definitely an experience. It’s great to be able to feed them and have them up close. The breakfast that was delivered was more than enough and very good.
We did Butch’s bedtime and the pachyderm package. Butch’s Bedtime was informative and approximately 30 minutes long. We got to see them in their heated secured sleeping quarters and give them a bedtime snacks.
The pachyderm package gives you a tour of all the animals on the grounds. The tour guide is very informative and thorough. Then you get to the elephant area and you have the fantastic experience of bathing one of the elephants. The tour guide takes plenty of pictures with your camera. After the bath is done you have the opportunity to have photos with the elephant. This package is worth every penny. Be sure to tip your tour guide. They deserve it.
As I write this review I try to think of a negative and can not come up with one. We strongly recommend this experience.
Oh here is a bonus … Monterey Beach and Carmel By the Sea is a very short 20 minute drive. Its a must see!

*THIS IS FOR THE OVERNIGHT STAY AND BEDTIME SNACK WITH ELEPHANTS*
I have been putting off this review because I have so many mixed feelings. We went there during May in 2015. It was a wonderful experience feeding the elephants and seeing them playing in their area. We got to learn about them and also about an animal that smelled like chocolate. The bed was comfy, the bathroom a bit cold, but it was more like glam camping than anything. Having Butch bring us breakfast was great! We got to give him treats (some of the carrots and bananas in our breakfast basket). It was not gourmet or anything, but you shouldn’t go for the food, and it was more than plenty. The bedtime snack with the elephants is wonderful, we got to learn more about each elephant, and fed them carrots. They have heated pads but one of the elephants doesn’t like laying down to sleep, so she pretty much just throws out all of her hay.
I had read about the animal tour and how sad it was seeing the big cats in tiny cages. So I didn’t want to take it. I didn’t find out about it until after the trip was paid for otherwise I may not have gone. Unfortunately because of my wheelchair I had to roll right past them in order to get to the bedtime snack. It did break my heart to see the animals in the small cages. I do not have anything against animals being in movies so long as they are treated well. NO animal should be in a place so small all day. We did ask if they go to a different place at night and they said it depends. I know they are working on opening a zoo and I am praying these animals get a better place to be then.
I believe the caretakers do want to treat the elephants as best as possible. Yes, we saw the poking hook thing and when we asked she let us touch it to see it wasn’t sharp. I do realize the elephants may be afraid of them but these particular ones did not seem to be. They told us they do have to use them because the elephants may accidentally back up into someone.
To the owners:
Please add some trees to the elephant play area if not possible tell people why. I know you guys have to make money somehow but please get those poor cats bigger cages. I love that you guys are teaching people about animals but it is just so sad seeing them there.

