Busch Gardens Tampa has begun offering a Sunset on the Serengeti adventure that is both an animal encounter and a dinner. The adventure begins promptly at 5:30pm with a guided safari experience at sunset followed by dinner and drinks at the park’s Treetop Kitchen. The experience is currently offered only on Saturdays and starts at $89.99/person, but this does include dinner, a cocktail and the animal encounter portion and park admission is NOT required to participate. The park describes the experience below:

Join us for an unforgettable evening at Busch Gardens Tampa! Begin with a Serengeti Safari at sunset, where you’ll encounter majestic wildlife in golden hour light. Then, enjoy a guided walking tour of Edge of Africa, getting up close with lions, hyenas, and more. Finish with a delicious dinner at Treetop Kitchen, featuring flavors inspired by Africa.

Appetizer (Choose one)

• Serengeti Salad – Spring Mix, Roasted Red Peppers, Green Beans, Shaved Carrots, Herb Vinaigrette
• Caesar Salad – Baby Romaine, Shaved Parmesan Cheese, House Made Herbed Croutons, Caesar Dressing
• Kachumbari – Tomato onion salad in citrus juices

Entrée (Choose one)

• Peri Peri Chicken – Seasonal Vegetables, Jasmine Rice
• Braai African Steak – Grilled filet with African spices, finished with a red wine and thyme demi glaze and served with grilled skewered vegetables and roasted sweet potatoes
• Moroccan Fish Stew – Mahi Mahi filet served over rice in a curry broth with chickpeas, carrots, and seasonings
• Roasted Portobello Mushroom – Served with curried rice, veggies and roasted red pepper coulis

Dessert (Choose one)

• African Cinnamon Crepes – Dusted with cinnamon sugar, and drizzled with citrus infused honey
• Malva Pudding – Caramelized pudding cake with apricot jam & melted butter cream sauce
• Cheetah Bar – Peanut Butter, White Chocolate, Crispy Spots

One complimentary signature cocktail included

This menu sounds amazing and really feels like they attempted to fit an African theme rather than just generic choices grilled salmon, baked chicken and roast beef you sometimes find. I’ve had some of the specialty drinks at the Serengeti Overlook Giraffe Bar and they were delightful too. The whole Serengeti Overlook building is quite a gem with a unique history of once being known as the Swiss House and considered the nicest restaurant in Tampa. They also have an option to participate in the experience without having to buy a park ticket for the day (which is quite unique in the theme park dining space) and similar to the old Swiss House days.

I’ve done a couple of the animal encounters at the SeaWorld parks (also owned by Busch Gardens parent company United Parks & Resorts) and they were spectacular. These included the somewhat similar “Dine with Orcas” at SeaWorld Orlando and the “Penguin Encounter” at SeaWorld San Diego. If this is anything like those, I couldn’t recommend it more!