The vacation of a lifetime: Busch Gardens in Tampa

Author: Robert W. Benjamin

If you love the exhilaration of twisting, turning, and flipping at high speeds then you will love the roller coasters at Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida. There are so many roller coasters to keep you busy that the park will be closing before you know it.

But, even if you aren't a fan of the rides you will still love this amusement park. There are many different shows, restaurants, gift shops, and games that will entertain you as well. If you like rides and the other activities then you will really get a good deal for the entry price!

The best time of year to visit Busch Gardens in Tampa is in early spring or late fall. The reason why is because there will be less crowds and the weather is warm and comfortable, which makes walking around all day enjoyable. If you go in the dead of summer you will be scorched by the hot Florida sun and wait for hours to get on the rides. This can turn an amazing vacation destination into a miserable day of waiting and sweating. Of course, if you visit in the summer you will still have a lot of fun, but it will be considerably more enjoyable in the spring months of March and April or the fall months of September and October.

Another really cool attraction at the Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida, that is worth a visit on its own is the safari. Here you can take a tram, or even a private safari, and see zebra, giraffe, lions, and other wild animals. It is excellent and a whole lot of fun. You will feel like you are in Africa and it's the easiest way to safari while you are still in North America !

You can come to Busch Gardens Tampa for a day or you can create a full week of fun and include nearby Walt Disney World, Sea World, Universal Studios, and the like in your vacation itinerary. When you visit Tampa, Florida there are so many fun things to do in and around Busch Gardens that you really should take advantage of everything while you are here!

If you are worried about having tickets before you arrive then consider buying them online. There are websites that offer discounted tickets and even combination Busch Gardens-Sea World tickets where you can save some money. You can also buy your tickets at the gate when you arrive. Just make sure you have some cash on hand to pay for parking!

There is a website that has great information on USA Vacations and Unique Travel Spots Listed State By State and Season, the website is called: Seasonal Vacation Spots.

About the author:
Robert W. Benjamin has been in the software business on the internet for over 6 years, and has been producing low-cost software for the past 25+ years. He first released products on the AMIGA and C64 computer systems in the late 1970's-80's.

Busch Gardens: Tampa’s Counterpart To Orlando’s Disney World

By Mark Whichard

Tourism is big business in Florida and the competition to attract visitors is good news for the tourists because there is plenty on offer. If you are visiting Orlando, don’t forget to leave some time for a side-trip to Tampa Bay, where the Busch Gardens Africa theme park combines African wildlife with thrilling state-of-the art amusement park rides.

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is a family adventure park with attractions based on exotic encounters with the African continent. In addition to rides it also has one of the country's premier zoos featuring more than 2,000 animals. Rounding out the attractions there are also live shows, restaurants, shops and games.

Let’s first take a look at the rides that are featured at this park.

There are several roller coasters that are sure to delight thrill seekers, they include:

Floorless SheiKra: Two years ago, Busch Gardens Africa introduced the world to a one-of-a-kind experience: 200 feet up, 90 degrees straight down and in June 2007 the adventure park introduced SheiKra to the world with a new twist: “floorless” cars that allow riders an unobstructed view and a new level of adrenaline rush. If you think you can handle a straight down drop and sit in a car without a floor, then don’t miss this one.

Kumba: After the blood-curdling thrill of an initial 135 foot drop, you will plunge from 110 feet into a diving loop, feel a full 3 seconds of absolute weightlessness while spiraling 360 degrees, and tear through one of the world's largest vertical loops. This is another thrilling roller coaster and not for the faint hearted.

Montu: Feel the ultimate rush on one of the tallest and longest inverted roller coasters in the world! Experience the thrill of an inverse diving loop and a 60-foot vertical loop while you endure speeds of over 60 miles per hour and a G-force of 3.85.

But there are also some gentler rides as well such as:

Cheetah Chase: Families will love the curves, drops and corkscrews of Cheetah Chase, a five-story “wild mouse” style coaster in Timbuktu. With its top speed of 22 mph and 46” height requirement, Cheetah Chase is the perfect ride for a child’s first coaster experience.

Rhino Rally: This wild jeep tour transports guests aboard an off-road adventure through the wilds of Africa, blending up-close animal encounters with an unpredictable safari competition.

