Malibu Wine Safari

The first time my sister and I visited California a trip to Malibu's Saddlerock Ranch and Vineyard didn't make it on to our itinerary. So this time we made sure to book tickets to the 'giraffe experience' on the Malibu Wine Safari.

The sprawling 1,000 acre property is home to retired celebrities like Stanley the Giraffe (he doesn't have an IMDb page, but they mentioned one of his acting credits included The Hangover III) and a number of other animals visitors have a chance to feed carrots and lettuce. The wine safari is more like a tasting at a vineyard with the twist of getting to feed animals petting zoo style.

There were several tours divided up by group going on at the same time, each assigned to a different animal print coordinated, 12 passenger seated truck. The safari includes a small tour of the property, some background on the family who owns the ranch (spoiler alert, they are incredibly wealthy), a tasting of six wines, and of course some photo ops with the animals.

We booked the 105 minute Giraffe Tour, which cost $95. While I'm aware that isn't a terribly long amount of time, if I had one complaint it would be that I constantly felt rushed. There were a dozen people all trying to feed and take photos with the animals, a dozen people all waiting for pours from one bottle of wine at a time, and the tour guides need to keep things moving at a steady clip to not interfere with the other simultaneous tours.

It's there were I have my mixed feelings; this is a super popular, heavily photographed tour. I feel like I could say with confidence that no one was there because they were interested in tasting wines from a region not known for producing amazing wines. I could even say most people weren't there because they were excited to feed a giraffe. Everyone was there for the photos. My tour group was mostly female, and few heeded the instructions to not wear heels. The idea was to look cute, take photos with Stanley, and post on Instagram. So who am I to complain I didn't feel like I had enough time to get the photos I wanted when I should have been focused on the fact that a giraffe licked my hand, something which will likely never happen again.

 Stanley the Giraffe-2.jpg Anna Lydia Stanley lydia and llamma-1.jpg Malibu Wine Farm safari van-1.jpg zebra-2.jpg Malibu Wine Farm Stanley the Giraffe-8.jpg vineyard hill-1.jpg stanley wine-1.jpg Malibu Wine Farm cow-1.jpg Stanley the Giraffe-1.jpg Floral Jumpsuit, white button down, round straw bag-9.jpg Floral Jumpsuit, white button down, round straw bag-5.jpg Floral Jumpsuit, white button down, round straw bag-1.jpg
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22 comments

  1. So many amazing shots!! I want to feed a giraffe!!!! They have a tour at Disney where you can do that but there's another tour I want to do more than that one, haha. (but we probably won't do either because they're expensive)
    http://www.closet-fashionista.com/

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  2. That looks like my heaven. I would LOVE to do this. So awesome and gorgeous pics

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  3. This looks like a fun time (and you look like you're having so much fun) - I'd never heard of that place before but it's definitely right up my alley. I'll have to keep this mind when we plan a family trip to California, which we'll hopefully going to do in the next couple of years).

    Courtney ~ Sartorial Sidelines

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  4. This sounds like a fun experience! It's definitely a fun twist on a typical wine tasting. It's too bad they don't have a longer tour option so you don't feel so rushed!

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  5. oh my gosh, how fun is this?! and I love your dress!

    xo,
    Angela

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  6. I must say, I’m normally not a fan of instagram hungry women, but I totally understand why this wine tasting/safari is a thing! It looks so fun! I love animals, I love wine, and I love a good outfit so this gets an A + from me ;) I’ve never been but it’s on my list now!

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  7. OMG! I am OBSESSED with giraffes, this is like my dream!

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  8. But these pictures are totally worth it! It's so cool to be so close to a giraffe! Add in wine tasting and it sounds like a lot of fun!

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  9. Mixed feelings when I read this post ... yes it's cool to feed a giraffe and other animals but this tour just looks like a marketing thing and I'm sure you're right about the wine's quality ;)

    Anyway ... pictures are beautiful and you had a great time, that's the most important ;)

    Happy day xx

    https://4highheelsfans.wordpress.com/2018/09/19/ai-ai-ai-caramba/

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  10. Wow this looks like an incredible experience! How amazing!

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  11. These photos are amazing!! Love your look too, perfect for a wine safari. Looks like you had a blast!

    xx, Elise
    www.sparkleandslippers.blogspot.com

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  12. Okay, officially adding feeding a giraffe to my list of must-do things! I'm sorry you felt a bit rushed- I totally know where you're coming from. But your shots are amazing- and I'm sure the memories are, too!

    -Ashley
    Le Stylo Rouge

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  13. I think you did get some excellent shots even if you did feel rushed. I could see why the wine wasn't really the focus, I'm sure that's just what makes it such a "thing". It sounds like fun though, definitely something I've never done anything like before!

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  14. I think you got some great shots in there. It looks like a lot of fun and as you felt rushed you definitely didn't look like it since you got these pictures in.

    http://www.mylittlenest.org

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  15. Oh how fun that tour would be! it's a shame you felt rushed as you're right, it would be an amazing experience! My sister loves giraffes so we went to feed them one year at Australia Zoo - it was an amazing activity and one I want to repeat with the boys. Such an incredible opportunity :)

    I like your dress too - looks nice for a fun day! :)


    Hope you have been having a great week :)

    Away From The Blue Blog

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  16. This looks sooo much fun! Love your photos dear. What a fun-filled day!

    Jessica | notjessfashion.com

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  17. Even if the Malibu wine safari was perhaps more rushed and less glamorous than it looked, in all honesty, I have to say that the was the part of your California trip that made me the most envious because it looked like so much fun and seriously, Stanley could not be more adorable. I do know how hard it can be to focus on enjoying a moment when you want photos and there are tons of people around - our recent visit to the Uffizi Gallery, which was crowded, boiling hot and not nearly as beautiful as I had imagined, felt similar. But in the end, looking back, I'm glad I went, even if the photos aren't as I planned. And I'm sure if you aren't, too, you ultimately will be :)
    xox,
    Cee

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  18. We are going to try and go in the Spring! I've always wanted to go, and this summer was completely booked when we tried to reserve our spots, we were so sad! Since we're so close to Malibu, it will be such a fun day! I'm in love with these pictures...what a special experience!

    Shauna

    www.lipglossandlace.net

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  19. Well even though it was a rush at least you got a lick ;) and some really cool shots.
    No, honestly, I can relate. I do not like being rushed, i had that feeling at the Last Supper tour and its not one i was happy with. The bathroom break was longer than the time in there.
    Same with people only wanting to take pictures. I mean STOP, ENJOY - then take pictures if you can.
    At the wedding i was at, i took like 10 pictures in 12 hours. I was there to have a good time.

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