The Best Activities at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

If you are in the Tampa Bay area, visiting Busch Gardens is a must in my book! I have a strong connection with this park, as I have been fortunate enough to have been here many a time, and have spend numerous summers at their zookeeping camps. This park, the animals, their message, and of course, the fond memories, all hold a very special place in my heart.

The park is full of amazing animal exhibits, with opportunities for animal encounters, as well as amazingly thrilling rides!

Serengeti Safari

First up for the day was the Serengeti Safari! If you visit Busch Gardens, this is on the list of must-do activities that are sure to make your day unforgettable. Gathering with our group onto an open back safari truck, we were guided through the Serengeti Plains as we were taught about each and every species that calls it their home, including gazelles, zebras, ostriches, wildebeests, and many more. To end off the tour, we were given the opportunity to hand feed the giraffes, which makes every penny worth it! A little fun fact about me: during my time at Busch Gardens zookeeping camps, I was able to work with all of the animals on the Serengeti Plains, and I got to know the giraffes by name, so it was fun for me to go back and see all of them again!

Animals!

Busch Gardens has so many animals to see and to interact with. We visited Lorikeet Landing, which is a bird aviary full of, you guessed it, lorikeets. There are other birds in the aviary as well, but the lories are truly the star of the show. You have the opportunity to buy a cup of nectar to feed the birds, which I highly recommend you do! The birds are super friendly, and they will fly right up to you to drink the nectar right out of your hand. They are beautiful creatures and it is really fun to get to experience them up close.

Close by they offer an interactive kangaroo and wallaby exhibit. You have the opportunity to pet and even feed them! Of course, in order to monitor how much the animals are consuming, the feeding is restricted to certain hours of the day. We were not fortunate enough to hit this exhibit at the right time, but I have done it in the past and it is an unforgettable experience! Especially if you are a kangaroo lover like myself.

Rides!

Let's be honest, as much as I come to Busch Gardens for the animals, I also come for the amazing rides! This park has some of my favorite rides that I've been on.

Cheetah Hunt, Montu, Shiekra, Falcon's Fury, and Kumba are park staples. You absolutely cannot visit Busch Gardens without riding them at least once. We were extremely lucky where the park was very quiet on the day that we visited, making it easy for us to hop on and off rides. The adrenaline junkies dream! I believe we rode every ride at least twice, and some even more! Cheetah Hunt is my personal favorite, as I could ride it for hours and never get bored.

Busch Gardens is a load of fun, and if you're in the area, I highly recommend you check it out for a fun-filled day of animal adventures and thrilling rides!