Congo River Rapids: Encounter the swift-flowing white water of the Congo River Rapids. Spin through a geyser and face an ominous waterfall and other thrilling obstacles in a 12-person raft.

Along with the rides Busch Gardens features unparalleled animal attractions. Here are just a few of them.

Serengeti Plain: This habitat features hundreds of exotic African animals that can be seen from the Serengeti Express Railway, Skyride, Serengeti Safari and various walkways. The 65-acre environment includes tiered and open landscapes covered with native and African grasses, scrub trees and shrubs; rock outcroppings and bluffs replicating natural formations; and naturalistic creek beds and mud banks.

Myombe Reserve: Enter the lush forest where gorillas and chimpanzees can be viewed in this naturalistic rainforest habitat. Tour the Great Ape Domain amid waterfalls and through shrouds of mist and fog to get an up close look at these majestic primates.

Bird Gardens: Here you can view almost 500 tropical birds from around the globe. You can enjoy the Wild Wings of Africa show, see the aviary, and experience the powerful presence of bald and golden eagles in Eagle Canyon. After the show you can talk to conservation educators and learn how to attract birds to your own backyard.

The park also offers a number of educational programs, and Busch Gardens Adventure Camps offers many summer classes, sleepover opportunities, residential programs and adventure camps for kids of all ages, as well as the whole family.

Like Disney World and Universal Studios, Busch gardens also has shopping, entertainment and dining facilities that are sure to please everyone in your family. I have only touched on a few of the offerings of this big theme park. If you want to get a complete picture of what is on offer at Busch Gardens, visit their website at http://www.buschgardens.com

About the Author: Mark Whichard writes frequently about Florida tourism. He and his wife Susan are the proprietors of Orlando's Finest Vacation Homes. Visit their website http://www.orlandosfinest.com for deals on vacation home rentals in Orlando, Florida.

Source: www.isnare.com
Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=220844&ca=Travel

Busch Gardens

By Carl Dunde

We decided to throw the traditional Thanksgiving day traditions out the window and go to Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida. Our plan was to enjoy the day at the park when it surely would not be crowded and then return home to a scaled down Thanksgiving day feast. We were a bit surprised to learn that Busch Gardens had raised their admission price to $64.95 per person. We were pleased that they offered a $10.00 discount off each ticket if they were purchased online, which we did.

Tickets in hand, we traveled to Tampa via interstate I-275 which was unusually void of vehicular traffic. The nice thing about Busch Gardens is that it is easy to find from all points in Florida. We traveled from the South so we exited off I-275 at the Fowler exit (exit # 51) and then we traveled East on Fowler to the park which is extremely monstrous and it cannot be missed as you drive down Fowler Avenue. There is a McDonald's and a Dunkin Donuts on Fowler, right across from the park in case you need to stop for food or coffee before embarking on your adventure.

Another really nice feature of Busch Gardens is their parking lots. The lots are close to the park entrance and they have a steady flow of trams to and from the main gates. The $9.00 parking fee is a bit excessive. Why not include free parking with the increased park admission? Some would argue that the $9.00 fee enables them to have the employees and trams needed to get the visitors to and from the park with little wait time.

Having bought the tickets online paid off because we entered the main gates quickly by showing our printed tickets and scanning them at the turnstile. I was a little surprised at the large crowd at the front gates at 10am. I had imagined the park void of all but a handful of visitors. We did as most park visitors do, we made a dash for the roller coasters.

Busch Gardens is renown for it's beautiful animal exhibits and it's out of this world roller coasters. These roller coasters are not for those with queasy stomachs or fear of heights. The Montu, Kumba, & the Shiekra are fast, high, and scream-inducing roller coasters like many have never seen before. I personally do not like roller coasters so I usually do not ride them when I go to Busch Gardens. I have ridden the Kumba, Montu, & Gwazi in the past and I have to admit that they are exciting and awe inspiring.

We went to Montu first and I gladly waited down below while my thrill seeking family members waited in a very short line. Here is how Busch Gardens describes the Montu - one of the tallest and longest inverted roller coasters in the world. Experience the thrill of an inverse diving loop and a 60-foot vertical loop while you endure speeds of over 60 miles per hour and a G-force of 3.85. That makes my stomach queasy just by reading their description of the ride!