I loved this place. In September I bought a groupon here for a one night stay on a whim, and when December 27^th rolled around, I was very excited to use it.
We arrived by 1pm so we could do the safari (it’s more of a zoo tour, to be honest) which took a total of about 1.5 hours I think. I have to admit, the animals do have small enclosures. This is obviously not ideal but I was happy to see that they were in the process of building 3 HUGE enclosures — one for tigers (already complete and housing 4), one for lions and one for bears. This sort of thing takes time, luckily they have 51 acres and I’m happy to see my money go towards helping these animals get bigger enclosures. Our guide was very friendly and knowledgeable about the animal and their back story; many come from irresponsible exotic pet owners or other zoos. Although the enclosure situation is far from ideal, I’m glad they’re working on improving this, and the animals seem to have a good quality of life aside from that.
At the end of our tour, we were given the option to feed the elephants (which have a HUGE enclosure, that they share with a zebra, 2 water buffalo, and an ostrich) for $ 5. We definitely did this and it was great! After this, it was about 2:45 and we were able to check into our bungalow.
We checked in, settled into our bungalow and at 3:30pm, the staff began bringing around a few animals to each bungalow! While we are not able to interact with the animal, it was great to see a Bear Cat up close and personal and learn about them, along with a skunk and opossum. At about 4:30, it was crunch time aka time to feed the big cats! for $ 30 each (cost if you’re staying the night, $ 35 if you’re not), we were able to feed a Siberian Lynx and 2 Bengal Tigers — a great experience and definitely something you wont get the opportunity to do anytime!
After feeding the tigers, we left the property to get some dinner — there is no where to eat on the property so I HIGHLY recommend you bring snacks (no microwave or stove is available, but a fridge is in your room) and plan for dinner.
After dinner, we arrived back to our bungalow and settled in for the night. The big cat bungalow was heavily themed with big cats. The bungalow is made of a very strong durable nylon tent type material, comes with a wall heater, a space heater, electricity, tv, fridge, bathroom, and heated mattress pads. The fridge came stocked with an apple, orange juice for 2, and 2 small waters, all which were complimentary; along with coffee and creamer. In late December, it was VERY COLD — about 37 or so at night and the two heaters were literally doing nothing to help warm up the place past 42 degrees. The heated mattress pads, sweats, and socks, were what kept us warm! As we laid in bed and through out the night, you can easily hear the roars of the lions and the laughing of the hyenas — a great experience I loved! Really feels like you are out in the jungle.
At 9 am, we began anticipating the arrival of breakfast via elephant! 2 retired circus elephants make the rounds to each bungalow for you to feed, while a trainer/​volunteer brings you a lovely box of assorted fruit, pastries, and such.
At 10am, we were packing up to leave and head back home.
Overall, this was a great experience and I look forward to coming back and seeing the new enclosures! We really enjoyed being submersed in all of these great animals, and watching the elephants from our deck. Please give this place a try and know that your money is going to help fix the problem of small enclosures — the more money = the faster they can build!

A wonderful place to stay the night. Go sit on the observation deck and gaze out to the yard with a zebra, water buffalo, elephants, and ostrich. You can watch the sunset and listen to the animals chatter on occasion.
Sit on your deck/​den and watch the animals as you sip water/​wine/​soda and nibble on your dinner or snacks.
The room has a heater, a portable heater, tv, heated mattress pad, robes (2), shower with hot water, and it’s a themed room.
In the evening if you signed up for it ($ 50.per person) you can feed the elephants and or tigers, nice experience.
The morning about 10 am will bring breakfast in a wagon and two elephants, you get to feed them from your deck.
After check out at 12:30 pm, you can go on a tour at 1 pm.
The animals here are former entertainers, some were surrendered by owners not able to care for them properly.
Sure they should be in the wild, but unfortunately they will not survive there either. There is no way to place wild cats in an open field, they are great climbers, so I see they are trying to enlarge and accommodate the animals best as possible with limited funds. Offering bed and breakfast helps fund those projects of building better housing for the animals.
Travelling with small kids, please be considerate of others. Don’t let your children hog the viewing window at the tigers viewing, others would like to get their opportunity to snap pictures of the tigers too. So, take your pictures and move on. Thanks!!!

WOW! What a Joke! Don’t waste your Time or money! After making reservations two months ahead … Driving 7 hours, 130.00 in fuel an extra night in. Hotel… Only to find their reservation system sucks ! balance showed ZERO all looks like you are Golden … Only to find you do not have a reservation .
The management attitude was oh well that is how our system works and it can’t be changed. Sorry. Don’t waste your time!

