Vision Quest Safari Bed & Breakfast

This property is definitely one-of-a-kind, with its tent-like bungalows and opportunities to view and interact with elephants, lions, tigers, bears, ostriches, zebras, and other plains-type animals. Vision Quest once supplied animals for the film industry and has been transitioning to a wild animal habitat for the past few years. Eight safari-style bungalows are situated past the animal enclosures and overlook a paddock for the animals. Some smells and noises can come from the animals and the natural grassland surroundings, but otherwise the atmosphere is calm and quiet. (And the animals are off in the distance for the most part.) Furnished viewing decks overlook the large animal enclosure. The experience is something like a small-scale, pseudo African safari. A free tour is given daily, but guests can opt to purchase more involved tours and experiences. Because the animals are in small enclosures with no distance between them and visitors, guests aren’t allowed to wander around on their own. The zoo side of the property, where the animals are kept, is being converted into a more natural wild animal park-type setting. For now, animals are kept in small metal cages, presumably a leftover from the ranch's days as a film production facility where the animals would be off grounds during the day. Guests tend to be couples or families. 

This bed-and-breakfast is a destination and experience unto itself: The attraction is the animals, not the accommodations. The surrounding area is flat farmland, and the area is dry and dusty, with hills in the distance. The bungalows are placed on an elevated, grassy plain, connected to each other by concrete walkways, and there are a few stunted palm trees here and there. Between the ranch and Monterey is a residential development and some grocery stores, and there is little of interest in the area that isn’t a 20- or 30-minute drive in any direction. The location is around 30 minutes by car from Cannery Row, Carmel, Pebble Beach, Pacific Grove, and the 17-Mile Drive. San Francisco International Airport and Oakland International Airport are each about an hour and 45 minutes away by car, and Mineta San Jose International Airport is about an hour and 15 minutes away. Monterey Regional Airport is about 20 minutes away by car. 

The ranch has eight bungalows that are all unique and accommodate from two to four people. They are basically canvas-walled tents with wood floors, and each is cutely named: Pachyderm Palace, Monkey Manor, The BIG CAT House, Giraffe Manor, the Zebra Zone, Josef's Jungle, the Bears Den, and Leopards Lair. All have small flat-screen TVs, DVD players, mini-fridges, coffeemakers, robes, stand-up showers, and hairdryers, but no Wi-Fi. There are no phones in the units, but there is cell service. Decor is animal-themed and kitschy, which some guests love and others find overdone -- the natural-feeling wicker furnishings, woven window blinds, and wood floors do temper the animal prints and over-the-top textures to some extent. Some suites overlook the five-acre elephant playpen, and some have views of the Salinas Valley and surrounding mountains. 

Among the main attractions is the daily continental breakfast delivered to bungalows by the staff and an elephant. Guests can feed the elephant from their deck. A free one-hour tour is given daily, and guests can choose to upgrade for additional experiences, such as different animal-feeding tours. Although there is no restaurant on-site, staff will make recommendations for nearby places to eat. There's no Wi-Fi, but many guests comment on how nice it is to disconnect.