My family rode the Montu and when I encountered them afterwards, two of them were not as steady on their feet as they had been minutes earlier. I always get a kick out of watching people as they exit the roller coasters.

Next we walked the short distance to the Edge of Africa exhibit which gives you an up close view of African animals in enclosures that closely resemble their natural habitat. These are not cages or pens, but rather very large and open air areas for them to roam. We were very pleased to find out that arriving at the park early in the morning meant more than beating the crowds, it allowed us to see the feeding of the animals. We arrived and found 2 park employees sitting on the ground inside the meerkat exhibit. The 2 meerkats were quite amusing as they scurried to and from the park employees who were feeding them. For those of you have forgotten, the meerkat is the cute animal (Timon) from The Lion King who is best friends with Pumba the Warthog.

The park employees then told us that they were heading over to the lion exhibit and we should come along if we wanted to watch the feeding. I always enjoy a theme park more when I encounter warm and friendly employees. The African Lion exhibit was totally impressive. I love wild life and being able to walk up to a huge glass wall and stare face to face with 2 huge lions was exciting. The male lion walked up to the glass and was examining the small crowd of visitors as if he was trying to decide which of us was to be his morning meal. I had seen lions in zoos before but seeing one this close gave me a better understanding of why they are called "king of the jungle" The lion is a big, muscular, and obviously powerful beast with large fangs and enormous paws. I was fully expecting the park employees to throw the lions full slabs of steaks but they only dropped in small pieces one at a time.

The rest of the Edge of Africa exhibit consisted of scenic habitats of hippos, hyenas, vultures, a Nile crocodile.

Next we boarded the Skyride for a scenic trip over the park to Stanleyville. The Skyride takes you high above the Serengeti Plain where you can look down upon zebras, water buffalo, and an array of other African animals. This view gives an impressive view of the vast area that is the Serengeti plain. The Skyride dumped us off at Stanleyville which is home to SkeiKra, Stanley Falls Flume, and Tidal Wave.

This area is the lair of Busch Gardens most feared roller coaster, The SheiKra. Here is how Busch Gardens describes the ride - The name SheiKra evokes the power and speed of an African hawk as it twists and plunges - giving riders a 70 mph, adrenaline-pumping experience like no other. At 200 feet, SheiKra takes the crown as Florida's tallest roller coaster. What blows me away about the SheiKra is that the ride takes you 200 feet up and then drops you 90 degrees straight down.

Busch Gardens recently renovated the ride and now the cars that you ride in have no floors so your feet and legs dangle in the air. I took one look at this ride and knew that it was not for me. The SkeiKra has to be the most impressive roller coaster that I have ever seen. Only 2 members of my party had the nerve to ride the SheiKra and one of them admitted that he had his eyes closed during the entire ride.

Next we visited the hospitality house where we sat by the lagoon and enjoyed 2 free beers. The weather was cool and breezy which made the day that much nicer. The wooden roller coaster, Gwazi is nearby so we headed there. Here is Busch Gardens description of the Gwazi -Gwazi is Busch Gardens Tampa Bay's mammoth double wooden coaster. It is also the Southeast's largest and fastest double wooden roller coaster boasting more than 1.25 million board feet of lumber and over 2 million bolted connections. Named after a fabled lion with a tiger's head, Gwazi races riders through almost 7,000 feet of track and is two distinct coasters intertwined: I actually rode this roller coaster and it was a lot of fun. It is a lot faster than it looks and it was a rougher ride than I had expected.

We were not able to see everything that the park has to offer because it is too much to do in 1 day. Busch Gardens has something for everyone to enjoy. Thrill seekers can spend the day riding some of the world's best roller coasters and other rides, kids can enjoy the Land Of The Dragons, animal lovers can enjoy the many beautiful animals and exhibits, and anyone will marvel at the endless array of beautiful gardens and flowers. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves on this Thanksgiving day trip and we will return soon.

Author writes for the Florida travel and vacation blog http://www.BestofFloridaOnline.com Best of Florida reviews attractions and events all over Florida so that prospective Florida visitors will have a better idea of where to go and what to see while visiting Florida. Any Florida business, attraction, theme park, concert, or event can get a free review by emailing sunnygator@bestoffloridaonline.com

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