I’ve loved elephants since I was a little kid so several years ago when I read about a bed and breakfast where an elephant brings you breakfast I knew I had to go eventually. A quick Google search on «elephant breakfast» brought up Vision Quest. What luck, it was only a three hour drive from home. Thanks to Unilocal reviews I knew which bungalows offered the best views of the elephant play yard. Darn it that Pachyderm Palace does not have optimal viewing. We found a night that had an opening in a bungalow near the yard and booked the Zebra Zone (bungalow #5)
We arrived at the Wild Things/​Vision Quest Ranch office/​gift shop in time for the 1 p.m. tour of the Monterey Zoo. The zoo is only open to tours, which are offered at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., or custom tours can be purchased. The tour was free to B&B registered guests. We paid the $ 5 per person extra for the elephant feeding. This is a very small zoo and most of the animals were rescued from private owners or other zoos. Even though some of the cages appear to be small, the very large staff really seem to care about each and every one and spend time interacting with them. A new tiger environment has been completed and the tigers were relocated there to acclimate them before a grand opening of the area so we were unable to see them. They are raising funds for large environments for their other big cats.
The stars of the show, at least for me, are the five African elephants. During the day they have the use of a huge play yard which they share with two water buffaloes, a zebra and an ostrich. For the elephant feeding all participants had to first use Purell to clean their hands to not spread germs to the elephant and then were given four strips of carrot. You could hand Butch, the only male elephant, all four at once, or to prolong the experience, one at a time. Guess what I did? When you didn’t give him your carrots fast enough he would pinch the end of his trunk in a «more more» gesture.
Once the tour was over we returned to the office and were given the key to our bungalow and instructions on how to enter the B&B compound. All the bungalows are tents on raised wooden platforms with a deck area. They have canvas walls and ceiling, windows that open, and a good sized bathroom. The tent was quite large and was cutely decorated with zebra furniture and knick knacks. In addition to a king-​sized bed there was a futon couch and two chairs, tables, a TV, a small refrigerator and coffee maker. The bed had a pillow-​top mattress and was quite comfy.
At 3:30 p.m. two staff members come to each bungalow with an animal. Guests must stay on their decks and look down on the animals. We were visited by a Malaysian bearcat and then by a rescued opossum and a skunk.
We drove to Salinas for dinner and then returned to relax in our bungalow. It was quite windy so the bungalow would shake and rattle but the wind died down for the most part overnight. We did hear lions huffing loudly in the late evening and early morning but not over night. One of the side businesses of the company is a dog kennel near the office building. During the day the sound of barking dogs was constant but the dogs are brought indoors at night and we heard no barking.
On to the highlight, our breakfast. Starting at 9:30 a.m. a wagon is loaded with boxes containing a continental breakfast. One staff members pulls the wagon and the other leads one of the elephants. They stop by each bungalow. After cleaning your hands with Purell you are invited to feed the elephant fresh fruit and carrots from your deck. We were encouraged to rub the elephant’s trunk should we so desire. Boy did I! Coarse hairs on it. Then the entourage heads on to the next bungalow and we ate our breakfast. Breakfast was yougurt, bagels, pastries, apples and bananas. Individual bottles of orange juice were already in the bungalow.
The overnight experience cost a bit over $ 300 but it was worth it. Both from the experience and to support the animals. If you want to have a good overview of the elephant play yard, book bungalows #8 (leopard’s lair, looked like the best viewing), #5 (zebra zone), #4 (giraffe manor) or #3 (big cat house). Avoid if your schedule allows it #6 (Josef’s Jungle, this one is the most remote and the parking is not right beside the bungalow), #7 (Bear’s den), #2 (monkey manor) and #1 (pachyderm palace)

Very mixed feelings. The staff was knowledgeable and nice. Staff stated the ranch will undergo an expansion within the next few months. I look forward to returning and seeing the animals in larger cages. The animals were kept and looked healthy, but the cages were so small for their size.
Tour group was too large. I was hoping for a smaller more intimate group.

I found this place via Unilocal,I was staying a night in the Monterey area and decided to find a near by zoo.
Quest ranch Is amazing, I’ve been here more than once. I Paid an adult admission and an addition of 5 $ for the meet and greet. Which you get the ability to feed an elephant carrots :)
The staff are friendly and knowledgable when it comes to information about the animals.

