Dubai Safari Park Review: A Wildlife Adventure in the Desert

• How to reach Dubai Safari Park
• Location
• Timings
• Ticket prices and packages
• Parking
• What happened to Dubai Zoo

Dubai is known to push the boundaries when it comes to real estate innovations, with futuristic designs and incredible attractions. One such initiative is the Dubai Safari Park, an exciting adventure destination that animal lovers are sure to enjoy. The park, which was shut down for renovations in 2018 is set to open again in October this year. And we can’t be more excited! Read on to learn more about the attractions, timings, ticket prices and more at the Dubai Safari Park.

Dubai Safari Park Reopening Date: 05 October, 2020

Dubai Safari Park Details

The Dubai Safari Park reopening date has been confirmed as October 5th 2020. With new activities such as awareness programmes, animal feeding and seasonal events added to the exciting attraction, visits to the Dubai Safari Park are better now than ever before!

Apart from the plethora of activities, the facility also offers a plethora of facilities to make visits convenient for every visitor. These include:

• Restaurants and kiosks
• Toilets
• Baby changing rooms
• First aid facility
• Separate prayer rooms for male and female guests

Dubai Safari Park Villages

The safari park Dubai makes an eye-catching first impression with its beautiful lakes and verdant landscaping. The 119-hectare safari is divided into four villages, complete with their own unique topography and animal population. A fleet of eco-friendly vehicles takes you around the gargantuan property, making it one of the go-to places in Dubai to hang out with your kids! 

The 119-hectare Dubai Safari Park now houses an expanded community of 3,000 birds, mammals, invertebrates and amphibians. The redesigned facility has added a number of changes to enhance the experience for visitors.

1 – Arabian Village

Want to see an Arabian Oryx in all its glory? Visit the newly opened Arabian Village. Visitors will be greeted by a Dubai Safari Park marshall before they make the trip. Get ready to encounter some of the best-known animals in the Middle East from the Arabian oryx to gazelles and camels!

• Featured animals: Arabian Oryx, Arabian Oryx, sand gazelle, Addax

2 – Explorer Village

The Safari Journey at the Explorer Village is the main attraction at the Dubai Safari Park. The traditional open safari transports you to the jungles of Asia and Africa for close encounters with their resident animal population. Visitors can explore the village in specially designed vehicles and spot many animal species like zebras, cheetahs and water buffalos.

Families will love the cheetah run area and the chance to see the frisky beasts in action. Additionally, the place also features a hippo aquarium, giraffe platform and a bird show theatre.

• Other featured animals: Baboon, cape buffalo, crocodile, lion, hyena, barbary sheep, ostrich, tiger, rhino and more.

3 – African Village

Another go-to area in the safari park is the African Village, home to a range of exotic animal species like majestic white lions, giraffes and African elephants! The pachyderms are the star attraction at the park.

Making the experience more interesting are the guides who point out the animals as you walk through the village. Don’t forget to drop by the reptile house during your first visit!

• Featured animals: Antelope, meerkat, cape hunting dog, lemur, chimpanzee, cheetah and more.

4 – Asian Village

From tigers to gibbons and moon bears, the Asian Village is home to popular native species from the eastern continent. Visitors will learn fun and exciting things about the animals from the park’s expert keepers and guides.

• Featured animals: Cassowary, gibbon, moon bear

Kids Farm

An additional attraction in the Dubai Safari Park is the specially curated Kids Farm where little ones can learn about traditional farm animals like chickens, goats and sheep. We are sure your kids will enjoy connecting with nature, learning how to ride ponies and visiting the bird aviary.

Apart from the farm, other kid-friendly attractions at the safari park include:

• Giraffe feeding
• Kids interactive activities
• Grand aviary

Sustainability and Conservation Efforts in Dubai Safari Park

There is more to the ambitious Dubai Safari Park than just entertainment. The park is built on a landfill site and in doing so has transformed the area into a reusable space. Moreover, the park has also adopted several eco-friendly and sustainable technologies like harnessing solar energy to power its facilities and electric vehicles. Other efforts include repurposing food and animal waste which is then used as fertiliser in the park. Several recycle bins are also spread throughout the facility for visitors to use.

