Readers recommend

California: cheetah safari

Cheetah Run Safari, San Diego Wild Animal Park, 15500 San Pasqual Valley Road, Escondido; (760) 747-8702, www.sandiegozoo.org/wap. “In this amazing event, a full-grown cheetah runs at 60 to 70 mph. In addition, there is a fascinating presentation of the cheetah to the crowd -- no fences -- with questions and answers by informative handlers. And there’s a beautiful buffet served on tablecloths in an African tent.”

Costs: $69 for the safari, including buffet, plus $28.50 park admission for adults, $17.50 for children up to 11. $8 parking. (Children younger than 8 are not allowed.)

Barbara Vaughan

Los Angeles

*

New Zealand: on park route

Palms Motel, 5 Paru Paru Road, Nelson, New Zealand; 011-64-3-546-7770, www.palmsnelson.co.nz. “This great motel is in Nelson, at the top of the South Island. Nelson is an arts-and-crafts town that’s a stopping point for travelers on the way to Abel Tasman National Park. The motel is spotless and across the street from a grocery store. There’s a solar-heated pool, laundry facilities and balconies on second-floor rooms.” Doubles from $100 a night.

Lynn Perry

Pasadena