Located in the countryside of Salina’s, who knew there would be such an amazing opportunity for a once in a lifetime (or hopefully more!) experience?! It’s a relatively easy place to find but make sure to be careful on the road because it is a 2 way road and on our way in, we actually saw someone in the road who had just been hit by a car so PLEASE be careful!
General tour that starts at 1PM which costs $ 12 for adults and $ 10 for children and complimentary for people who are doing the Bed & Breakfast (which I did and strongly encourage doing). The tour itself was great, a lot of information from the guide but it is a little sad to see the animals in the cages and you have to stay with the guided tour so that was a bit off putting since I wanted to stay back or go ahead to take pictures. The general tour-​you do not need reservations. You can also opt for the Meet & Greet for $ 5 where you get a chance to feed one of the elephants!
Bed & Breakfast: After we did the general tour, we were able to check in early. The bungalows are still on site but to drive there, you have to drive to the main road and turn left at the next street. You will also be provided with a passcode for the gate access which allows you access in and out anytime of the day/​night. We stayed in Bungalow #1 Pachyderm Palace but unfortunately, this did not have the view of the pen where the elephants were in so we had to go to the Viewing Deck-​make sure to bring a sweater or hoodie because it got really windy and cold when we were at the viewing deck! This is where the trainers will bring by a couple of animals on their daily walks-​we met a skunk and an Australian version of a raccoon. Check out the map to see which bungalow has the best view and definitely reserve in advance as they only have 8 bungalows.
Around 5PM, we walked down to the elephant pen and got ready for Butch’s bedtime. This is another package you can opt for ($ 35/​person or #30/​person for B&B guests). They led 3 of the elephants into the barn (Butch, Kristi, and Paula) and showed us their daily routine of putting them to bed. Then we were all handed a bunch of carrots to give them as their snacks. Luckily, my bf knows my obsession with elephants so he gave me his share too. It’s an incredible feeling just 1) being so up close with them but 2) to be able to feed/​feel them! They have hairs on their trunks and it’s interesting to see how different their personalities are. Butch would wait for you to put multiple carrots in his trunk (which was weird-​it was like an arm, hand, and mouth all in one) before putting them in his mouth. Kristi would just grab and put in her mouth as fast as she could. It was absolutely HEAVEN for me! Lastly, we were able to touch Paula’s tusks (SO INCREDIBLY smooth) and take a picture of her (note that they are still in their gates this entire time). I was sad and felt it ended too soon (lasts around 30 – 45 minutes)! I didn’t do this one but they also have Crunch Time-​same prices or you can do a combo package with Butch’s Bedtime and it costs $ 60/​person or $ 50/​person for B&B. At Crunch Time, I believe this is where they feed the big cats. Sorry can’t give too much information as I did not participate in this one.
Bungalow: Such a cute and wonderful idea to give us a taste of the safari’s. The tent was huge and blocked out the wind a great amount. They have a full functioning bathroom including shower and toilet with a fridge. You have to turn on the hot water switch ~25 minutes prior to taking the shower and the hot water doesn’t last too long (don’t recommend washing hair if you have a lot of hair haha). They also included 2 little bottles of water and OJ in the fridge and of course, coffee/​tea/​hot cocoa. They have a TV and space heater. Also, look for a sign in book (probably on the bookshelf) and you can sign/​write about your experiences. Check in is at 3pm (you can check for early check-​in) and check out is at 12:30.
Breakfast: Waking up to an elephant walking down the driveway just can’t be described with words. The trainer first brings you breakfast (including bananas, apples, pastries, bagels, cream cheese, and yogurt). Then she will also give you some fruit as a snack for the elephant. Malika was our elephant that morning and she was sooo sweet. They had an assortment of bananas, oranges, apples, etc. You feed with one hand and pet her trunk with the other. Even better, not only was my bf taking pictures from on the deck, the trainer offered to take pictures on my phone from below the deck. So many different views!
I definitely recommend checking out their website for more information as they have other (more pricey) packages. I probably would have also gotten the pachyderm package if I had known about it ($ 250). It’s pricey but to me-​prob would have been worth every penny. I definitely hope/​plan to come back!

