Bangkok Safari World & Marine Park with Hotel Pickup

3.67

(6 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

“Don’t feed the ostrich — he remembers faces,” our driver joked as we pulled up to Safari World in Bangkok. I laughed but kept my window up anyway. The morning was already sticky-warm, and the air inside the car had that faint scent of sunscreen and something sweet from my breakfast. Our guide, Somchai, greeted us at the hotel lobby right on time — he even helped fold up my friend’s stroller without making it look like a big deal. There’s something about being met by a local who actually seems to enjoy these days out; it makes you relax a little.

The drive through the park itself took about 45 minutes, but it didn’t feel long. Giraffes wandered close enough that I could see their eyelashes (longer than mine for sure), and there were zebras just kind of ignoring us completely. At one point, Somchai pointed out a rhino napping in the shade — “He always sleeps after breakfast,” he said, which made me wonder if animals get food comas too. The windows fogged up for a second when we stopped near the hippos, and I remember how quiet it got except for some distant bird calls and kids laughing somewhere behind us.

I didn’t expect to enjoy the animal shows as much as I did — maybe because they’re so lively here? The sea lion show had everyone clapping along (I tried to say “good job” in Thai but probably butchered it; Somchai grinned anyway). Lunch was nothing fancy but honestly hit the spot after all that walking. By mid-afternoon, I was tired in that good way you get after seeing so much new stuff at once. On the way back to our hotel, Bangkok traffic felt less annoying than usual — maybe because we’d spent half a day watching animals just do their thing. I still think about those giraffes sometimes.