Additionally, the newly renovated park will focus its efforts on protecting endangered species through extensive scientific research. There are also plans to introduce zoo keeping, veterinary and conservation courses to increase the awareness for wildlife conservation in the UAE.

How to get to Dubai Safari Park?

The best way to get to Dubai Safari Park is by car. However, for those who don’t have a car, the easiest way to get to the Safari Park by public transportation is to take the Metro to the Creek Metro Stop on the Green Line. From there you would need to take a taxi. The taxi ride from the Creek Metro Station to the Dubai Safari Zoo is about 16 minutes. 

Dubai Safari Park Location

The Dubai Safari Park located in Al Warqa’a 5 and is approximately a 12-minute drive away from the neighbourhood of International City. The Safari Park can be easily accessed by either the Al Awir/ Ras Al Khor Road or the Sheikh Zayed Bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street (D54).

Dubai Safari Park Timings

The Dubai Safari timings are currently 09:00 am to 05:00 pm daily. A turn around the whole park will easily take over 5 hours, so make sure you have enough time to explore everything when you plan your visit. 

Schedule of show timings

The best way to make the most of your trip is to schedule your visit according to the park’s daily attractions. Here the timings for the shows:

• Bird Show (Small Theatre Show): 10:00 am to 10:30 am | 01:30 pm to 02:00 pm
• Amazing Creatures of the World (Big Theatre Show): 11:30 am to 12:00 am | 03:00 pm to 03:30 pm
• Raptor Show (Open field): 04:00 pm to 04:30 pm

Dubai Safari Park Tickets Price

The Dubai Safari Park entry fee is currently priced at AED 50 for adults and AED 20 for children.  A Combo Dubai Safari ticket will set you back by AED 85 for adults and AED 30 for children. Make sure that you take advantage of these Dubai Safari Park offers if you plan on visiting with family!

Entry at the Dubai Safari Park is free for kids under the age of three and People of Determination with two companions. Differently-abled guests are expected to present their SANAD Cards upon entry.

Those looking to book Dubai Safari Park tickets online can do so via the park’s official website.

Parking in Dubai Safari Park

There are over 3,500 free parking spots in the park, with transport to and from the main gate.

Dubai Safari Park Contact Number

You can contact the Dubai Safari Park on their toll-free number: 800900. The official website also has a handy feedback form if you wish to leave any comments after a visit. 

What happened to the Dubai Zoo?

One of the things that a lot of visitors to the safari park in Dubai ask is what happened to the original Dubai Zoo in Jumeirah. The Dubai Zoo officially closed down in 2018 and the animals were then moved to the Dubai Safari Park. If you were a frequent visitor to the zoo in Dubai, you will certainly enjoy this park. 

Apart from the attractions, a thermal camera has also been installed in the park and manual thermometers will be used to screen guests. Additionally, a social distance of two metres will be enforced with tickets placed on the floors to guide visitors.

Our Verdict

The Dubai Safari Park offers an immersive wildlife experience unlike any other in the UAE. It’s evident that a lot of work has gone into making sure the animals here are comfortable; a marked improvement to the cramped environs of the erstwhile Dubai Zoo. We definitely recommend it for a day of fun for all animal lovers in Dubai!

If you fancy living close to the next adventure capital of Dubai, check out these properties for rent in Al Warqaa. Looking for other leisurely pursuits in the city? Plan your next trip to Dubai Parks and Resorts, which is fun for the whole family. For more options, consider the many theme parks in Dubai. For those who like to live on the wild side, there is the Aventura Park Park in Dubai.

This brings us to the end of our review of the newly reopened Dubai Safari Park. For more updates on all, there is to see and do in the city, subscribe to MyBayut.

(Cover Image credit: Dubai Safari Park)