I had the most amazing one night stay at the Vision Quest Ranch B n B! I have been wanting to stay at a park like this forever, and it totally exceeded my expectations.
We arrived on a Friday just a few minutes before the 1 pm tour of the zoo which is included in the stay. The guide Alex was very knowledgable about the animals, and we enjoyed seeing them during the one hour tour. I see some people have complained about the conditions of the animals, but it’s important to know many of these animals are very old and fortunate to have a place to live out their golden years. Plus they are working on an amazing new big enclosure for their tigers!
After the tour we hung out a bit and then checked into our room, the Zebra Room, at 3 pm. It was so cute! Totally nice considering it’s like, a tent. It had a heated mattress pad and space heater which was nice because it got pretty chilly at night. It had a mini fridge with coffee creamer in it for the morning, coffee maker, and all of that. There was plenty of hot water and a nice bathroom. And a TV, if you wanted to listen to that rather than the animals. The hyena was very noisy at night but it was fun!
In the afternoon, they bring animals to visit you at your room. I think that one of them was a skunk was pretty lame, but not enough to go down to four stars. We drank wine on the patio and enjoyed the visits!
We opted to do the extra crunch time tour where you can see them feed the big cats and you actually help feed them! We got to see all of the cats, and they fed the lion, make tigers, and one other cat. Totally worth the extra money because the animals were much more active at this time versus 1 pm because it was cooler, and probably because we had tons of meat ha ha.
In the morning, we made coffee and enjoyed the elephants in their big enclosed area with a zebra and some buffalo. They have great viewing areas for bungalows that are further back. Then around 9:30 am they brought is a fabulous breakfast AND an elephant to feed off of our porch! We got to give him a good amount of snacks and the trainers took photos of us the whole time on our camera which was so awesome. The breakfast was really substantial too — croissants, bagels, cream cheese, fruit, and yogurt. Totally exceeded my expectations.
Everything about our stay was fantastic and I can’t wait to go back! Next time I want to do the (pricy) VIP tour because I loved getting up close to the animals here!

This place was awesome! Such a fun, great find! Located in Salinas, this bed and breakfast is centered around an animal reserve. The cabins are set up like tents, with canvas walls, but comfy beds and running hot water (you are essentially «glamping»). From most of cabin’s balconies, you can view the center area that has numerous elephants, water buffalo, a zebra, and moody but cute Fred the ostrich. Twice during the day, the staff walks around different animals right up to your cabin or specified viewing stations so you can see them up close and personal.
Included with the bed and breakfast is a tour of the back so you can see all the other animals they house here. They offer Crunch Time, where you can feed a few of the big cats, and/​or Butch’s Bedtime, where you can interact more with the elephants, for an additional fee. The tour was cool, but A LOT of the animals, especially the bigger cats, were napping and not really inside in the afternoon, so I would highly recommend Crunch Time because everyone is out and about and in view at that time. It is sad to see these beautiful, large wild animals in relatively small cages, but you can tell they are well taken care of and loved here, and Vision West is in the process of expanding.
The themed cabins are really cute, and the best part of the stay was getting our breakfast delivered to our tents by elephants! And we got to feed them and pet them right from our balconies. It was a great experience to be up close and personal to these magnificent creatures, and although one night is enough, it is a wonderful experience for an overnight getaway!

The bed and breakfast is just that, a bed and breakfast. Don’t make any assumptions that this is anything like a real African safari. Heck, this is hardly a substitute for a trip to the zoo. The Los Angeles Zoo and the San Diego Zoo are far more animal oriented than this place. Better yet, visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium which is a 20 minute drive away from the Vision Quest Ranch.
The animals are kept in tiny wire cages with concrete floors and can only be viewed during their scheduled tour at 1PM. The setup looks much like the way zoos used to keep animals back in the early 20^th century. It looks ugly and makes me feel sorry for the animals as they pace back and forth. On the other hand, my friend said she likes that she can see the animal clearly versus modern zoos where the animals get so much room to roam that it is hard to find them. The elephants are kept in an outdoor yard. I thought that, given the size of the property and the vastness of the central valley, the elephants would be free to roam as they pleased. I was wrong.
Our cabin was cozy. It had all the comforts of a hotel like hot showers, running water, warm beds, and heating. The novelty is that each cabin looks like a tent and is dressed up with an animal theme. My cabin was called the «monkey manor.» My bed had a monkey bedspread and monkey pillows. The nightstand had a monkey carved into the pillar and there were plush monkeys hanging from the coat rack. This place is a great alternative to the traditional hotel.
If you want to get up close to any of the animals, it is an extra charge. $ 200 to get close to an elephant. $ 25 to feed a big cat with the end of a long pole. I decided to save my money.
BTW, Bring a flashlight, this place is pitch black at night.